Published 12:25 IST, February 20th 2021
Joe Biden vows 'unshakable' support for allies, assures to reverse Donald Trump's policies
Biden on February 19 pledged “unshakable” support for the transatlantic alliance in what he portrayed as an epoch-defining struggle to safeguard democracy.
US President Joe Biden on February 19 pledged “unshakable” support for the transatlantic alliance in what he portrayed as an epoch-defining struggle to safeguard democracy. While speaking at the virtual Munich Security Conference, Biden made his debut on the world stage and assured America’s allies of his determination to bury the legacy left by his predecessor Donald Trump. The former US president wasn’t mentioned by name, however, Biden’s speech was framed by how he would reverse the policies and approach of the past four years.
In the wake of the Capitol riots, Biden also said that neither he nor Europe’s leaders could take democracy for granted. While noting that democratic progress in Europe and the US are “under assault”, Biden said that historians are going to examine and write about this moment as an inflection point. “I believe with every ounce of my being that democracy will and must prevail,” he added.
“That, in my view, is our galvanizing mission. Democracy doesn’t happen by accident. We have to defend it, fight for it, strengthen it, renew it,” Biden said.
Further, the newly minted US President said that the world’s democracies now have to “prove that our model isn’t a relic of history”. Biden said that the US would have to work to earn back the trust of its allies if it was to resume a position of leadership. He also listed all the concrete steps he was taking to repair the many gashes left in the transatlantic partnership.
In a live-streamed speech, where he shared the virtual stage with Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron, Biden also noted the formal US return to the Paris Climate Agreement and the US’ readiness to re-enter multilateral nuclear talks with Iran. He made clear that he was urgently funneling money into the collective fight against COVID. Biden even announced $4 billion in new support for the global vaccine effort, COVAX.
‘Attack on one is attack on all’
Biden's speech on Friday mainly focused on bolstering NATO, an alliance Trump had viewed with suspicion. He said that the last four years have been hard. Biden said that the US will keep faith with article 5 and added, “It’s a guarantee an attack on one is an attack on all. That is our unshakable vow”.
Moreover, the US President confirmed he reversed Trump’s order to cut US troop levels in Germany. He argued that the reinvigoration of the Atlantic alliance was essential to bring back Russian sabotage of western democracies and to rising to the longer-term challenge posed by China. His sharp words for Vladimir Putin and support for Ukraine also marked another stark contrast with Trump.
"Putin seeks to weaken the European project and our Nato alliance. He wants to undermine the transatlantic unity, and our resolve, because it’s so much easier for the Kremlin to bully and threaten individual states than it is to negotiate with a strong and closely united transatlantic community,” Biden said. “That’s why standing up for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine remains a vital concern for Europe and the United States”.
Updated 12:25 IST, February 20th 2021