Biden at the EU-US summit
US President Joe Biden will participate in the US-EU summit on Tuesday in Brussels following yesterday’s NATO meeting.
The meeting serves to underscore the US commitment to strong transatlantic ties, the White House says. Biden will also meet with King Philippe of Belgium and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
According to Washington, the leaders will discuss a “common agenda” to ensure:
- Global health security
- Global economic recovery
- Solutions to the climate crisis
- Enhancing digital and trade cooperation
- Strengthening democracy, among other mutual concerns
The President is then scheduled to hold a highly anticipated summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Geneva.
Biden said Sunday he agreed with Putin that relations between the US and Russia are at a “low point,” but told reporters that the US is “not looking for conflict” and said there may be a “strategic doctrine” that the countries could agree on that touches on areas like the climate crisis.
Biden also defended the decision not to hold a joint news conference with Putin after their high stakes meeting, arguing such an appearance would only serve to detract from the US’ goal of working toward a stable and predictable relationship with Russia.
Today’s EU summit comes after G7 leaders issued a final communiqué over the weekend of their shared agenda moving forward. It committed to ending the coronavirus pandemic, combating the climate crisis, speaking out against human rights abuses in China, singling out Russia as harboring networks that have conducted ransomware attacks, and issuing a call for a new study into the origins of Covid-19, among other issues.
