The United States will not hesitate to seek consequences for the moves by Russia that Washington deems not in their interests, President of the United States Joe Biden said speaking at the U.S. State Department.

"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," he said.

At the same time, according to Biden, Washington needs to interact with Moscow through diplomacy where it would be beneficial, and thereby promote U.S. interests.

Biden promised a new era after the scattershot foreign policy of his predecessor, Donald Trump, declaring “America is back” on the global stage in his first diplomatic address as president.

In his speech, Biden signaled aggressive approaches to China and Russia, urged Myanmar’s military leaders to halt their coup, and declared an end to U.S. support for a Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen.

"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. We must meet the new moment ... accelerating global challenges from the pandemic to the climate crisis to nuclear proliferation," Biden said.

Biden’s speech on Thursday was a full-throated attempt to vanquish those doubts, and convince Americans of the value of a forceful international approach.

"Investing in our diplomacy isn’t something we do just because it’s the right thing to do for the world," he said. "We do it in order to live in peace, security and prosperity. We do it because it’s in our own naked self-interest."

Biden’s choice of the State Department as venue for his first big diplomatic address was an important symbol of the value he places in career diplomats, who Trump largely saw as opponents.

"American alliances are our greatest asset. And leading with diplomacy means standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies and key partners once again," Reuters cited Biden as saying.

Biden in his early days has attempted to repair what he has called the damage to America’s standing around the world, rolling back Trump policies. He is working to revive the Iran deal, and renewed U.S. membership in the Paris accord and the World Health Organization.

He challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin. "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," he said.

 

Source - vestnikkavkaza.net

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08.02.2021 07:39