With G7 summit stop first, President Biden embarks on eight-day Europe trip

With G7 summit stop first, President Biden embarks on eight-day Europe trip

US President Joe Biden departs for Britain on Wednesday on his first trip abroad since taking office, an eight-day mission to rebuild trans-Atlantic ties strained during the Trump era and to reframe relations withRussia.The trip represents a test of the Democratic president's ability to manage and repair relationships with major allies who grew disenchanted with then-President Donald Trump's trade tariffs and withdrawal from international treaties.

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"Will the democratic alliances and institutions that shaped so much of the last century prove their capacity againstmodern-day threats and adversaries? I believe the answer is yes.And this week in Europe, we have the chance to prove it,“ Biden said in an opinion article published in the Washington Post.Speaking to reporters on the tarmac as he left for Europe, Biden said his goals were "strengthening the alliance, making it clear to Putin and to China that Europe and the United States are tight.“His summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16 in Geneva is the capstone of the trip, an opportunity to raise US concerns directly with Putin about ransomware attacks emanating from Russia, Moscow's aggression against Ukraine and a host of