Joe Biden begins Europe trip, confident that democratic alliances will prevail

U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Britain on Wednesday on his first trip abroad since taking office, an eight-day mission to rebuild trans-Atlantic ties strained during the Trump era and to reframe relations with Russia, Reuters reports.

The trip tests the Democratic president's ability to manage and repair relationships with major allies who grew disenchanted with then-President Donald Trump's trade tariffs and withdrawal from treaties.

"Will the democratic alliances and institutions that shaped so much of the last century prove their capacity against modern-day threats and adversaries? I believe the answer is yes. And this week in Europe, we have the chance to prove it," Biden said in an article published in the Washington Post.

Biden told reporters as he left for Europe that his goals were "strengthening the alliance, making it clear to Putin and to China that Europe and the United States are tight."

His summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16 in Geneva is the capstone of the trip, an opportunity to raise U.S. concerns directly with Putin about ransomware attacks emanating from Russia, Moscow's aggression against Ukraine and a host of other issues.

Speaking to U.S. troops based at Royal Air Force Mildenhall base, a huge American flag behind him, BIden set a tough tone for his meeting with Putin, saying he would "let him know what I want him to know."

"We're not seeking conflict with Russia," said Biden. He said the United States wants a stable, predictable relationship with Russia but that "the United States will respond in a robust and meaningful way if the Russian government engages in harmful activities."-Photo: PA/The Guardian