President Biden on Thursday called Liz Truss, the departing British prime minister, “a great partner” on helping Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion, though he declined to say whether her resignation had been the correct move.
“Well, that’s for her to decide,” Mr. Biden told reporters at the White House as he prepared to board Marine One on his way to Pennsylvania. “But, look, she was a great partner on Russia and Ukraine. And the British are going to solve their problem.”
Earlier in the day, Mr. Biden released a statement expressing support for the British government amid its leadership turmoil while thanking Ms. Truss.
“The United States and the United Kingdom are strong allies and enduring friends — and that fact will never change,” Mr. Biden said in the statement. “I thank Prime Minister Liz Truss for her partnership on a range of issues including holding Russia accountable for its war against Ukraine. We will continue our close cooperation with the U.K. government as we work together to meet the global challenges our nations face.”
Mr. Biden and Ms. Truss met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting last month and had spoken by phone about Ukraine and other issues. But the president and his aides made no secret that they disagreed with Ms. Truss’s tax policies, which rocked global markets.
The president told reporters in Portland, Ore., last week that he opposed Ms. Truss’s tax plans, calling them a “mistake.”
“I think that the idea of cutting taxes on the super wealthy at a time when — anyway, I just think — I disagreed with the policy, but that’s up to Great Britain to make that judgment, not me,” he said.
Mr. Biden’s economic team had also clashed with Ms. Truss’s team privately over its proposal to cut taxes for high earners. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen joined several other finance ministers from the Group of 7 nations this month in criticizing their British counterpart over the plans.
The situation in Britain has prompted concerns among Biden administration officials about the potential for a similar type of meltdown in the United States. The president has frequently convened his top economic aides in recent weeks to discuss the developments in British markets, including the Bank of England’s effort to stabilize U.K. bond yields.
Administration officials have consulted with economists and investors on whether such a financial meltdown could strike the United States anytime soon. Mr. Biden, who became vice president in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, has repeatedly pressed his team to estimate the likelihood of a similar crisis arising in America.
