US President Joe Biden has described the UK as his country's "closest ally" - days after he blasted "trickle down economics" in a comment interpreted as a dig at Liz Truss.
The two leaders presented a united front as they met in New York, where Ms Truss is set to address the UN Security Council in the early hours.
Mr Biden and Ms Truss are holding talks today covering a range of topics including the energy crisis, the war in Ukraine and protecting the Good Friday Agreement.
It comes after the Prime Minister earlier conceded that a major trade deal with the US was not imminent.
But any tensions between the two nations were put aside as the pair addressed reporters, with Mr Biden telling the PM: "I look forward to working closely with you.
"You're our closest ally in the world and there's a lot we can continue to do together.
"There's no issue I can think of of global significance where the UK and the UK aren't working in co-operation and I expect we will be able to continue to do that."
The US President said he had been "overwhelmed" by the affection shown for the Queen when he visited London for the Sovereign's funeral.
He also publicly congratulated Ms Truss for becoming PM earlier this month, succeeding Boris Johnson after he was ousted by disaffected Tory MPs.
In response Ms Truss described the US as a "steadfast ally", and said the two nations need to work together to deal with "autocrats" around the world.
She thanked the president and first lady Jill Biden for attending the Queen's funeral and acknowledged the "huge outpouring of affection" for the late monarch in the US.
"We're very grateful for all the support you've given us over what has been two very difficult weeks in the United Kingdom as we move toward the reign of King Charles III and we enter a new era.
"And as you say Mr President, we are steadfast allies."
It comes amid fears of tensions between the two traditional allies, with the 'special relationship' between the UK and the US under threat.
Ahead of their meeting, Mr Biden tweeted : “I am sick and tired of trickle-down economics. It has never worked.
“We're building an economy from the bottom up and middle out.”
It was widely interpreted as a swipe at Ms Truss, who has proposed tax cuts which will benefit the wealthy.
No 10 later retorted: “Any suggestion that it’s in some way a direct criticism of UK policy would be ludicrous. No two countries’ economies are structured in the same way – each have unique challenges.”
Ms Truss has abandoned hopes of a trade deal with the US in a stunning post-Brexit U-turn.
Successive Conservative governments of which Ms Truss has been a key member have spent years targeting a transatlantic trade pact with America as the prize for quitting the EU.
But, in a shock admission, the new Prime Minister ditched plans for an agreement with the White House “in the short to medium term”.
A No 10 spokesperson said this evening: “The Prime Minister met US President Joe Biden at the UN General Assembly in New York today.
“The leaders condemned Putin’s recent belligerent statements on Ukraine. They agreed his actions highlight the need for allies to continue their economic and military support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister updated President Biden on her recent announcement that the UK will recommit to at least the same level of defensive support for Ukraine next year.
“Both leaders discussed the increased threat posed by autocracies to our values and the international system. The Prime Minister updated President Biden on the UK’s plans to update the Integrated Review to ensure the UK is fully equipped to tackle the evolving challenge from countries like China and Russia.
“The leaders stressed the need to end over-reliance on authoritarian states in terms of our energy, technology and manufacturing supply chains.
“They agreed to redouble bilateral efforts to reduce energy dependence on Russia and to increase the amount of renewable and other forms of energy flowing from democratic states. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to reaching Net Zero, and the UK outlined the UK’s plans to be a net energy exporter by 2040, in large part thanks to renewable energy.
“The Prime Minister and President Biden also discussed a number of global challenges which the UK and US are working closely together to resolve, including efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
“On the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Prime Minister and President Biden both agreed that the priority must be protecting the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and preserving the gains of peace in Northern Ireland.”
