Biden leaves on first official trip, first to England to meet with G-7 leaders, then with Putin

President Joe Biden boarded a plane Wednesday to head overseas for an eight-day trip that includes meeting with the Group of Seven leaders, NATO, the European Union and ends with a meeting in Geneva with Russian President Putin. 

“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," Biden wrote in a recent Washington Post op-ed previewing his diplomatic efforts.

Biden, in his first officials overseas trip as president, plans to discuss cybersecurity with Putin related to the attacks on American businesses from Russian-based hackers, opposition leader Alexei Navalny being jailed, and overt and covert efforts repeated by the Kremlin to interfere with elections in the United States, according to the Associated Press. 

Biden is going to try to rally allies in COVID-19 responses and push for more aggressive efforts to stop global warming.

“The trip, at its core, will advance the fundamental thrust of Joe Biden’s foreign policy, to rally the world’s democracies to tackle the great challenges of our time," said national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the wire sevice also reports.