President Joe Biden wants to send a clear message with his speech at the UN summit in New York today: After the turbulent years of his predecessor Donald Trump, the United States is ready to accept multilateral cooperation and tackle the global challenges of this century. Go. Or: ‘America is back‘

In Brussels, those good words – which Biden gave to the EU during his first visit to Europe three months ago – have lost their luster. Washington’s unilateral decision to continue its withdrawal from Afghanistan is the first deep dent in hope. The recent turmoil surrounding submarine sales and a new alliance with the UK and Australia have sparked confidence in better relations with the United States under President Biden.

“With the new Joe Biden administration, the United States is back,” said Charles Michael, president of the Council of Europe in New York yesterday. “But what does it mean that America is back? Is America back in the United States or somewhere else? We don’t know.”

The alliance between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom in the name of the Auctions clarifies one thing: Europe is increasingly out of the picture in Washington, and today revolves around controlling China. The EU was not only passed by China’s growing confrontation with the emerging power in Asia; Brussels was not notified in advance.

Position towards China

In doing so, according to Michael, Biden did not reach an agreement in June on its position against authoritarian regimes – especially against China. “The basic principles of the Alliance are loyalty and transparency,” said Michael, referring to the way in which the United States insults Europe: “We see a clear lack of it.”

Theory Breton, EU Commissioner for Internal Markets, goes even further. In an interview with the British Financial Times, he said there was something “breaking” in the Atlantic Ocean. “After what has happened in the last two months, it is good to reconsider our partnership.”

These are the words that are often heard in Europe under Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump. At the time, French President Emmanuel Macron called NATO a “brain death” and advocated for a European military. After the humiliation in Afghanistan, Brussels’ desire for a European armed force was reiterated.

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This riot will affect not only security but also relations with the United States. European Commission President Ursula van der Leyne has threatened to cancel a planned summit in Pittsburgh at the end of September for cooperation between Brussels and Washington in areas such as trade and climate. “This situation cannot continue like this.”

In New York, there is no doubt that Biden and his administration will try to resolve the dispute during the UN summit, which lasts until Monday. It is no coincidence that Biden announced yesterday that he was easing the travel ban for Europeans.