Biden ready to ‘rally world’s democracies’ on first foreign trip

Joe Biden has embarked on his first foreign trip as US president, in which he is set to meet European partners and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The eight-day trip will begin with a meeting on Thursday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, before the two leaders set off for the G7 summit.

Mr Biden will also meet the Queen at Windsor Castle and join his first Nato summit as president.

He has said the trip is about “America rallying the world’s democracies”.

An eager crowd awaited his arrival on Wednesday at the RAF Mildenhall airbase in Suffolk, keen to catch a glimpse of Air Force One’s landing.

Meanwhile, a charter plane for the White House’s travelling press pool failed to take off from Washington after cicadas swarmed the plane’s engine. Reporters were stranded overnight at Dulles International Airport and a new plane was flown in as a replacement.

What can we expect from the G7 summit?
One of the major focuses of Mr Biden’s visit will be the G7 summit.

The G7 (Group of Seven) is an organisation made up of the world’s seven largest so-called advanced economies – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US.

Their summit this year is being held in Cornwall, in southern England. Leaders will arrive on Friday, and meetings will get under way the following morning.

The main topic of conversation will be Covid recovery, including “a stronger global health system that can protect us all from future pandemics”.

The agenda also includes climate change and trade.

Mr Biden is expected to warn that the ongoing UK-EU trade row could imperil peace in Northern Ireland. He will call on fellow leaders to protect the gains of the Good Friday agreement.

At the end of the summit, the UK – as the host nation – will publish a document outlining what has been agreed by the leaders.

Agencies