Biden promises 'relentless diplomacy' to skeptical allies
CTV
U.S. President Joe Biden summoned the world's nations to forcefully address the festering global issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and human rights abuses in his first address before the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
But while stressing to fellow world leaders the urgency of working together, Biden avoided addressing criticism from allies about the messy U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and a still- unresolved diplomatic tempest with France, the United States' oldest ally.
Instead, Biden sought to use his address before the annual gathering of world leaders to make the case that the United States remains a reliable international partner following four years of President Donald Trump's "America first" foreign policy.
"We're opening a new era of relentless diplomacy, of using the power of our development aid to invest in new ways of lifting people up around the world," Biden said.
The president offered an impassioned plea for cooperation, to friends and adversaries, arguing that overcoming a daunting list of existential crises "will hinge on our ability to recognize our common humanity."
