Visits Belgrade amid protest
Biden arrives in Belgrade for a one-day visit. He expresses his condolences for NATO military action, before walking with Prime Minister Vucic in a picturesque borough of Belgrade, under high security.
I’d like to express my condolences to the families of those whose lives were lost in the wars of the 1990s, including those killed as a consequence of the NATO air strikes.
Hundreds of Serbian ultra-nationalists protest the visit by chanting their support for Donald Trump, as they gather near the Serbian presidency building. Protestor:
Trump is the alternative to globalisation. He will destroy old centres of power in the United States and he is a supporter of Russia.
After visiting Serbia, Biden will travel to Kosovo to encourage both countries to do more to normalize their relations.
Will not run for president
In a statement made from the White House Rose Garden with his wife Jill and President Obama, Biden says he will not run for president, ending months of speculation.
I believe we’re out of time — the time necessary to mount a winning campaign…As my family and I have worked through the grieving process, I’ve said all along — what I’ve said time and again to others — that it may very well be that process, by the time we get through it, closes the window on mounting a realistic campaign for president – that it might close….While I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent. I intend to speak out clearly and forcefully, to influence as much as I can.