Meetings with Johnson and Putin, discussions on the climate ... What is Biden doing in Europe?

ANALYSIS

Almost five months after coming to power, Joe Biden begins a European tour on Thursday.

And the agenda of the American president, who arrived in the United Kingdom on Wednesday evening, is busy, with meetings with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, European Union leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

One way for Donald Trump's successor in the White House to send several messages, especially on NATO. 

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For Joe Biden, the purpose of this trip is to say that the Atlantic Alliance has survived the mandate of Donald Trump, after four years of cowardly love that must be erased.

For this, Joe Biden follows a tradition, with a first visit to Great Britain to emphasize the "special relationship", the special relationship between the two countries.

A must for Biden, but not sufficient.

Reassure Europe about the climate

Because it is all of Europe that it needs to reassure, in particular on the climate issue and more particularly the Paris Agreement and the way in which the United States intends to get off on the right foot.

For this, Joe Biden has stalled a whole series of face-to-face meetings in Brussels with European leaders, a sign that he wants to take his time to discuss with everyone. 

Great Britain, the EU, NATO… Joe Biden shows his will not to cede anything to the other great powers. Just before taking off from Washington, he made it clear that his trip was to make it clear to Vladimir Putin and China that the United States and Europe are united. This is his way of setting the tone ahead of his Wednesday meeting with the Russian president. Because between the situation of the opponent Alexeï Navalny, Belarus, Ukraine, the points of friction are numerous, and make this meeting worth a test: to know if the United States and Russia are still capable of understanding each other more than to get along.