President Joe Biden, who is going to Europe later this week for summits with G7 leaders, NATO heads of state and then Russian President Putin, wrote an op-ed published in the June 5 Washington Post and other media. Biden said the purpose of his major foreign trip was, in essence, to confront and back off Putin and, in absentia, Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Claiming that his Presidency has re-established American leadership in economics and the global Green New Deal (his purpose in rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement), Biden wrote: “So, when I meet with Vladimir Putin in Geneva, it will be after high-level discussions with friends, partners and allies who see the world through the same lens as the United States, and with whom we have renewed our connections and shared purpose. We are standing united to address Russia’s challenges to European security, starting with its aggression in Ukraine, and there will be no doubt about the resolve of the United States to defend our democratic values, which we cannot separate from our interests.
“In my phone calls with President Putin, I have been clear and direct,” the President went on. The United States does not seek conflict. We want a stable and predictable relationship where we can work with Russia on issues like strategic stability and arms control….
“At the same time, I have also imposed meaningful consequences for behaviors that violate U.S. sovereignty, including interference in our democratic elections. And President Putin knows that I will not hesitate to respond to future harmful activities. When we meet, I will again underscore the commitment of the United States, Europe and like-minded democracies to stand up for human rights and dignity.” [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/05/joe-biden-europe-trip-agenda/]
