Outgoing President of the United States Joe Biden will deliver his last foreign policy speech next week. In it, he will argue that America is much stronger than when Donald Trump left office, according to a senior US official.
Biden's State Department address will take place on January 13, one week before he leaves the White House. In it, the Democrat is expected to highlight his efforts to strengthen the NATO alliance and support Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
The US president will also focus on efforts to expand US alliances in the Asia-Pacific region to counter an increasingly dominant China, and to combat climate change, AFP reports.
"When President Biden took office, our alliances were severely disrupted. During his speech, President Biden will outline how our alliances and partnerships are the strongest they've ever been, thanks to our work," a senior Biden administration official said on condition of anonymity.
The official pointed out that Biden will also highlight how he "stood by Israel when it was attacked" but made no mention of any progress toward a peace agreement in Gaza.
The 82-year-old Democrat will also make a broader farewell address in his final days in office before Trump returns to the White House on January 20, US media report.
Trump has already promised a return to the provocative foreign policy that marked his first term.
In recent weeks, the billionaire Republican has been talking about meetings with the leaders of the US's adversaries, Russia and China. He has also promised to end the war in Ukraine by any means necessary.
At the same time, he has lashed out at some of Washington's closest allies, threatening to withdraw support for NATO if other members don't pay more, and has made territorial threats against Greenland and Panama. | BGNES
