Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak to meet today amid mounting pressure for a deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol

UUP leader Doug Beattie, in a statement to the News Letter ahead of the meeting, warned that "more rhetoric" surrounding the Protocol will not help.

President Biden, who has made frequent references to his Irish ancestry in the past, has reportedly taken a personal interest in the issue.

In September, following a phone call between Mr Biden and the then Prime Minister Liz Truss, a White House spokesperson condemned "efforts to undo the Northern Ireland protocol".

While it is unclear whether Mr Biden and Mr Sunak will discuss the Protocol at today's G20 meeting, it comes amid pressure from the US for a deal to be completed before April ahead of a possible Northern Ireland visit that the President has been widely tipped to be planning to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Earlier this month, a diplomatic source told the Sunday Telegraph: “The US is increasing the pressure on the EU now to get the deal done by April.

"In fact, they are encouraging both the UK and EU.”

The President's stance on the Protocol could be a possible hurdle for the UK in its efforts to secure a potentially highly valuable post-Brexit trade deal with the world's largest economy.

The Daily Mail, meanwhile, reports that the two leaders are expected to pledge to continue working ‘hand in glove’ in the response to the conflict in Ukraine following today's meeting.

UUP leader Doug Beattie said: "Without a doubt the meeting between the UK Prime Minister and the US President will focus on global crises such as the war in Ukraine and the increasingly aggressive China & North Korea as well as global economic issues.

“However, if Northern Ireland is on their agenda, then more rhetoric surrounding the Protocol will not help. We need solutions, we need to ensure the primacy of the Belfast Agreement and we need stable government. The protocol is the impediment to creating stable government.”