WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2021) US President Joe Biden in his first foreign policy speech promised to make America a world leader again by taking multilateral approaches to global challenges and countering rising rivals such as China and Russia.
Biden's address comes a couple weeks after taking over for former President Donald Trump, who was often criticized by opponents for marginalizing allies, undermining NATO, and trying to establish good relations with Russia. The new president clearly tried to contrast his proposed policies to his successor's more unilateral approach.
Biden used the words lead or leadership about a dozen times in his speech at the State Department on Thursday, clearly underscoring what he envisions the US role in the world will look like.
"The message I want the world to hear today [is]... America is back. America is back. Diplomacy is back at the center of our foreign policy," Biden said. "That's why we've moved quickly to begin restoring American engagement internationally and earn back our leadership position, to catalyze global action on shared challenges."
The United States, he added, will compete from a position of strength by working with allies and partners. He called for renewing the US role in international institutions, and "reclaiming our credibility and moral authority, much of which has been lost."
In a demonstration of support for the NATO alliance, Biden announced that the US would freeze the withdrawal of troops from Germany that was ordered under the Trump administration.
Last July, the US announced plans to reduce its troops in Germany by around 12,000. Some analysts saw Trump's move as a reprisal for Berlin's failure to allocate 2 percent of its budget to defense purposes as per NATO regulations.
Biden also pointed out his moves to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization, as examples of America leading in the face of existential threats. Moreover, he underscored the need for global cooperation in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Biden vowed to be tougher on Russia than Trump, who was criticized domestically for purportedly kowtowing to Moscow's leaders. Biden said he told President Vladimir Putin that the days of the US "rolling over" in the face of Russian threats is over.
The US president listed a slew of allegations his administration has levied against Russia related to election meddling, hacking, and treatment of opposition figure Alexey Navalny - all of which the Kremlin has refuted.
The United States, he warned, will not hesitate to raise the cost on Russia to defend US vital interests.
"American leadership must meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including the growing ambitions of China to rival the United States and the determination of Russia to damage and disrupt our democracy," said Biden.
Biden called for taking a multilateral approach when it comes to countering rivals.
"We will be more effective in dealing with Russia when we work in coalition and coordination with other like-minded partners," he said.
The president, however, also said Washington must engage diplomatically with adversaries and competitors where it's in US interests, such as by renewing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).
"That's why, yesterday, the United States and Russia agreed to extend the New START Treaty for five years to preserve the only remaining treaty between our countries safeguarding nuclear stability," Biden said.
Biden characterized China as the United States' "most serious competitor." He vowed "to take on directly the challenges posed to our prosperity, security and democratic values," but reiterated readiness to cooperate "when it is in America's interest to do so."
"We'll confront China's economic abuses; counter its aggressive, coercive action; to push back on China's attack on human rights, intellectual property, and global governance," Biden said.
Biden said his administration will work to ensure the rules of international trade are not stacked against the United States.
"If our workers and intellectual property are protected, then there's no country on Earth - not China or any other country on Earth - that can match us," Biden said.
Biden said he directed the Pentagon to conduct a "Global Posture Review" to ensure the US military footprint is appropriately aligned with foreign policy and national security priorities. Then, in a reversal of Obama-era policies, Biden announced that the United States is stopping all support for the offensive operations in Yemen.
"We are also stepping up our diplomacy to end the war in Yemen. This war has to end and to underscore our commitment we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen including relevant arms sales," Biden said.
Biden also announced that he named veteran diplomat Timothy Lenderking as US special envoy to address the issue.
The envoy will work with US agencies to ensure humanitarian aid is reaching the Yemeni people who are suffering an unendurable devastation, he said.
Biden, at the same time, vowed that the US would defend Saudi Arabia in the face of missile and drone strikes and other threats from Iranian-supplied forces in multiple countries.
Later in the day, the Yemeni Shia Houthi rebels said they welcomed the US decision to stop supporting offensive operations.
Biden issued a stern warning to Myanmar's military demanding that they relinquish power they have seized in a recent coup, release "the advocates, activists and officials" they have detained, lift the restrictions on telecommunications, and refrain from violence.
Biden also moved to reinstate the refugee admissions in the United States back at 125,000 for "the first full fiscal year" of his administration. Last October, Trump lowered the cap to 15,000.
The president also conveyed that US foreign policy cannot be separated from domestic policy, vowing to create jobs, boost the middle class and save the economy. He said it is also the reason he signed an executive order strengthening Buy American policies.
Biden did not address the situation in Afghanistan nor US policy towards Iran. Biden, who vowed earlier to return to the nuclear deal with Iran, has said he wants to broaden the pact to cover other outstanding issues including Tehran's missile program and activities across the Middle East.
