On Thursday, February 4 U.S. President Joe Biden visits the U.S. Department of State to greet staff and lay out his foreign-policy vision in a speech expected at around 3 p.m. ET.
The remarks made by President Biden on America’s place in the World was published by the press-service of the White House.
At the State Department, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that "America is back" and declared that "diplomacy is back at the center" of US foreign policy.
In a call for values-led engagement with the world, Biden stressed that the global challenges of the moment, including the need to counter "advancing authoritarianism," will "only be solved by nations working together."
He delivered his speech after making less formal remarks to State Department employees, telling them that "we're going to rebuild our alliances. We're going to reengage the world and take on the enormous challenges we face dealing with the pandemic, dealing with global warming and again, standing up for democracy and human rights around the world."
Biden announced that "we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arm sales," and said he will appoint an envoy to focus on the long-standing conflict. He said the conflict is "a war that has created humanitarian and strategic catastrophe," but he also made clear the US will "continue to help and support Saudi Arabia." He also hailed Wednesday's agreement to extend the New START Treaty with Russia, to preserve the only remaining nuclear arms agreement between them, but also criticized Russia for jailing opposition activist Alexey Navalny. "He should be released immediately and without condition," he said.
“I made it clear to President Putin, in a manner very different from my predecessor, that the days of the United States rolling over in the face of Russia’s aggressive actions — interfering with our elections, cyberattacks, poisoning its citizens — are over. We will not hesitate to raise the cost on Russia and defend our vital interests and our people. And we will be more effective in dealing with Russia when we work in coalition and coordination with other like-minded partners,” Biden said.
“The politically motivated jailing of Alexei Navalny and the Russian efforts to suppress freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are a matter of deep concern to us and the international community. Mr. Navalny, like all Russian citizens, is entitled to his rights under the Russian constitution. He’s been targeted — targeted for exposing corruption. He should be released immediately and without condition,” U.S. President stressed.
Biden claimed that the main goal of American diplomacy under his presidency will be focused on returning America's leading role in the world, restoring alliances and combating global challenges.
“American leadership must meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including the growing ambitions of China to rival the United States and the determination of Russia to damage and disrupt our democracy… That’s why we’ve moved quickly to begin restoring American engagement internationally and earn back our leadership position, to catalyze global action on shared challenges,” he claimed.
Joe Biden finished his speech by saying that America cannot afford to be absent any longer on the world stage.