President-elect Joe Biden began having calls with foreign leaders this week, as President Trump continues to challenge the results of the election.
Biden spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday and with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Tuesday.
The former vice president addressed the calls in an exchange with reporters later Tuesday, saying he communicated to other global leaders that “America is back.”
“I’m letting them know that America is back. We are going to be back in the game. It’s not America alone,” Biden said. “The reception and welcome around the world that we have gotten from our allies and our friends has been real.”
Johnson first disclosed his conversation with Biden in a tweet. A Downing Street spokesperson said the two discussed shared priorities like trade and security, including through NATO. Johnson invited Biden to attend the COP26 climate change summit set to take place in Glasgow in November 2021, the spokesperson added.
The Biden-Harris transition team later released readouts of all four calls held Tuesday. All of the conversations touched on the coronavirus pandemic, the economic recovery and climate change. Biden discussed NATO with Johnson, Macron and Merkel.
The transition team released a readout of Biden’s call with Trudeau on Monday evening, saying the two discussed plans to cooperate on a range of issues, including addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and strengthening NATO.
“The two leaders also discussed their shared commitment to racial and social justice,” the transition team said.
Trudeau also disclosed the conversation in a tweet, noting that he and Biden had worked with one another before and are “ready to pick up on that work and tackle the challenges and opportunities facing our two countries – including climate change and COVID-19.”
The contacts between Biden and foreign leaders come as Trump refuses to concede the election while making unsubstantiated allegations of widespread electoral fraud. The General Services Administration has also thus far refused to formally acknowledge Biden as the winner of the election, blocking resources used to facilitate a more smooth transition of power.
Biden said that the move has not slowed down the preparations of his team but regarded Trump’s refusal to concede as an “embarrassment.”
A number of world leaders have congratulated Biden on his victory since he was declared the winner of the presidential race on Saturday. A few have still not commented on Biden’s win, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden has taken steps to build his team in the wake of the election, announcing a team of advisers to confront the coronavirus pandemic on Monday. He delivered remarks on ObamaCare later Tuesday, after which he made the comments to reporters.
Updated at 3:45 p.m.