Barack Obama ‘drops in’ for informal meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Former US President Barack Obama held an unannounced informal meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street in London on Monday. Obama waved to photographers as he entered the famous Black Door, which Downing Street officials later described as a “polite drop-in” to the British prime minister’s study for a chat.

The agenda for the hour-long meeting has not yet been revealed, but Russian President Vladimir Putin’s re-election and the conflict in Ukraine are likely to be the focus of their discussions.

A Downing Street spokesman said: “He paid an informal courtesy call as part of a trip to London, where he chairs the Obama Foundation.”

“I think President Obama’s team made contact and obviously the prime minister was pleased to meet with him and discuss the work of the Obama Foundation,” the spokesman said.

This is Obama’s first visit to Downing Street since leaving the White House during his two terms as President of the United States from 2009 to 2017. The 62-year-old Democrat founded the Chicago-based Obama Foundation, whose mission is to “inspire, empower and connect people to change their world.”

The meeting between Obama and Sunak was believed to be the first between the two. About an hour later, Obama was seen leaving Downing Street with Jane Hartley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, smiling at reporters and joking that he was “very tempted” when asked to speak.