Boris Johnson seeks to strengthen ties with Joe Biden on back of Aukus

“Domestic US politics and Biden’s own views are driving a deep frustration at the UK’s unwillingness (as they see it) to reconcile with the EU and implement the Brexit deal,” said Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of the Royal United Services Institute. “The talk of breaking the protocol, and being ready to break international law, does not go down well. There is a pause in the war of words at the moment, but even so this could be a moment of tension.”