Biden to highlight nuclear submarine deal with UK, Australia leaders in San Diego

President Biden will travel to San Diego on Monday to highlight the nuclear submarine deal with UK, Australia, alongside British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The three leaders plan to engage in talks about  AUKUS, which deals with security in the Asia Pacific and Australia obtaining the nuclear-powered submarines under the agreement.

Biden on Tuesday will then travel to Monterey Park for remarks on gun violence and later travel to Las Vegas. The next day, in Las Vegas, he will discuss his plan to lower the price of prescription drugs.

Albanese said earlier on Wednesday that he planned to meet with Biden, saying there would be further announcements about the plans.

Biden’s trip to California comes as he faces a steady stream of criticism from Republicans and Democrats for not visiting East Palestine, Ohio in the wake of the train derailment last month. He will travel to Philadelphia, Pa., on Thursday to unveil his budget.

When the security pact AUKUS was made between the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia in September 2021, it caused a rift between the U.S. and France. France had been seeking its own multibillion-dollar defense agreement with Australia for submarines.

France said it was caught flat-footed by the new deal and the country temporarily recalled its ambassador to the U.S. 

Biden at the time acknowledged that his administration’s handling of a submarine deal with Australia was “clumsy” and he worked to repair his relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron.