Commentary

President Biden had to be delighted that NBC, in its overview of the G-7 Summit, referred to him as “a veteran statesman … who has traveled the world for decades as vice president and as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.” 

Of course, the network failed to mention any foreign policy achievements during his travels.

Known most recently for his boastful warning that he would withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees to the Ukraine if prosecutor Viktor Sholkin isn’t replaced. “Well, son of a bitch,” Biden said, “he got fired.”

However, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, recalled in his book, “I think he (Biden) has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”

Looking forward to fruitful agreements from Biden, the G-7 leaders seemingly latched onto Biden’s build back better motto.  UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was embarrassingly gushing in his remarks during a roundtable as he suggested the leaders commit to “building back better together, building back greener, building back fairer, and building back more equal … in a more gender neutral and perhaps more feminine way.”  Wait, what?  What?

It’s obvious that Biden will be aiming to have the European leaders forget about President Trump and his America first policy.

“He will advance the thrust of his fundamental foreign policy to rally the world’s democracies to tackle the great challenges of our time,” said Jake Sullivan, his national security advisor.  He has yet to clue us in on his foreign policy.

How will Biden confront NATO members in Brussels on the contributions to cover their own defense after Trump put the hammer down on them?

While Biden will likely get good marks from the leaders in providing additional help with vaccine supplies, and his commitment to climate change, he will have difficulty in the getting agreement to take a strong stance against China.

Prior to his meeting with Putin in Geneva, Biden hopes to reassure the other leaders that the United States can be counted on as a dependable partner to thwart Russia’s aggression on the ground and in the cyber world.

While Putin has expressed optimism that he can work with Biden in a recent interview on NBC, Putin said, “I believe U.S. president Mr. Trump is an extraordinary individual, talented individual, otherwise he would not have become U.S. president.” 

Describing Trump as a “colorful individual,” Putin says, Biden, on the other hand is “radically different” because he is a career politician.

As I write this, Biden plans to hold a solo press conference following his meeting with Putin, avoiding what foreign policy experts warned would be a high-risk moment had he decided to stand toe-to-toe with Putin in front of the press.

I find it interesting that the media view the solo press conference as “appropriate.”  That would not have been acceptable if President Trump had made such a decision.

How will we know that Ol’Joe confronted Putin and the range of issues he spoke of before heading for Europe.

Now, more than ever … may God continue to bless the United States of America.