It’s diplo Joe d’oh! at the UN
Post-fiasco speech
The United States is moving into a “new era of relentless diplomacy,” President Biden said Tuesday during the opening of the UN General Assembly, despite several glaring diplomatic blunders by his administration in recent weeks.
In the days leading up to the General Assembly, the Biden administration has been forced to answer to Congress for the chaotic troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as diplomatic backlash from France over the nuclear-powered submarine deal with the United Kingdom and Australia.
“Simply put, we stand, in my view, at an inflection point in history. And I’m here to share with you how the United States intends to work with partners and allies to answer these questions, and the commitment of my new administration to help lead the world toward a more peaceful, prosperous future for all people.”
Biden highlighted the end of the war in Afghanistan as a turning point for US diplomacy. “We’re opening a new era of relentless diplomacy of using the power of our development, to invest in new ways of lifting people up around the world,” he said.
Despite this hopeful push, France, China and the UK in particular have traded diplomatic barbs with the US recently.
In March, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was lectured and mocked by Chinese officials on what they called US hypocrisy, at the first high-level meeting between the two nations, which took place on American soil.
“Many people within the United States actually have little confidence in the democracy of the United States,” said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Prior to the General Assembly, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres revealed his goal to repair relations between the US and China, saying he is eager to avoid another “Cold War.”
“We need to avoid at all cost a Cold War that would be different from the past one, and probably more dangerous and more difficult to manage,” he said, adding that the current relationship between the two powers is one of “confrontation.” Biden addressed Guterres’ concerns, making clear that the US is not looking to start a Cold War and is willing to work with any nation.
He also pledged to double US financial aid to poorer countries to help them switch to cleaner energy and cope with the “merciless” effects of climate change. That would mean increasing assistance to about $11.4 billion a year —just five months after Biden doubled the amount to $5.7 billion.
Amid the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in August, Biden reportedly ignored British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s attempts to contact him for approximately 36 hours as the Taliban cemented its control.
Last week, France called AUKUS, the nuclear submarine deal between the US, UK, and Australia, a “stab in the back,” before canceling a gala in Washington and pulling its ambassadors from the US and Australia.
The initiative, which was meant to send a warning signal to China and repair a slight to Australia over the Afghanistan withdrawal, caused outrage after it upended a French defense contract worth at least $66 billion to sell diesel-powered submarines to Australia.
On Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said there was a “crisis of trust” with the US over the issue.