Good Morning DC. Biden shares his thinking about the relationship he seeks to establish with Putin.
Good Morning DC!
The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room is back to 100% seating capacity. “Since the onset of the pandemic, our priority has been to keep journalists safe while ensuring that the critical work of informing the public could continue uninterrupted,” said the White House Correspondents Association. After 15 months of all sorts of COVID-19 restrictions, The Pavlovic Today is excited to resume normal press operations at the White House.
Today, ahead of Biden’s first trip to Europe, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary-General, will have a closed-press meeting at the Oval Office with the President.
On Wednesday, Biden will be on his way to the UK. On Thursday, he will meet PM Boris Johnson. Then, he will attend the G7 Summit in Cornwall, ending his UK visit at the Windsor with the Queen.
“In this moment of global uncertainty, as the world still grapples with a once-in-a-century pandemic, this trip is about realizing America’s renewed commitment to our allies and partners, and demonstrating the capacity of democracies to both meet the challenges and deter the threats of this new age,” wrote Biden in his OpEd for WaPo.
In Brussels, Biden will attend NATO Summit and the U.S.-EU Summit.”I will affirm the United States’ unwavering commitment to Article 5 and to ensuring our alliance is strong in the face of every challenge, including threats like cyberattacks on our critical infrastructure,” said Biden.
The meeting in Geneva on June 16 between Biden and Putin will attract a lot of media attention but expect no similar headlines to those Trump had in the past when meeting Putin. “In my phone calls with President Putin, I have been clear and direct. The United States does not seek conflict. We want a stable and predictable relationship where we can work with Russia on issues like strategic stability and arms control,” Biden shared his thinking about the relationship he seeks to establish with Putin.
“I have also imposed meaningful consequences for behaviors that violate U.S. sovereignty, including interference in our democratic elections,” Biden was insistent. “President Putin knows that I will not hesitate to respond to future harmful activities. When we meet, I will again underscore the commitment of the United States, Europe, and like-minded democracies to stand up for human rights and dignity.”
Across the pond, Boris Johnson is cutting the foreign aid from 0.7 to 0.5 percent, and a Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell, former international development secretary, is leading the rebel amendment to enforce the aid budget spending. However, Good Morning DC has been told this morning that the Speaker and the clerks have ruled it is out of scope with the legislation Mitchell is trying to amend. The vote likely won’t happen tonight, but the rebels can try to push it to another date.
And that’s a wrap for this Monday morning, June 7, 2021.Thanks for waking up with me. Good Morning DC will be back tomorrow to bring you the latest first.
