US President Joe Biden called for the defense of democracy to begin his first trip to Europe and underscored the United States’ claim to leadership. “I think we are at a turning point in world history,” Biden said Wednesday in front of US troops at Mildenhall Air Force Base in eastern England, which is used by the US military.

“You know better than anyone that democracy doesn’t happen by chance. We have to defend it. We have to strengthen them.” The era is over.”

Biden’s schedule

US President and First Lady Jill Biden met in Cornwall two days before the start of the G7 summit Wednesday evening In the UK A. This is Biden’s first foreign trip since taking office in January. On Thursday Bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planned in Cornwall. of Friday to Sunday The heads of state and government of seven important western industrialized nations meet at the seaside resort of Corbys Bay.

Biden also wants to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the G7 summit. At the end of their visit to the UK, the US President and First Lady will be on this day Sunday Received by Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle near London. On Monday Biden attends a NATO summit in Brussels, where a top meeting with EU representatives is on schedule the next day. On Wednesday Next week, Biden’s eagerly anticipated summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled in Geneva before the US president returns to Washington.

Speaking to US troops on Wednesday, Biden said of his schedule: “At every point along the way, we will make it clear that the United States is back and that the world’s democracy is facing some of the most difficult challenges and issues facing us.” Standing together to deal with. Our future is most important. “America will be bound to lead with strength,” Biden said. “Our alliances were not forcibly created or created by threats. They are based on democratic ideals, a shared vision of the future.”

The G7 summit will also be about ensuring that new rules of conduct in cyberspace are determined by democratic values, not autocratic ones. “In Brussels I will make it clear that the commitment of the United States to our NATO alliance and to Article Five is rock solid. It is a sacred obligation that we have under Article Five. «This article states that an or An armed attack against more than one NATO partner is regarded as an attack against all member states of the coalition.

What did Biden say about meeting Putin?

In the wake of his summit with Putin in Geneva on Wednesday next week, Biden expressed his desire for a predictable relationship with Moscow. “We are not looking for conflict with Russia. We want a stable, predictable relationship,” he said. “Our two countries share incredible responsibilities, including maintaining strategic stability and adhering to arms control agreements. I I take this responsibility seriously.”

Biden also warned that the United States would react if the Russian government committed “harmful acts” such as violating the sovereignty of other countries. He is meeting Putin “to tell him what I want to tell him” – and only after meeting “our closest democratic partners”.