President Joe Biden announced the revival of American diplomacy after four years of diminished U.S. international commitments during former President Donald Trump's administration.
In a speech at the U.S. State Department today, Biden stated, "The last few years have been very challenging, and Secretary of State (Antony Blinken) has the expertise to handle them." He noted that the State Department staff are distinguished by their skill and experience, highlighting their role in shaping the U.S. image abroad. Biden's key message to State Department employees was that the strength of the United States relies on their strength, asserting, "The United States is back, and so is diplomacy." He promised to rebuild alliances and engage with the world to tackle serious challenges, indicating that foreign policy should prioritize American interests.
Biden emphasized the need for America to return to the principle of international cooperation, referring to his agreement to extend the START treaty with Russia. He stated, "I have made it clear to President Vladimir Putin, very differently from my predecessor, that the time when the United States would be subject to Russia's aggressive actions is over." Biden expressed concern over the imprisonment of Russian opposition figure Navalny, insisting he should be released immediately and unconditionally.
Biden indicated that the United States must be present to counter the rise of authoritarianism, particularly the growing ambitions of China, reaffirming his commitment to addressing challenges posed by China, including intellectual property violations and human rights issues. He noted that he would work with China only in ways that serve American interests and emphasized international cooperation to combat COVID-19.
On the Yemen situation, Biden confirmed that he instructed his team to support a ceasefire initiative in Yemen and to halt all U.S. military support for the war in Yemen, while also working with Saudi Arabia to defend its sovereignty. Regarding immigration, Biden announced his intention to increase the number of migrants the United States admits annually eightfold compared to the restrictions imposed by Trump at the end of his term. In line with his campaign promises, the new president set the number of refugees eligible under the resettlement program at 125,000, up from 15,000 in the current fiscal year. Concerning events in Myanmar, Biden asserted that force cannot erase the results of the elections there.
