President Biden is leaving a country in upheaval over abortion rights to travel to Europe on dual missions: to find methods to reduce food and gas costs while maintaining the unity of allies in their clampdown against Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, The Hill reports.
Although domestic problems threaten to eclipse his stay abroad, Biden’s discussions with the Group of Seven (G-7) countries and NATO allies over the coming week will be primarily focused on tackling Moscow’s ongoing violent attack on Ukraine and the resulting economic consequences.
Although it’s not the first high-stakes international trip Biden has taken since assuming office last year, it does come at a moment of pronounced home discontent. Even as Biden tries to represent American power and leadership on the international scene, the Supreme Court’s decision invalidating the constitutional right to an abortion will require a lot of the White House’s attention.
The trip will be a crucial test of the president’s capacity to maintain international unity as the war enters its fifth month with little prospect of an end, even if he has so far been successful in bringing allies together around a shared strategy for punishing Russia and supporting Ukraine.
At both the G-7 summit and NATO meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is anticipated to speak digitally. In response to the Russian shelling in the Donbas, Ukraine has been pushing for more powerful weapons to strike back.
The third round of aid for Ukraine, totaling $450 million and consisting of four more sophisticated rocket launchers, patrol boats, and ammo, was announced by Biden on Thursday. According to U.S. officials, if sitting down to negotiate with Moscow becomes an option, they are committed to providing Kyiv the military and economic resources it needs to push back and fortify its position.
Both summits will put member nations up against accelerated problems with food security, climate change, combating misinformation, and bolstering democracy. The battle has added to demands on food and energy prices to rise, escalating worldwide inflation in the midst of the continuing epidemic.
The White House has been intensely focused on lowering domestic gas costs and identifying strategies to lessen Europe’s reliance on Russian energy. Just last week, Biden urged Congress to enact a federal gas tax holiday in order to relieve pressure on American consumers.
First, Biden will go to Germany’s Bavarian Alps to attend the G-7 summit, which will feature representatives from the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
Be the first to comment