The upcoming visit of President Joe Biden is seen as a positive development as he values Europe as an ally and NATO as essential for Western security. However, the scars left by the previous presidential administration may take time to heal, according to experts. Rosa Balfour, director of Carnegie Europe, warns against underestimating the impact of the Trump years on the European Union, which has made the EU more cautious in accepting US demands. Various important issues such as the Afghanistan pullout, military spending, relations with Russia and China, trade disputes, tariffs, climate, and vaccine diplomacy will be discussed. Despite Europeans appreciating Biden's promises of loyalty and affection, they are concerned about how quickly US foreign policy can change with a new president. There is a fear that America has shifted, and Biden may only be a temporary placeholder between more populist, nationalist leaders. They are uncertain about the costs of Biden's policies and how they differ from Trump's "America first" approach. With upcoming elections in Germany, France, and the US, there is a sense of urgency for Biden to make his mark. However, his upcoming visits to NATO and the EU are seen as more than just symbolic gestures. The meetings are coordinated so that he can arrive in Geneva on June 16 with support and consultation from allies for his first meeting as president with Russia's president, Vladimir Putin. Jana Puglierin, Berlin director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, believes that Biden is starting a new relationship with Brussels and NATO, initiating a strategic process to renovate the alliance for the next decade. However, tangible results are necessary to show benefits for the partnership, as it is not unconditional love, but rather friends with benefits. François Heisbourg, a French defense analyst, views the Biden trip positively, stating that the US is back and there is no cynicism in Biden's approach. Heisbourg is a special adviser to the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris. "Biden is focused on implementing his strong views, with a basic stance of wanting to rebuild relationships with allies. While policy reviews need to turn into actual policies, the overall goal of his administration is to show a renewed commitment to alliances. However, Biden has not yet named ambassadors to key positions, which could become crucial in the future for immediate communication with allies." The NATO summit meeting will be brief, with a single 2 1/2-hour session following an opening ceremony. This will give each leader only five minutes to speak. The leaders will reach an agreement on a communique currently being negotiated, address the Afghanistan withdrawal, and approve a yearlong study on revamping NATO's strategic concept to address new challenges such as cyberwarfare, artificial intelligence, antimissile defense, disinformation, and other emerging technologies. The previous revision of the strategic concept in 2010 focused on Russia as a potential partner, with minimal mention of China. The new revision will be based on different assumptions. NATO officials and ambassadors anticipate discussions on topics such as countering China within a regional trans-Atlantic alliance, determining NATO's required capabilities, and deciding whether these capabilities should be funded collectively or by individual member countries. Adapting to the EU's vague desire for "strategic autonomy" while promoting European military spending and efficiency and avoiding duplication with NATO is a concern. Additionally, there is a need to make NATO more politically savvy, as requested by French President Emmanuel Macron, potentially through the establishment of new meetings including key officials from member states. Leaders will also discuss in bilateral sessions the replacement of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, whose term was extended to maintain stability during the Trump presidency and ends in September 2022. Other issues for the NATO summit meeting include managing Afghanistan during and after withdrawal, relations with Putin's Russia, Xi Jinping's China, and Lukashenko's Belarus. The ambassador of a NATO country stated that those who are interested in trains running on time will be drawn to the NATO summit, while those interested in train collisions will be disappointed. The same can be said for Biden's upcoming meeting with the European Union on June 15, where he will meet with Charles Michel of the European Council and Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission. Biden will have already met with 21 of the 27 EU leaders the day before at NATO, as there is significant overlap between the two organizations. Turkey, a member of NATO, poses challenges in balancing its relationships with Russia and its hostility towards Greece. Cyprus, an EU member, hinders coordination with NATO due to its animosity towards Turkey. The bloc faces a variety of issues, such as trade disputes related to Airbus and Boeing, steel and aluminum tariffs, and the enforcement of a new global corporate tax rate agreed upon by G-7 finance ministers. Other topics include data transfer, military spending, carbon-neutral economy transition, regulation of technology and social media companies, reform of international institutions like the WTO and WHO, and managing relationships with China and Russia. There is also concern about the potential for another president similar to Trump in the future. German officials feel that Biden's decision to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan was made unilaterally, with allies simply following along. European leaders were upset and embarrassed by Biden's unexpected decision to support the waiver of intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines, which was made without consulting allies. Europeans have a different perspective on China and Russia compared to the United States, as they rely more on these countries for trade and energy. Some are concerned that Biden's approach of framing the world as a competition between democracy and authoritarianism is oversimplified. Nathalie Tocci, director of Italy's International Affairs Institute, emphasized the importance of consulting with allies before the Putin summit. Europeans are fooling themselves if they believe that things can return to how they were before. They should collaborate with Biden on important issues like climate, vaccines, and trade to create a Western alliance that can lead to broader global agreements. This is the most effective way to demonstrate that democracy is effective.