Joe Biden proclaims the "return" of America and the transatlantic alliance

US President Joe Biden delivers a speech as he participates in a virtual Munich Security Conference event from the White House on February 19, 2021. REUTERS - KEVIN LAMARQUE

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During his first major foreign policy speech to his European partners on Friday, February 19, the President of the United States affirmed his commitment to the transatlantic alliance, accusing Moscow of "attacking" Western democracies.

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Breaking with his predecessor Donald Trump,

Joe Biden

had promised upon coming to power

America's

“ 

return 

” on the international scene.

Anxious to restore transatlantic relations, he participated this Friday in the G7 and then, by videoconference alongside the German Chancellor and Emmanuel Macron, in the Munich Conference, an annual meeting bringing together heads of state, diplomats and security specialists .

“ 

I speak to you today as President of the United States, at the very beginning of my administration, and I send a clear message to the world: America is back.

The transatlantic alliance is back,

 ”declared the 46th President of the United States from the White House on this occasion.

“ 

The partnership between Europe and the United States must in my view remain the cornerstone of everything we hope to achieve in the 21st century

,” added Joe Biden.

As we did in the twentieth century.

So let me remove any doubts: the United States will work closely with its European partners, and with capitals across the continent, from Rome to Riga, to meet any challenges we face.

The United States is fully committed to NATO.

We keep the faith in Article 5. It's a guarantee.

An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.

We will fight for our common values

.

"

We look to the future together.

Joe Biden, new American president

Angela Merkel, for her part, welcomed “ 

reinforced multilateralism

 ”.

“ 

Our interests are not always going to converge, I am not kidding myself.

We must speak openly about our differences.

But we share common values, in particular on the functioning of democracy,

 ”declared the German Chancellor for her part.

“ 

Our goal should not be to create dependency links with other countries but we must convince them that our way of life, that our vision of politics are the most relevant.

The transatlantic perspective is for me at the heart of this process.

 "

Russia in the crosshairs

Addressing the European partners sometimes abused by the United States under Donald Trump, Joe Biden also accused Russia of "

attacking our democracies

 ".

Russian President Vladimir “ 

Putin seeks to weaken the European project and our NATO alliance.

[...] He wants to sabotage transatlantic unity and our resolve, because it is much easier for the Kremlin to intimidate and threaten states alone rather than negotiating with a strong and united transatlantic community

 ”, said Joe Biden.

The former vice-president of Obama also felt that in " 

too many places 

", including in Europe and the United States, the advance of democracy was "under 

attack 

".

“ 

We are at the heart of a fundamental debate about the future direction of our world.

Between those who argue that - given all the challenges we face - autocracy is the best way forward, and those who understand that democracy is essential to meet these challenges

.

"

The Democrat on the other hand reaffirmed his commitment to the fight against climate change, a " 

world existential crisis 

", and called for the fight against " 

China's economic abuses

 ".

The United States must respond to

Iran's “

 destabilizing activities 

” in the Middle East, Joe Biden also said, without detailing them.

The US president confirmed in the same speech Washington's desire to relaunch the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement by involving all the signatory countries, including Iran.

(With AFP)

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