MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2021) US President Joe Biden's recent decisions concerning deployment of US troops in Europe, along with promises to take a harsher stance on Russia and China, indicate that the new US administration seeks to restore its position in the international arena and regain its status of a world leader, serve as eerie reminder of a Cold War mindset.
During his first major foreign policy speech on Thursday, Biden said that the US' diplomacy was back and ready to reengage with the world in a reversal of unilateral inclinations of his predecessor Donald Trump.
"I made it clear to [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin in a manner very different from my predecessor that the days of the US rolling over in the face of Russia's aggressive action in the frame of our election, cyberattacks, poisoning of its citizens are over. We will not hesitate to raise the cost on Russia and defend our vital interests and our people," Biden said at the US Department of State, referring to the phone conversation he had earlier with the Russian leader.
The US president added that the new administration would repair the country's lines and engage with the world once again "not to meet yesterday's challenges, but today's and tomorrow's."
"America's leadership must meet the new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including a growing ambition of China to rival the US and a determination of Russia to damage and disrupt our democracy," Biden said.
During his speech, Biden threatened Russia over jailed opposition activist Alexey Navalny's trial, he also threatened Myanmar with renewing sanctions against the country, where the "putschist generals" conducted a coup.
The US leader also announced that Washington was halting any planned removal of forces from Germany pending "a global posture review."
"Defense Secretary [Lloyd] Austin will be leading a global posture review of our forces so that our military footprint is appropriately aligned with our foreign policy and national security priorities... While this review is taking place, we'll be stopping any planned troop withdrawal from Germany," Biden said.
The US president's speech suggests that the Biden administration will be back with a rather confrontational attitude, unlike the previous one, which actually started to withdraw the US troops from all military zones of operation, from Iraq and Syria to Afghanistan, and did not particularly support NATO's policy to present Russia as a dangerous neighbor.
The US troops are still largely present in Europe, even if it is only a remnant of the troops stationed in Europe until the end of the Warsaw Pact in February 1991 and the fall of communism.
During his presidency, Trump has repeatedly insisted that the European allies within NATO take a bigger share of their own defense. The former US leader demanded that all fulfill their commitment to dedicate 2 percent of their budget to defense. Only a few countries have since met their obligation. While France, the UK and Poland increased their defense budget, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, for example, did not.
Since Washington's calls were not taken into account by European leaders, Trump went so far as to symbolically punish Berlin for falling short on its NATO dues by pulling around 12,000 troops from Germany, reducing the US contingent in the European country to 25,000. Trump also decided to move military headquarters from Germany to Belgium and Italy.
However, Joe Biden after taking office reversed a number of decisions made by his predecessor, including US troops' withdrawal from Germany, which was put on hold until a comprehensive review by new Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who oversaw US forces in the middle East under ex-President Barack Obama, is conducted.
Biden had been critical of Trump's treatment of European allies and pledged a fresh start for transatlantic relations under his presidency.
"Secretary Austin expressed his gratitude to Germany for continuing to serve as a great host for US forces," the Pentagon had said in a statement following Austin's phone talks with German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.
The withdrawal plans had been unpopular with both Democrats and Republicans, who argued that a reduction of troops in Germany would send the wrong signal to Russia.
The change of power in Washington is a great relief for Europe, as, on the one hand, there would be less pressure on NATO allies to augment their military spending, on the other hand, the new administration will be tougher on Russia, which, some European countries believe, attempts to destabilize the situation in the EU, as well as on China, considered by the bloc as "a systemic rival" for influence.
Commenting on defense issues in Europe since the departure of Donald Trump, Jerome Riviere, a French member of the European Parliament, told Sputnik that the majority of EU lawmakers welcomed the arrival of Joe Biden to power.
"The mandate of Donald Trump was, for our country, the perfect opportunity to emancipate itself from NATO, which, since the fall of the USSR, has only served to make Europe an American protectorate. [French President] Emmanuel Macron, without drawing the consequences of what he said, noted the 'brain death' of NATO, which, as [Charles] de Gaulle feared, has no other objective than to sell American military equipment on our European market, to the detriment of our own," Riviere said.
According to the lawmaker, this is the will of the European elites, in line with the actions of Jean Monnet, who worked tirelessly to submit European institutions to US diplomacy.
"And Europe is supposed to believe all the fables created to make Russia into an imaginary scarecrow: Crimea, Navalny, the rights of supposedly oppressed minorities � all relayed by complacent media to ideologically prohibit an alliance with Moscow. Yet, it would be the only way to form a coherent bloc between China and the United States, whose confrontation will make history in the twenty-first century," Riviere added.
Commenting on "even more threatening" foreign policy announced by Biden, the lawmaker said that it recalled worrying precedents, such as interventionism, multilateralism, paternalism of the US, perceived as the policeman of the world, adding that the US diplomacy returns to "warmongering fundamentals."
"Joe Biden is showing his desire to restore American world leadership with hawkish overtones, while Trump managed to avoid military adventures, a real achievement," the politician concluded.
Whether 12,000 US troops leave Germany or not, Joe Biden said that Washington had to prove to the world that the United States was ready to lead again, not only with the example of power but also with the power of the country's example, the lawmaker recalled the US president's speech, calling it arrogant.
"It is not the freedom-loving America we love," Riviere added.
An Italian member of the European Parliament, Pietro Fiocchi, in turn, told Sputnik that Biden's attitude toward Russia was no surprise.
"I do believe that president Joe Biden will strengthen the relationship with the EU and NATO, for two reasons: one is to do the exact opposite of Trump, the other to show he is friendly with a 'green' Europe and in line with the indications of his voters. I do not believe in an aggressive America under Joe Biden. This is just ranting, to look tough and be taken seriously," Fiocchi added.
The lawmaker also suggested that the new US president was only building on a better EU relationship, as an ally and a commercial partner and a friend in the environmental field.
"I doubt that the EU will impose more sanctions on Russia, given the interest of [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel personally and her coalition in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline [project]," the politician said.
Given that Merkel also announced that Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V could be soon produced in Germany, Biden's intention to take a harsh stance on Russia will not make a change in the EU's foreign policy, Fiocchi said.
Commenting on Washington's announcement that US troops will not be pulled out from Germany, Alexander Neu, a Bundestag member from the Die Linke party, called it "very bad news."
"We believe it would be much better to demilitarize Germany and reduce armed forces on both sides. Of course, Merkel's government is happy about it, it brings the geopolitical balance back as it was," Neu told Sputnik.
According to the politician, there are some good signs of thawing between Russia and Germany, as the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline should be completed, though the issue is still open.
"And on the pandemic front, after having demonized the Russian vaccine last year, when Sputnik V was announced, the acceptance of the Russian vaccine for Germany and even its production here is a game changer, of course. Not out of love for Russia, but simply because Europe does not have enough vaccine doses," Neu added.
At the same time, despite these signs, Biden continues "a cold war talk," the lawmaker noted.
As for the Alternative for Germany's (AfD) parliamentary group in the Bundestag, its head Alexander Gauland told Sputnik in July 2020 that the country's government made it easy for Trump to withdraw troops. However, the decision, according to the politician, was wrong, as it was directed solely against Germany and was not oriented towards NATO's strategic requirements.
"But the Federal government has also made it very easy for ... Trump. Because with his accusation that Germany spends too little on its defense � and, thus, also on the defense of its allies � Trump is unfortunately correct," Gauland said, adding that the Bundeswehr has been underfunded for years and the NATO two percent target is still a long way off for Germany.
Meanwhile, defense consultant Pierre Henrot told Sputnik that the withdrawal of troops and of military decision centers from Germany would be frozen until the Democrats recognized the consequences of Trump's decision.
"The Democrats ... have two options: leave the matter as it is now or carry out Trump's plan. The question is how much will it cost? The US needs its money for domestic policies and the pandemic has put many programmes on hold. Moreover, the US defense budget is already $740 billion, which is 3.4 times the combined defense budgets of Russia and China ... So who is a danger for the others? The US military budget is 18 times that of Russia!" Henrot said.
According to the expert, Biden now takes a bellicose and aggressive stance, as the US has always needed a black-and-white situation with external "enemies," be it Cuba, the Soviet Union, now Russia, Venezuela, China.
"Biden will be hawkish, but probably in talk only. He is afraid to see the star-spangled banner lose its prestige in the world. He will be followed by NATO, too pleased to come back to the good old slogans and to wave goodbye to the Trump years," the consultant added.
Henrot also believes that the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will be completed and Biden's threats are "just talk."
Commenting on Biden's threats, Moscow called the US leader's speech "a very aggressive and not constructive rhetoric," expressing regrets over it. At the same time, Russia expressed hopes that there would remain "a basis for cooperation, despite the enormous amount of disputes and differences on key issues."
