With G7 summit the first stop, Biden embarks on 8-day trip to Europe
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[June 09, 2021]
By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. 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 with Russia.
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.
"Will the democratic alliances and institutions that shaped so much of
the last century prove their capacity against modern-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.
His summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 16 in Geneva is
the capstone to the trip, an opportunity to raise U.S. concerns directly
with Putin about ransomware attacks emanating from Russia, Moscow's
aggression against Ukraine and a host of other issues.
Biden will make his first stop at the seaside village of St. Ives in
Cornwall where he will participate in the G7 summit. The meeting is
expected to be dominated by vaccine diplomacy, trade, climate and an
initiative for rebuilding infrastructure in the developing world. U.S.
officials see that effort as a way to counter China's growing influence.
Biden may face pressure to do more to share U.S. vaccine supplies with
other countries after an initial pledge of 20 million doses announced
last week.
His push for a global minimum tax on multinational corporations faces
opposition at home. G7 finance ministers agreed before the summit to
pursue a global minimum tax rate of at least 15% and to allow market
countries to tax up to 20% of the excess profits - above a 10% margin -
generated by about 100 large, high-profit companies.
Republicans came out against the plan this week, potentially
complicating the U.S. ability to implement a broader global agreement.
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President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the May jobs report after
U.S. employers boosted hiring amid the easing coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) pandemic, at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center in
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, U.S., June 4, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File
Photo
Biden will have a meeting with British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson on Thursday in Cornwall, a chance to renew the
U.S.-British "special relationship" after Britain's Brexit break
from the European Union.
After three days of G7 summitry, Biden and his wife Jill will visit
Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle. The 78-year-old Biden met the
queen back in 1982 when he was a U.S. senator from Delaware.
Afterwards Biden travels to Brussels for talks with leaders of NATO
and the European Union. The agenda is expected to be dominated by
Russia, China and the perennial issue of getting NATO allies to
contribute more to the common defense.
Biden closes out the trip in Geneva for what could prove to be the
most difficult meeting of the week - a session with Putin, who had
enjoyed friendly relations with Trump.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters
that Biden hoped his G7 and NATO meetings will bolster a sense of
allied unity as he goes into his session with Putin.
No major breakthroughs are expected from the summit. Sullivan said
Biden would press Putin on U.S. priorities. The two sides were
negotiating whether to hold a joint news conference. (This story
refiles to remove extraneous g7 after last paragraph)
(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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