Biden kicks off Europe visit with warning for Russia

Biden kicks off Europe visit with warning for Russia

BRUSSELS “” "The United States will respond in a robust and meaningful way, when the Russian government engages in harmful activities," said US President Joe Biden as he kicked off his first overseas tour as president on Wednesday. "We've already demonstrated that. I'm going to communicate that there are consequences for violating the sovereignty of democracies, in the United States, in Europe, and elsewhere," the US leader told US service personnel at Royal Air Force base Mildenhall in eastern England. Biden's packed itinerary takes in a G7 leaders' meeting and a NATO summit before ending with a face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16. About Putin, he said on Wednesday he will "let him know what I want him to know." "We're not seeking conflict with Russia, we want a stable, predictable relationship," Biden added. Biden hopes to leave behind the rancor and isolation of the Trump era on his first visit to Europe. "At every point along the way, we're going to make it clear that the United States is back and democracies of the world are standing together to tackle the toughest challenges and the issues that matter most to our future," the US