Biden Faces Doubts on US Clout as Leaders Skip Americas Summit
- Pacts on migration, climate unlikely to yield breakthroughs
- Biden seeking to repair relationships frayed in Trump era
President Joe Biden on June 7.
Photographer: Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg
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President Joe Biden’s attempt to shift focus to the Western Hemisphere has gotten off to a bumpy start, with the leader of Mexico snubbing his invitation to a Los Angeles summit this week and doubts swirling about the strength of US influence in the region.
The White House has billed the Summit of the Americas that Biden will attend starting Wednesday as a chance to tackle regional challenges including migration, climate change and economic disparities. Yet the president’s attention has been diverted by unrelenting crises including inflation, the war in Ukraine and a baby-formula shortage in the world’s largest economy.