Biden braces for lots of Trump questions from world leaders

WASHINGTON — As U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Peru for back-to-back summits with some of the world’s most powerful leaders, his aides expected lots of questions about Donald Trump.

Part of Wednesday’s meeting between Trump and Biden included a discussion on a coordinated approach to diplomacy to make sure they were not working at cross-purposes, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Thursday aboard Air Force One.

“We’ve indicated we’re prepared to do that,” he said.

Still, White House aides acknowledged that Biden was likely to get asked about Trump and his approach to foreign policy as he met with leaders at APEC and the Group of 20 summit, which starts on Monday in Brazil.

Biden’s approach will depend on the situation. With some countries, pull-aside conversations will be “an opportunity to make sure that he’s taking stock of the health of the relationship,” Sullivan said. That includes a planned bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, where Biden plans to convey longstanding American positions about foreign policy challenges in the region and lay out what he is handing off to Trump.

In other cases — like a subsequent trilateral meeting with Ishiba and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol — Biden will look to cement a tradition of the three leaders meeting that he’s prioritized during his term, in hopes it will endure into the Trump administration. They will also discuss more immediate challenges, like North Korea’s recent ballistic missile tests and the deployment of troops to assist Russia’s military.

Biden is also bracing for some leaders to have tough questions about Trump’s plans on the global stage.

“In some cases, he’ll say, ‘I don’t speak for the incoming administration. So I’m not sure what they’re going to do, I can only tell you what I believe in,’” Sullivan said.