Joe Biden points to G-7 summit, NATO, Putin meeting as 'defining' moment for democracy

FALMOUTH, England – At what President Joe Biden calls a "defining" time for democracy, he makes his first international trip for the G-7 summit with a packed agenda.

Among the highlights: getting the global economy back on track in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that is still firmly entrenched in most parts of the world; climate change; defense and security; and easier – though no less important – talking about the solidarity, multilateralism and shared democratic values that many close European allies felt had all but vanished under former President Donald Trump's administration. 

"This is a defining question of our time: Can democracies come together to deliver real results for our people in a rapidly changing world? Will the democratic alliances and institutions that shaped so much of the last century prove their capacity against modern-day threats and adversaries? I believe the answer is yes. And this week in Europe, we have the chance to prove it," Biden wrote in a Washington Post op-ed.