Biden and Truss commit to stand up against Russia, Iran, China

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke by phone on Tuesday to congratulate new British Prime Minister Liz Truss and both leaders promised to strengthen their relationship as they stand together against Russia, Iran and China.

The prime minister's office said in a statement that Biden and Truss discussed deepening cooperation on NATO and the U.S.-Australia-Britain security agreement established last year as a counter to China. Truss looks forward to "working closely with President Biden," the statement said.

A White House statement said the two leaders discussed continuing close cooperation on Ukraine, addressing challenges posed by China, preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and "securing sustainable and affordable energy resources."

The two leaders could meet as soon as the U.N. General Assembly later in September. Truss won a leadership race for the governing Conservative Party on Monday and took over from Boris Johnson as prime minister on Tuesday, as Britain faces its most daunting set of challenges in decades.