Biden to address video summit of EU leaders on Thursday

BRUSSELS – U.S. President Joe Biden will join a video summit of European Union leaders on Thursday to discuss improving trans-Atlantic co-operation after four years of worsening relations during the Trump administration.

“Time to rebuild our transatlantic alliance,” EU Council President and summit host Charles Michel said in a twitter message.

The 27 EU leaders have a regular two-day summit starting Thursday, where they will discuss everything from vaccine strategy to relations with Russia.

They overwhelmingly welcomed the election of Biden last November.

Earlier this month, a first phone call between Biden and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen clinched a trade breakthrough with a four-month suspension of tariffs used in the longstanding Airbus-Boeing dispute.

Von der Leyen has invited Biden to a global health summit in Rome on May 21 to streamline the fight against COVID-19, the common enemy that has killed over a million people in the EU and the U.S. combined.