U.S. President Joe Biden is on his first foreign trip after assuming office. First Lady Jill Biden is accompanying him. It would be a packed eight-day European visit. He has arrived in Britain where he would have meetings with Prime Minister Boris Johnson followed by the Queen. Next, he would attend the G7 summit and then take part in his first NATO summit as president. His plans include a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva.
The BBC reports that the intention of Joe Biden is to strengthen the ties with allies of the United States.
He feels this is important in view of strained relations that resulted under the Trump administration. One item in his agenda with Boris Johnson is to rewrite the “Atlantic Charter." In his opinion, the pact of 1941 between Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt needs modifications to reflect global changes related to climate change and security. President Joe Biden wants promotion of renewable energy like wind power to fight climate change.
President Biden has a word of caution for Russia
The White House says President Joe Biden would like to cover all the important issues with his Russian counterpart. These would embrace topics of arms control, climate change and cyber hacking apart from the involvement of the Russian military in Ukraine.
President Biden also warned Russia against pursuing activities that could be harmful. The BBC quotes the president saying: "We're not seeking conflict with Russia," he said. "We want a stable and predictable relationship ... but I've been clear:” He said this while addressing U.S. troops and their families at a venue in Suffolk.
There is a need to improve relations between the two countries.
The G7 summit and Joe Biden
In the course of his first overseas trip as President of the United States, Joe Biden wants to pass on a message that America is back. All the democracies of the world are members of a well-knit family. They have the ability to face any challenge.
What matters most is the future. About the G7 summit, The BBC informs that other leaders would arrive in Cornwall on Friday for the meetings over the weekend. COVID recovery could feature prominently in the agenda along with climate change and trade. Soon after taking over charge, Joe Biden mentioned about replacing government owned vehicles with electric cars. It was a positive thought to ward off climate change. A switch over to this form of energy would reduce use of conventional fossil fuels. These generate greenhouse gases that give rise to global warming. Former President Donald Trump had reservations about the 2015 Paris accord on climate change. He did not sign it but Biden set that right.
After the G7 summit, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden would meet the Queen. Their next stop would be Brussels for talks with NATO and the E.U..
Joe Biden arrived in Britain on Air Force One
According to Sky News, Biden launched his first overseas trip as U.S. president with a trip to Britain to participate in a number of meetings. While talking to U.S. Air Force personnel and their families, he said the U.K. and U.S. are founding members of NATO. The time has come to modernize the alliance in order to face challenges of the modern age. These include investing in critical infrastructure and improving the cyber capabilities. The G7 summit would consist of leaders from Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and Italy. Then would come the NATO summit in Belgium followed by a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Switzerland. It would be a busy time ahead for the President and First Lady.
