United States President Joe Biden is expected to attend and speak during the United Nations General Assembly scheduled on Tuesday to an audience that is observant of his actions and decisions since former President Donald Trump's legacy has been filled with uncertainties.
Many world leaders were addled and amused by Trump, who gave the Republican businessman mocking laughter during one of his speeches. With Biden's win over his predecessor in the 2020 elections, many international leaders were hopeful of the change the Democratic politician would bring to the United States.
Biden's Challenge at The UN Assembly
During Biden's first foreign trip in June, he traveled across Europe, reassuring allies that, "America is back." He continued to echo that message in New York when he met face-to-face with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
"The strong partnership between the United States and the UN is based on common values and principles, and at this moment, those bonds are more important than ever. America's back and we believe in the United Nations and its values," Biden said in his address, CNN reported.
However, international leaders have expressed their doubt and scrutiny of the Democratic leadership as they argue that Biden was not able to completely remove the "America First" policies that Trump previously espoused. Many UN members have, multiple times, expressed their discontent of being left out of key decisions by the former U.S. president.
Biden is expected speech at the UN Assembly follows several controversies surrounding the Democratic president. He has recently ordered the complete withdrawal of American soldiers from Afghanistan after 20 years of war. A senior Biden administration official said during an interview that the U.S. president rallied allies and institutions to "deal with the major challenges of our time."
However, one of the Democrat's recent controversies, a drone strike ordered on Kabul, was met with widespread criticism after it was revealed that the attack killed civilians. The Pentagon acknowledged the deaths of an air worker, seven children, and two other individuals last month, NPR reported.
Strained Relationships With International Allies
The United States is also in a strained situation with France, one of its oldest allies, after the nation's officials felt they were betrayed by the signing of a new defense partnership between America and Australia in the Indo-Pacific. The agreement resulted in France's loss of a $66 billion submarine deal.
Biden faced criticism and opposition from allies for his decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which allowed the Taliban group to take over the country's government. The Democrat also faces skepticism for his response to the coronavirus pandemic and how to go about sharing vaccines with the developing world. Biden also received doubts regarding the United States' pandemic travel restrictions and what the best way is to respond to military and economic moves by China.
In a statement, EU Council President Charles Michel expressed his criticism of the Biden administration's decision to leave Europe "out of the game in the Indo-Pacific region" ahead of the Democrat's arrival. Michel argued that Biden ignored the underlying elements of the trans-Atlantic alliance: transparency and loyalty, the Associated Press reported.
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