U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said that President Joe Biden is intensely focused on the work that remains in the next six months, including bringing peace to the Middle East and dealing with the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
Mr. Blinken told reporters at the White House that he spoke with President Biden after he had decided not to seek reelection, and the president is “intensely focused on ... the work that remains over the next six months” of his presidency regarding foreign policy.
That includes focusing on bringing “peace to the Middle East, ending the war in Gaza [and] putting that region on a better trajectory,” and continuing to deal with the Russia–Ukraine war. The U.S. government will “do everything we can” to “strengthen Ukraine” in the coming months, Mr. Blinken said.
The Biden administration’s top diplomatic and defense officials are proceeding as planned with a trip to Japan and the Philippines this week.
The secretary of state said that the United States will continue to seek better relations with Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Philippines, Vietnam, and other Asia-Pacific countries, saying that “we are now stronger around the world.”
President Biden announced on Sunday that he is leaving the 2024 presidential race, and threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic Party’s nominee. As of Monday evening, Ms. Harris appears to have enough delegates to be named the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee.
The president’s announcement drew some critical comments from top Republicans, with some calling on him to resign from office and questioned whether he’s fit enough to continue.
When asked a question about Ms. Harris’s endorsement, the secretary of state praised the vice president as “a leading voice for American foreign policy and for our diplomacy.”
“What I’ve observed is someone who asks, time and again, penetrating questions, who cuts to the chase, and is intensely focused on the interests of the American people,” said Mr. Blinken, who said he normally avoids speaking about domestic politics.
Netanyahu Visit
Mr. Netanyahu took off on Monday for the United States, where he’s seeking to gain more support in Congress in the Israel–Hamas conflict.“I am leaving this for a very important trip to the United States at a time when Israel is fighting on seven fronts and when there is great political uncertainty in Washington,” he told reporters before boarding his flight.
“I will seek to anchor the bipartisan support that is so important for Israel. I will tell my friends on both sides of the aisle that regardless of who the American people choose as their next president, Israel remains America’s indispensable and strong ally in the Middle East.”
During a phone call that was broadcast live to a Harris campaign event on Monday, President Biden called on Democrats to focus on the Gaza war and resolving the conflict.
“We’ve got to keep working for an end to the war in Gaza. I'll be working very closely with the Israelis and with the Palestinians to try to work out how we can get the Gaza war to end and Middle East peace,” he said. “And get all those hostages home. I think we’re on the verge of being able to do that.”
