In a moving speech given by Joe Biden, America attempted to reaffirm and solidify its place as the sole leader as the US President announced that the “transatlantic alliance is back” to counter the “global assault on democracy.”
After a difficult term with former US President Donald Trump, the Munich Security Conference, which was organised in a virtual format, welcomed the initiative of reestablishing “multilateralism”.
Biden, who gave his first major address on an international platform on America’s foreign policy, regained the trust of traditional international allies of the US.
He said in a statement from the White House, “I’m sending a clear message to the world: America is back. The transatlantic alliance is back.”
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He added, “The United States is determined, determined to reengage with Europe, to consult with you, earn back our position of trusted leadership.”
Contrary to the foreign policy followed by former US President Donald Trump, Biden emphasised that the US was looking to rebuild alliances.
Biden said, “Our partnerships have endured and grown through the years because they are rooted in the richness of our shared democratic values. They’re not transactional. They’re not extractive,” while cryptically pointing towards his predecesor.
He further highlighted the need for “collective strength” in this competition of autocracy and democracy.
“In too many places, including in Europe and the United States, democratic progress is under assault,” Biden said.
“Historians will examine and write about this moment. It’s an inflection point. And I believe with every ounce of my being that democracy must prevail.”
He urged international unity among countries, even those which share ideological differences, on issues like climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic while deflecting from the possibility of “the rigid blocs of the Cold War”.
The return of the United States — effective Friday — to the Paris climate agreement 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.”
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However, the US President did not shy away from delivering tough warnings about the international threats he said are posed by China and Russia.
“The Kremlin attacks our democracies and weaponizes corruption to try and undermine our system of governance,” he said. President Vladimir Putin “seeks to weaken the European project and our NATO alliance.”
Jens Stoltenberg, the chief of NATO said, “We should deepen our relationships with close partners, like Australia and Japan, and forge new ones around the world,” while reaffirming the strong statements made by Biden and added, “China’s rise is a defining problem for the transatlantic community with potential impacts for our prosperity, our security and our way of life.”
Biden put forward a diplomatic stance when speaking about Iran said, “We must address Iran’s destabilizing activities across the Middle East,” while vowing to re-establish a diplomatic channel with the country and restart fruitful negotiations regarding the country’s nuclear program.
