Biden to head to U.K. and Belgium for first trip abroad

President Biden will be going to the United Kingdom and Belgium in June for the G7 Summit and for the NATO summit, marking his first trip abroad as president. Mr. Biden's key message to allies has been that America is back, after former President Trump at times mocked leaders of the nation's closest allies and championed an "America first" platform. 

Typically, presidents travel abroad sooner than this in their presidencies, but COVID-19 caused many of the events that would be typical for a U.S. president in his first months to be modified into virtual gatherings. Mr. Biden will attend the G7 summit in Cornwall, U.K, which will take place June 11-13, as well as the the NATO summit on June 14 in Brussels, Belgium.  "This trip will highlight his commitment to restoring our alliances, revitalizing the Transatlantic relationship, and working in close cooperation with our allies and multilateral partners to address global challenges and better secure America's interests," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.