President Joe Biden on his first foreign foray sought to cast Russia not as a direct competitor to the United States but as a bit player in a world where Washington is increasingly pre-occupied by China.
Aides said Biden wanted to send a message that Putin was isolating himself on the international stage with his actions, ranging from election interference and cyber-attacks against Western nations to his treatment of domestic critics.
“He was clear and direct in where he was standing up and pushing back against Putin,” Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on Thursday. “What you heard publicly was very much a reflection of what President Biden conveyed privately.” Read More…
