Joe Biden is “unequivocal” in his support for Ireland in the latest Brexit trade deal stand-off.
The US President is a proud Irish-American and is firmly backing Ireland and the sanctity of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) in the new diplomatic spat with the UK over Brexit trade issues.
The White House has reaffirmed his stance, with a spokeswoman saying when asked about the row on Thursday night: “President Biden has been unequivocal about his support for the Good Friday Agreement.”
Mr Biden made the security of the Agreement a key issue in his election race too when he warned on the campaign trail that he would not allow the UK to put it in jeopardy.
He said in November that he would not stand for the GFA to “become a casualty of Brexit”.
The British Government decided this week, without formally telling the EU or our Government, that they were extending an exemption on checks on goods going from Britain into Northern Ireland for an extra six months out to October.
And it is citing provisions in the Good Friday Agreement to bolster its actions.
This has caused a major ruckus in political circles as it undermines EU/UK trust, and has major implications for Irish imports and exports.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, upped the ante on Thursday morning when he said the British now “simply cannot be trusted” following their unilateral act.
And later that afternoon the EU confirmed they were considering legal action against the British for potential breach of the Brexit agreement.
UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has provoked a reaction from Washington with his move, and the issue was raised directly by the Irish Times in the daily White House briefing on Thursday night.
White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, responded: “President Biden has been unequivocal about his support for the Good Friday Agreement.
“It has been the bedrock of peace, stability and prosperity for all the people of Northern Ireland.”
She added: “We also welcome co-operation between our British and Irish partners on the Northern Irish protocol and the recent strong statements on these governments’ full commitment to the Good Friday Agreement.”
Meanwhile, Mr Biden’s spokeswoman was also asked about the ongoing preparations for a virtual St Patrick’s Day meeting between President Biden and Taoiseach Micheál Martin in just under two weeks’ time.
She said: “The President has a special place in his heart for the Irish, as do I, and I expect certainly that we will have more details to share soon, given, as you said, it is two weeks away.
“Of course, any recognition of St Patrick’s Day would look different from past years, but we will certainly mark the day and will have more to say on it as we get closer.”
