“The United States is back”, said US President Joe Biden to flag off his first international visit after taking office earlier this year. He was accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden at the Royal Air Force base Mildenhall in England.

Biden also ran through his schedule for his eight-day trip, where he will be covering substantial diplomatic ground by conducting meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Biden will also be attending the G7 summit and meeting NATO allies, both in committee rooms and bilaterally.

On June 16, Biden will be meeting the Russian leader for the first time in person. The 78-year-old President said that he will be flying to Geneva to “meet with Mister Putin to let him know what I want him to know.”

While setting the tone for the highly anticipated meeting with Putin, Biden said, “We are not seeking conflict with Russia. We want a stable, predictable relationship.”

He also noted that “ensuring strategic stability” and “upholding arms control agreements” were incredible responsibilities shared by both United States and Russia.

Biden also hailed the democratic values of the US and said that the world is “standing together to tackle the toughest challenges” in an attempt to garner support from NATO allies.