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u.s. news Dialuna 20 September 2021

Biden pitching partnership after tough stretch with allies

(AP) — President Joe priorities, they are global pri-
Biden goes before the orities,” she said Friday.
United Nations this week
eager to make the case But over the past several
for the world to act with months, Biden has found
haste against the corona- himself at odds with allies on
virus, climate change and a number of high-profile is-
human rights abuses. His sues.
pitch for greater global
partnership comes at a There have been noted dif-
moment when allies are ferences over the U.S. with-
becoming increasingly drawal from Afghanistan, the
skeptical about how much pace of COVID-19 vaccine-
U.S. foreign policy really sharing and international
has changed since Don- travel restrictions, and the
ald Trump left the White best way to respond to mili-
House. tary and economic moves by
China. A fierce French back-
Biden plans to limit his time lash erupted in recent days
at the U.N. General Assem- after the U.S. and Britain
bly due to coronavirus con- announced they would help
cerns. He is scheduled to equip Australia with nuclear-
meet with Secretary-General powered submarines.
Antonio Guterres on Mon-
day and address the assembly Biden opened his presidency
on Tuesday before shifting by declaring that “America is French President Emmanuel developing nations. In June, Taliban rule.
the rest of the week’s diplo- back” and pledging a more Macron has recalled France’s the White House instead an-
macy to virtual and Washing- collaborative international ambassadors to the U.S. and nounced it was buying 500 Britain and other allies, many
ton settings. approach. Australia for consultations in million doses to be distribut- of whose troops followed
Paris. France’s foreign min- ed by a World Health Orga- American forces into Af-
At a virtual COVID-19 sum- At the same time, he has fo- ister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, nization-backed initiative to ghanistan after the attacks of
mit he is hosting Wednesday, cused on recalibrating na- said Australia and the Unit- share vaccine with low- and Sept. 11, 2001, on the United
leaders will be urged to step tional security priorities after ed States had both betrayed middle-income countries States, had urged Biden to
up vaccine-sharing commit- 20 years marked by preoccu- France. Biden and Macron around the globe. Biden is keep the American military at
ments, address oxygen short- pation with wars in Iraq and are expected to speak by soon expected to announce the Kabul airport longer but
ages around the globe and Afghanistan and thwarting Is- phone in the coming days, a additional steps to help vac- were ultimately rebuffed by
deal with other critical pan- lamic terrorists in the Middle French government spokes- cinate the world. the president.
demic-related issues. East and South Asia. He has man said.
tried to make the case that the Allies among the Group of Administration officials see
The president also has in- U.S. and its democratic allies “It was really a stab in the Seven major industrial na- this week’s engagements as
vited the prime ministers of need to put greater focus on back,” Le Drian said. “It looks tions have shown differ- an important moment for
Australia, India and Japan, countering economic and se- a lot like what Trump did.” ing levels of comfort with the president to spell out his
part of a Pacific alliance, to curity threats posed by China Biden’s calls to persuade priorities and rally support to
Washington and is expected and Russia. Biden administration and fellow democratic leaders to take on multiple crises with
to meet with British Prime Australian officials say that present a more unified front greater coordination.
Minister Boris Johnson at the Biden has faced resistance France was aware of their to compete economically
White House. -- and, at moments, outright plans, and the White House with Beijing. When the lead- It’s also a time of political
anger -- from allies when the promised to “continue to be ers met this year in England, transition for some allies.
Through it all, Biden will be White House has moved on engaged in the coming days they agreed to work toward Longtime German Chancel-
the subject of a quiet assess- important global decisions to resolve our differences.” competing against China. lor Angela Merkel is set to
ment by allies: Has he lived with what some deemed in- But there was less unity on leave office after Germany
up to his campaign promise sufficient consultation. But Biden and European al- how adversarial a public po- holds elections later this
to be a better partner than lies have also been out of sync sition the group should take. month and France’s Macron
Trump? France was livid about the on other matters, including is to face his voters in April at
submarine deal, which was how quickly wealthy nations Canada, the United King- a moment when his political
Biden’s chief envoy to the designed to bolster Austra- should share their coronavi- dom and France largely en- star has dimmed.
United Nations, Ambassador lian efforts to keep tabs on rus vaccine stockpiles with dorsed Biden’s position,
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, China’s military in the Pacific poorer nations. while Germany, Italy and the J. Stephen Morrison, a global
offered a harmonious answer but undercuts a deal worth at European Union showed health policy expert at the
in advance of all the diplo- least $66 billion for a fleet of Early on, Biden resisted calls more hesitancy. Center for Strategic and In-
macy: “We believe our pri- a dozen submarines built by a to immediately begin donat- ternational Studies in Wash-
orities are not just American French contractor. ing 4% to 5% of stockpiles to Germany, which has strong ington, expressed concern
trade ties with China, has that the rift in U.S.-France
been keen to avoid a situa- relations has occurred at time
tion in which Germany, or when global leaders are far
the European Union, might behind their goals for vacci-
be forced to choose sides be- nating the globe and need to
tween China and the United step up their efforts.
States.
“We need these countries
Biden clashed with European to be in a position to come
leaders over his decision to forward around the type of
stick to an Aug. 31 deadline agenda ... that the U.S. has
to end the U.S. war in Af- put together,” Morrison said
ghanistan, which resulted in of Biden’s planned vaccina-
the U.S. and Western allies tion push. “So the French
leaving before all their citi- being absent or not terribly
zens could be evacuated from engaged is a setback.”