Biden to get warm welcome from relieved but wary allies

When U.S. President Joe Biden flies to Europe this week on his first foreign trip as president, he will find his hosts welcoming but wary

LONDON -- When U.S. President Joe Biden flies to Europe this week, he will find his hosts welcoming but wary. His predecessor Donald Trump may be gone, but he leaves a long shadow. Biden’s first foreign trip as president starts Wednesday and includes a gathering of the Group of Seven wealthy nations by the seaside in southwest England, a NATO summit, a meeting with European Union chiefs, and then a tete-a-tete in Geneva with his Russian counterpart and adversary, Vladimir Putin. For most of America’s allies, Biden is a relief. Trump often sowed chaos, accusing the NATO military alliance of leeching off the United States, insulting the European Union and storming out of a G-7 summit in Canada in 2018. In contrast, Biden has stressed his support for international diplomacy and emphasized “America’s renewed commitment to our allies and partners” in a recent Washington Post article. “I think we can expect to see lots of rhetoric and lots of good-vibe messages in this first visit of Biden to Europe,” said Renata Dwan, deputy director of international affairs think tank Chatham House.