NEW YORK (Fwrd Axis) — President Joe Biden stepped on the global stage Tuesday and called on global leaders to take bolder action on Covid-19 and climate change, as he attempted to repair the strained alliances in the international community.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Biden looked to break away from former President Donald Trump’s “America first” policies and pledged to work with other nations while establishing the United States as the leader to help allies tackle key issues.
“We will lead, we will lead on all the greatest challenges of our time from Covid to climate, peace and security, human dignity and human rights, but we will not go it alone,” Biden said. “We will lead together with our allies and partners and in cooperation with all those who believe, as we do, that it is within our power to meet these challenges, to build a future that lifts all of our people to preserve this planet.”
Biden’s remarks come amid a strain with global allies over the United States’ chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, which left NATO allies furious as they were left scrambling to evacuate their own people with the Taliban quickly taking control of the country.
“I stand here today for the first time in 20 years and the United States is not at war, we’ve turned the page,” he said. “All the unmatched strength, energy, commitment, will, and resources of our nation are now fully and squarely focused on what’s ahead of us. Not what was behind.”
The President also took the time to address the issue of counterterrorism along with competition with other global powers. Although he did not mention China or Russia by name, he identified both countries as one of the biggest international threats facing the U.S.
“We are not seeking a new Cold War or a world divided into rigid blocs,” he said. “The United States is ready to work with any nation that steps up and pursues peaceful resolution to shared challenges, even if we have an intense disagreement in other areas.”
Biden also addressed the coronavirus pandemic, which has been a global threat for the last year and a half. The U.S. has already donated 140 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to other countries and called on world leaders to take bolder action to combat the virus.
The President has been under pressure from leaders in lower-income countries, who are pleading with the United States to do more to help the billions of people who have yet to get their first doses of the shot.
“We need to act now to get shots in arms as fast as possible and expand access to oxygen, test, and treatments to save lives around the world,” Biden said.
Among tensions with other countries, Biden called on world leaders to unify to get key issues done for the better interest of the planet. France is furious with the U.S. after a deal was struck with the United Kingdom to assist Australia in obtaining a nuclear-powered submarine.
“We must work together like never before,” he said. “Whether we choose to fight for our shared future or not will reverberate for generations to come. Simply put, we stand, in my view, at an inflection point in history.”
