World at a turning point in history: Biden
Biden also declared that the US “does not want a new Cold War” amid rising tensions over China.
Biden acknowledged growing concerns about escalating tensions between the two countries, without directly mentioning China. However, he said, “We do not want a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs.”
Biden last month noted his decision to end America’s longest war in Afghanistan and set a roadmap for his administration to deal with the crises facing the world. He said he was inspired by the belief that “we must also engage deeply with the rest of the world for the betterment of our people”.
Biden said, “We have ended the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan.” We are ushering in a new era of diplomacy to uplift.
Biden arrived in New York on Monday evening to meet with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ahead of Tuesday’s address. Biden offered full support of the relevance and aspiration of this global body at a difficult time in history.
While in office, Biden has faced disagreements from his allies over how to end the US war in Afghanistan. They have also faced travel restrictions in the wake of the coronavirus and differences over how anti-Covid-19 vaccines should be shared with developing countries. At the same time, questions have also been raised about the best way to respond to military and economic steps by China.
Biden has found himself embroiled in a new diplomatic dispute with France, America’s oldest ally, after announcing plans to equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. The move is expected to give Australia a better ability to patrol the Pacific, amid growing concerns about increased aggression by the Chinese military.
French Foreign Minister Jean y Le Drian said on Monday that the episode resulted in a “trust crisis” with the US.
Prior to Biden’s arrival, EU Council President Charles Michel strongly criticized the Biden administration for leaving Europe “out of the game in the Indo-Pacific” and ignoring the underlying elements of the Trans-Atlantic Alliance.
Despite such differences, Biden hoped to use his address at the General Assembly and the General Assembly this week as well as face-to-face and larger meetings with world leaders to bolster American leadership on the world stage. Will be able
“There are points of disagreement when we disagree with decisions being made by other countries, when we disagree with decisions being made by other countries,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. But the bigger issue here is that we are committed to those alliances and that always requires work from every president, every global leader.”
AP Amit Pawanesh
Pawanesh