Biden says U.S.-U.K. ties 'strong,' does not mention Johnson

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre noted Biden and Johnson had met recently during the president's trip to Europe

U.S. President Joe Biden looks forward to further close cooperation with the British government, he said on Thursday without mentioning Prime Minister Boris Johnson who resigned in the face of scandal, Qazet.az reports.

"The United Kingdom and the United States are the closest of friends and Allies, and the special relationship between our people remains strong and enduring," Biden said in a statement many hours after Johnson announced his resignation.

"I look forward to continuing our close cooperation with the government of the United Kingdom, as well as our Allies and partners around the world, on a range of important priorities," Biden said.

That includes "maintaining a strong and united approach to supporting the people of Ukraine," Biden said.

"They had a pretty friendly and close interaction," Jean-Pierre told reporters. "We believe our alliance with the United Kingdom will continue to be strong."