US President Joe Biden has opened the first overseas trip with a declaration that “the United States is back” as he seeks to reassert the nation on the world stage and steady European allies deeply shaken by his predecessor.
Mr Biden has set the stakes for his eight-day trip in sweeping terms, believing the West must publicly demonstrate it can compete economically with China as the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. It is an open repudiation of his predecessor, Donald Trump, who scorned alliances and withdrew from a global climate change agreement that Biden has since rejoined.
After landing in the UK, the president’s first stop was a visit with US troops and their families at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, in southern England, where he laid out his mission for the trip.
“We’re going to make it clear that the United States is back and democracies are standing together to tackle the toughest challenges and issues that matter the most to our future,” he said.
“That we’re committed to leading with strength, defending our values, and delivering for our people.”
The US President and first lady Jill Biden will meet with the Queen at Windsor Castle on Sunday. The meeting with Mr Biden would make him the 13th American president with whom the Queen, who is 95 years old, has met.
