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US President Joe Biden has declared that “the transatlantic alliance is back” in a powerful speech that seeks to reestablish the United States as the leader of the West against what he called a global attack on democracy.
The Munich Annual Security Conference speech, held via video link due to the Covid-19 pandemic, coincided with German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s welcome to a return to “multilateralism” after years of confrontation from the predecessor of Biden, Donald Trump.
In his first major international foreign policy speech since taking office in January, Joe Biden said America’s traditional allies should once again have confidence in Washington’s leadership.
“I am sending a clear message to the world: America is back. The transatlantic alliance is back,” he said from the White House.
As vice president, I worked closely with America’s democratic partners to advance our shared vision and values. As President, I will work with our partners and allies to defeat COVID-19 and promote peace and shared prosperity around the world.
America is back. pic.twitter.com/ZcrgonHh2N
– President Biden (@POTUS) February 19, 2021
He said: “America is determined, determined to reengage with Europe, to consult with you, to regain our position of trusted leadership.”
Biden, who previously spoke with leaders of the G7 club of rich democracies, said his administration was once again emphasizing alliance-building, in contrast to Trump’s isolationist policies and abrasive treatment of American partners.
“Our partnerships have endured and grown over the years because they are rooted in the richness of our shared democratic values. They are not transactional. They are not extractive,” said President Biden in clear reference to Trump’s emphasis on redefining allies as economic rivals.
Collective strength, Biden said, is the only way to succeed when a global contest between democracy and autocracy is at a “tipping point.”
He said: “In too many places, including Europe and the United States, democratic progress is under attack.
“Historians will examine and write about this moment. It is a turning point. And I believe with every ounce of my being that democracy must prevail.”
President Biden said he did not seek a return to “the rigid blocs of the Cold War,” insisting that the international community must work together on issues such as the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, even when there are deep disagreements on other issues.
The return of the United States, as of Friday, to the Paris climate accord was proof of Washington’s intentions, he said.
“We can no longer delay or do the bare minimum to address climate change,” Biden said, calling this a “global existential crisis.”
But it delivered stark warnings about the threats it said posed by Russia and China.
Mr Biden said: “The Kremlin attacks our democracies and weapons corruption to try to undermine our system of government.”
He said that President Vladimir Putin “seeks to weaken the European project and our alliance with NATO.”
Again urging Western unity, President Biden said that “it is much easier for the Kremlin to intimidate and threaten individual states than to negotiate with a strong and closely knit transatlantic community.”
Similarly, US partners must stand united against “economic abuses and coercion by the Chinese government that undermine the foundations of the international economic system,” he said.
“Chinese companies must meet the same standard” as US and European companies facing onerous restrictions on their presence in China, he said.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, speaking via video link at the Munich event, echoed Biden’s concerns about China.
Mr. Biden said: “The rise of China is a critical issue for the transatlantic community with possible consequences for our security, our prosperity and our way of life.”
“That is why NATO should deepen our relationships with close partners, such as Australia and Japan, and forge new ones around the world.”
On Iran, he reiterated his promise to return to international negotiations with Tehran on its nuclear program, but said that “we must address Iran’s destabilizing activities throughout the Middle East.”
President Biden’s pivot is getting good reviews in Europe.
Speaking to reporters after the previous virtual G7 summit, Germany’s Merkel said “it is clear that multilateralism will again have a stronger chance.”
“In particular, multilateralism is driven by the change in the United States government; the Biden government has already demonstrated this with its first decisions” to return to the Paris climate agreement and to once again support the World Organization. Health, he said.
While welcoming the reappearance of the United States, French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe has yet to step forward to ensure its own security.
“If we depend too much on the United States within NATO, we can put ourselves in the position of no longer being protected on our borders,” he told the Munich conference.
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