10 things you need to know today: February 20, 2021

Biden tells world leaders 'the transatlantic alliance is back,' Democrats unveil $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, and more

Joe Biden
(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

1. Biden tells world leaders 'the transatlantic alliance is back'

President Biden addressed world leaders at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, assuring them "the transatlantic alliance is back" while stressing the need to defend democracy around the world. Biden hoped to send "a clear message to the world" that "America is back," affirming that the United States is "fully committed to our NATO alliance." He sought to contrast his administration's foreign policy agenda with that of former President Donald Trump. "I know the past few years have strained and tested our transatlantic relationship," Biden said. "But the United States is determined to re-engage with Europe, to consult with you, to earn back our position of trusted leadership." Biden warned that "democratic progress is under assault" around the world, specifically calling out Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's "recklessness," while also saying that challenges posed by China are "just as real."

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.