Former US president Donal Trump went on a tirade against his ‘close ally and friend’ Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s former prime minister, accusing him of ‘disloyalty’ after he had congratulated&nbsp;Joe Biden for winning the 2020 presidential elections.

Talking to a US-based news website Axios, Trump blasted Netanyahu, saying, “It was early. Ok? Let’s put it this way —he greeted him very early. Earlier than most world leaders. I've not spoken to him since.”

Trump said he values ‘loyalty’, adding that he never expected Netanyahu to change sides so quickly.

“Nobody did more for Bibi. I liked Bibi. I still like Bibi,” Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

“There was no one who did for Israel more than I did. And the first person to run to greet Joe Biden was Netanyahu. And not only did he congratulate him —he did it in a video,” he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-banned-on-twitter-and-fb-to-launch-his-own-social-network-422513">Donald Trump, banned on Twitter and FB, to launch his own social network</a>

“If you look at the leaders of other countries — like Brazil —he waited months. Putin. Many other leaders. Mexico. All of them also felt that the election was over. But they, too, were waiting. No one did more than me for Bibi. Money too. We gave them a lot of money and gave them soldiers. We did everything.”

Netanyahu had in fact congratulated Biden the day after the results were called in his favour on November 8, 2020.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-would-have-won-if-us-election-were-held-today-poll-434920">Donald Trump would have won if US election were held today: Poll</a>

At that time, Netanyahu in the post said that he and Biden have had a “long &amp; warm” personal relationship for almost 40 years and sees him as “a great friend of Israel” and looks forward to working together.

But in a separate Twitter post, Netanyahu did, however, thank Trump “for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights.”

(With inputs from agencies)

Former US president Donal Trump went on a tirade against his ‘close ally and friend’ Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s former prime minister, accusing him of ‘disloyalty’ after he had congratulated Joe Biden for winning the 2020 presidential elections.

Former US president Donal Trump went on a tirade against his ‘close ally and friend’ Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s former prime minister, accusing him of ‘disloyalty’ after he had congratulated Joe Biden for winning the 2020 presidential elections. Talking to a US-based news website Axios, Trump blasted Netanyahu, saying, “It was early. Ok? Let’s put it this way —he greeted him very early. Earlier than most world leaders. I've not spoken to him since.” Trump said he values ‘loyalty’, adding that he never expected Netanyahu to change sides so quickly. “Nobody did more for Bibi. I liked Bibi. I still like Bibi,” Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. “There was no one who did for Israel more than I did. And the first person to run to greet Joe Biden was Netanyahu. And not only did he congratulate him —he did it in a video,” he said. Also read | Donald Trump, banned on Twitter and FB, to launch his own social network “If you look at the leaders of other countries — like Brazil —he waited months. Putin. Many other leaders. Mexico. All of them also felt that the election was over. But they, too, were waiting. No one did more than me for Bibi. Money too. We gave them a lot of money and gave them soldiers. We did everything.” Netanyahu had in fact congratulated Biden the day after the results were called in his favour on November 8, 2020. Also read | Donald Trump would have won if US election were held today: Poll At that time, Netanyahu in the post said that he and Biden have had a “long & warm” personal relationship for almost 40 years and sees him as “a great friend of Israel” and looks forward to working together. But in a separate Twitter post, Netanyahu did, however, thank Trump “for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights.” (With inputs from agencies)

Trumps blasts ‘disloyal and ungrateful’ Netanyahu for congratulating Biden after presidential polls

Joe Biden hosted the murky event of his administration. He has dubbed it as the summit of democracies. Watch this video for more.

Joe Biden hosts democracy summit

A few days before President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy, a virtual meeting of more than 100 countries that opened Thursday, the Chinese foreign ministry released a stinging report about the American democratic system.

The “gunshots and farce on Capitol Hill have completely revealed what is underneath the gorgeous appearance of the American-style democracy,” the Chinese report said, citing the Jan. 6 riot. In a country where “money decides everything,” the report charged, “an entrenched political paralysis” renders governing impossible.

A spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry struck a similarly contemptuous tone in late November. “The United States claims the right to decide who is worthy of being called a democracy and who is not,” said the spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, according to Tass, the state news agency. “It certainly looks cynical. I would say that it looks pathetic, given the state of democracy and human rights in the United States and in the West in general.”

A backlash from authoritarian governments that were not invited to a summit meeting meant to support democratic values is hardly surprising.

But even U.S. officials concede that American democracy is straining from political polarization, racial injustice and discord, voting rights restrictions and domestic extremism, among other issues. Some activists are urging Biden to devote more attention to problems at home before turning his focus abroad.

“You can’t try to export and defend democracy globally when you can’t protect it domestically,” said Cliff Albright, a co-founder and executive director of the Black Voters Matter Fund, a progressive nonprofit group in Atlanta. “You can’t be the global fireman when your house is on fire.”

That tension will loom over the two-day virtual gathering of leaders from model democracies like Germany, Japan and Sweden to countries with mixed records such as Georgia, Nigeria and Pakistan. The meeting, which also includes journalists, civil society activists and business leaders, is meant to be a forum for democracies to exchange ideas and critiques, U.S. officials say. Participants will also make commitments on political reform, corruption, human rights and other matters.

“The U.S. is clearly going through a rough patch right now,” said Michael J. Abramowitz, the president of Freedom House, a nonpartisan group dedicated to human rights and democracy. The United States ranked 50th on Freedom House’s annual index of global freedom, he said. Last month, the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance placed the United States on its list of “backsliding democracies.”

Domestic shortcomings should not deter the United States from promoting its core values where authoritarianism and populism have gained traction in recent years, Abramowitz said, “as long as it’s done with humility.”

“Without United States engagement and leadership, the cause of democracy will not advance,” he said. “Who else will do it?”

Biden has said the world stands at a historical “inflection point” in the contest between democracy and autocracy. He has also vowed to show that the U.S. system is superior to more centralized models, like China’s, which brook little dissent. Administration officials say they meet that challenge but have no illusions about their domestic troubles.

“We approach this week with both humility and confidence,” Uzra Zeya, the undersecretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights, told reporters at the State Department on Tuesday.

She added: “Humility in that we want to listen and learn and don’t shy away from our shortcomings; confidence in our constant striving for a more perfect union; and our certainty that, working together, democracies can and will deliver for the world’s citizens, regardless of the raw deal that autocrats and authoritarians try to sell.”

But others cautioned against moving the spotlight overseas while problems festered at home. The federal authorities have said that violent domestic extremists continue to be emboldened by false claims about the 2020 election. Former President Donald Trump is fighting in court to block the release of documents requested by a congressional committee investigating the mob attack on the Capitol. And Republicans have passed voting restrictions in 19 states this year.

While Biden has called defending the right to vote an urgent priority, many of his supporters complain that federal legislation to bolster voting rights, standardize basic election rules and outlaw gerrymandering has not advanced in Congress.

A White House fact sheet issued before the summit cited the passage of his bipartisan infrastructure plan as a prominent example of a functioning democracy. But Marc H. Morial, the president and chief executive of the National Urban League, said that more action was needed on domestic threats to democracy. He called the summit “a missed opportunity.”

“You cannot separate what’s going on globally with what’s going on in the United States,” Morial said.

The Biden administration could also use the summit to set out longer-term plans to work with other countries facing similar threats to democracy, said Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank. For example, officials could strategize on ways to crack down on U.S. extremist groups increasingly making connections overseas, she said.

“American democracy at home and global democracy abroad are in dire need of strategy, of improvement, because both are facing swift recession,” Kleinfeld said. “But a summit is not a strategy. In fact, a summit has been a distraction.”

Domestic issues are not the only potential source of awkwardness at the meeting, which started off with remarks from Biden and will feature sessions with heads of state and more than a dozen events.

The administration has also faced questions over its criteria for invitations. Critics have questioned the inclusion of countries like the Philippines, which the State Department has condemned for extrajudicial killings, and Pakistan, which the United States accused of “forced disappearance by the government or its agents; torture; and cases of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment by the government.”

Freedom House found that Georgia was affected by the influence of oligarchs over its politics and news media, and that Nigeria, Africa’s largest democracy, had endemic corruption and permitted the harassment and arrests of journalists.

“I would not have thrown a party in quite this way,” Kleinfeld said of the “broad tent” of invitees.

Hungary and Turkey, which are NATO members, were not invited; nor were several other countries that identify as democracies but have records of repression. Singapore was also left out, though Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Vice President Kamala Harris both traveled there this year to promote its relationship with the United States as an ally in the South China Sea.

“The decision to not invite robust democracies like Singapore and Bhutan underscores that democracy is in the eye of the beholder,” said Curtis S. Chin, a former U.S. ambassador to the Asian Development Bank.

Brazil, Latin America’s largest — but increasingly authoritarian — democracy, also was not invited; nor were Egypt Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said this week that the invitations should not be treated as a “stamp of approval on their approach to democracy.”

“This is an opportunity, again, not to celebrate everything we’ve done on democracy, either for the United States or all these countries, and call it a day,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to continue to strive to do better.”

A few days before President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy, a virtual meeting of more than 100 countries that opened Thursday, the Chinese foreign ministry released a stinging report about the American democratic system.

A few days before President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy, a virtual meeting of more than 100 countries that opened Thursday, the Chinese foreign ministry released a stinging report about the American democratic system. The “gunshots and farce on Capitol Hill have completely revealed what is underneath the gorgeous appearance of the American-style democracy,” the Chinese report said, citing the Jan. 6 riot. In a country where “money decides everything,” the report charged, “an entrenched political paralysis” renders governing impossible. A spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry struck a similarly contemptuous tone in late November. “The United States claims the right to decide who is worthy of being called a democracy and who is not,” said the spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, according to Tass, the state news agency. “It certainly looks cynical. I would say that it looks pathetic, given the state of democracy and human rights in the United States and in the West in general.” A backlash from authoritarian governments that were not invited to a summit meeting meant to support democratic values is hardly surprising. But even U.S. officials concede that American democracy is straining from political polarization, racial injustice and discord, voting rights restrictions and domestic extremism, among other issues. Some activists are urging Biden to devote more attention to problems at home before turning his focus abroad. “You can’t try to export and defend democracy globally when you can’t protect it domestically,” said Cliff Albright, a co-founder and executive director of the Black Voters Matter Fund, a progressive nonprofit group in Atlanta. “You can’t be the global fireman when your house is on fire.” That tension will loom over the two-day virtual gathering of leaders from model democracies like Germany, Japan and Sweden to countries with mixed records such as Georgia, Nigeria and Pakistan. The meeting, which also includes journalists, civil society activists and business leaders, is meant to be a forum for democracies to exchange ideas and critiques, U.S. officials say. Participants will also make commitments on political reform, corruption, human rights and other matters. “The U.S. is clearly going through a rough patch right now,” said Michael J. Abramowitz, the president of Freedom House, a nonpartisan group dedicated to human rights and democracy. The United States ranked 50th on Freedom House’s annual index of global freedom, he said. Last month, the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance placed the United States on its list of “backsliding democracies.” Domestic shortcomings should not deter the United States from promoting its core values where authoritarianism and populism have gained traction in recent years, Abramowitz said, “as long as it’s done with humility.” “Without United States engagement and leadership, the cause of democracy will not advance,” he said. “Who else will do it?” Biden has said the world stands at a historical “inflection point” in the contest between democracy and autocracy. He has also vowed to show that the U.S. system is superior to more centralized models, like China’s, which brook little dissent. Administration officials say they meet that challenge but have no illusions about their domestic troubles. “We approach this week with both humility and confidence,” Uzra Zeya, the undersecretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights, told reporters at the State Department on Tuesday. She added: “Humility in that we want to listen and learn and don’t shy away from our shortcomings; confidence in our constant striving for a more perfect union; and our certainty that, working together, democracies can and will deliver for the world’s citizens, regardless of the raw deal that autocrats and authoritarians try to sell.” But others cautioned against moving the spotlight overseas while problems festered at home. The federal authorities have said that violent domestic extremists continue to be emboldened by false claims about the 2020 election. Former President Donald Trump is fighting in court to block the release of documents requested by a congressional committee investigating the mob attack on the Capitol. And Republicans have passed voting restrictions in 19 states this year. While Biden has called defending the right to vote an urgent priority, many of his supporters complain that federal legislation to bolster voting rights, standardize basic election rules and outlaw gerrymandering has not advanced in Congress. A White House fact sheet issued before the summit cited the passage of his bipartisan infrastructure plan as a prominent example of a functioning democracy. But Marc H. Morial, the president and chief executive of the National Urban League, said that more action was needed on domestic threats to democracy. He called the summit “a missed opportunity.” “You cannot separate what’s going on globally with what’s going on in the United States,” Morial said. The Biden administration could also use the summit to set out longer-term plans to work with other countries facing similar threats to democracy, said Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank. For example, officials could strategize on ways to crack down on U.S. extremist groups increasingly making connections overseas, she said. “American democracy at home and global democracy abroad are in dire need of strategy, of improvement, because both are facing swift recession,” Kleinfeld said. “But a summit is not a strategy. In fact, a summit has been a distraction.” Domestic issues are not the only potential source of awkwardness at the meeting, which started off with remarks from Biden and will feature sessions with heads of state and more than a dozen events. The administration has also faced questions over its criteria for invitations. Critics have questioned the inclusion of countries like the Philippines, which the State Department has condemned for extrajudicial killings, and Pakistan, which the United States accused of “forced disappearance by the government or its agents; torture; and cases of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment by the government.” Freedom House found that Georgia was affected by the influence of oligarchs over its politics and news media, and that Nigeria, Africa’s largest democracy, had endemic corruption and permitted the harassment and arrests of journalists. “I would not have thrown a party in quite this way,” Kleinfeld said of the “broad tent” of invitees. Hungary and Turkey, which are NATO members, were not invited; nor were several other countries that identify as democracies but have records of repression. Singapore was also left out, though Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Vice President Kamala Harris both traveled there this year to promote its relationship with the United States as an ally in the South China Sea. “The decision to not invite robust democracies like Singapore and Bhutan underscores that democracy is in the eye of the beholder,” said Curtis S. Chin, a former U.S. ambassador to the Asian Development Bank. Brazil, Latin America’s largest — but increasingly authoritarian — democracy, also was not invited; nor were Egypt Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said this week that the invitations should not be treated as a “stamp of approval on their approach to democracy.” “This is an opportunity, again, not to celebrate everything we’ve done on democracy, either for the United States or all these countries, and call it a day,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to continue to strive to do better.”

Biden rallies global democracies as US hits a 'rough patch'

US President Joe Biden's Summit for Democracy had made a lot of promises. It hoped to shine a spotlight on the importance of election integrity. It also hoped to counter authoritarian regimes, but did it achieve the same?

WION-VOA Co-Production: US President Joe Biden hosts 2-day virtual Democracy Summit

The president of the United States has commenced his ambitious democracy summit, it's a two-day long virtual affair with leaders from over 100 democracies logging in for their speeches. On day one, Joe Biden called on countries to make concrete commitments to reaffirm their democratic values.

Joe Biden hosts summit for democracy, leaders from 100 countries invited

US president Joe Biden has set out an ambitious plan and aims to make the US federal government carbon neutral by 2050. He aims to do this via executive order that aims at focusing on host of clean energy initiatives.

US president Joe Biden sets zero emissions target, will make his government carbon-neutral by 2050

Pakistan has decided to skip Joe Biden's democracy summit without offering a reason. Did China order Imran Khan to reject Biden's invite? Has Pakistan surrendered its foreign policy & sovereignty to Beijing? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Did China order Pakistan to skip Biden's summit?

UNICEF has expressed concern that reimplementing the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) at the US southern border with Mexico, as required by court order, could threaten the safety and wellbeing of asylum-seeking children and their families.

The MPP is a US government program, launched on January 1, 2019, under former President Donald Trump. Known as the "Remain in Mexico" policy, it mandates that certain citizens and nationals of countries other than Mexico be returned to Mexico while their American removal proceedings are pending.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/remain-in-mexico-us-sends-back-two-mexican-migrants-under-controversial-trump-era-policy-435442">'Remain in Mexico': US sends back two Mexican migrants under controversial Trump-era policy</a>

The MPP applies to those who arrive by land from Mexico.

"Following the initial implementation of MPP in January 2019, more than 70,000 asylum seekers were forced to return to Mexico until US immigration courts could resolve their cases. Those subject to MPP, including many children and adolescents, waited for months in shelters and makeshift camps in Mexico without access to appropriate housing, hygiene, nutrition and essential services," the UN agency said in a statement.

Although the Unicef welcomes "commitments from the US government to assist Central American countries in tackling the root causes of migration and provide humanitarian assistance to those in need", it contended that the MPP could have "profound consequences for children, many of whom have been left with no safe options to escape dire conditions and threats in their home countries".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unprecedented-number-of-migrants-cross-mexico-border-us-govt-405181">'Unprecedented' number of migrants cross Mexico border: US govt</a>

"All migrant children have the right to protection, essential services, to live in adequate conditions with dignity and to be with their families.

"Children - no matter where they come from or what their migration status - are children first and foremost. It is imperative that all governments prioritize the protection and wellbeing of children in line with their best interests and guarantee their access to asylum procedures in a timely manner," the Unicef statement added.

In a memorandum issued on June 1, the Secretary of Homeland Security stated that the MPP should be terminated.

However, on August 13, the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled that the June 1 memo did not comply with the Administrative Procedure Act and ordered DHS to "enforce and implement MPP in good faith."

Watch |&nbsp;Mexico: 49 migrants killed, dozens injured in Mexico truck accident

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mexico-49-migrants-killed-dozens-injured-in-mexico-truck-accident-435696/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

As a result of the extensive review conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, the Department issued a new memorandum terminating MPP on October 29. DHS will implement the new memorandum as soon as practicable after the issuance of the final judicial decision vacating the Texas injunction.

Till then in compliance with the order, the MPP has been restarted and on Wednesday, US authorities returned the first two migrants to Mexico under the reinstated "Remain in Mexico" policy.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

UNICEF has expressed concern that reimplementing the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) at the US southern border with Mexico, as required by court order, could threaten the safety and wellbeing of asylum-seeking children and their families.

UNICEF has expressed concern that reimplementing the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) at the US southern border with Mexico, as required by court order, could threaten the safety and wellbeing of asylum-seeking children and their families. The MPP is a US government program, launched on January 1, 2019, under former President Donald Trump. Known as the "Remain in Mexico" policy, it mandates that certain citizens and nationals of countries other than Mexico be returned to Mexico while their American removal proceedings are pending. Also read | 'Remain in Mexico': US sends back two Mexican migrants under controversial Trump-era policy The MPP applies to those who arrive by land from Mexico. "Following the initial implementation of MPP in January 2019, more than 70,000 asylum seekers were forced to return to Mexico until US immigration courts could resolve their cases. Those subject to MPP, including many children and adolescents, waited for months in shelters and makeshift camps in Mexico without access to appropriate housing, hygiene, nutrition and essential services," the UN agency said in a statement. Although the Unicef welcomes "commitments from the US government to assist Central American countries in tackling the root causes of migration and provide humanitarian assistance to those in need", it contended that the MPP could have "profound consequences for children, many of whom have been left with no safe options to escape dire conditions and threats in their home countries". Also read | 'Unprecedented' number of migrants cross Mexico border: US govt "All migrant children have the right to protection, essential services, to live in adequate conditions with dignity and to be with their families. "Children - no matter where they come from or what their migration status - are children first and foremost. It is imperative that all governments prioritize the protection and wellbeing of children in line with their best interests and guarantee their access to asylum procedures in a timely manner," the Unicef statement added. In a memorandum issued on June 1, the Secretary of Homeland Security stated that the MPP should be terminated. However, on August 13, the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled that the June 1 memo did not comply with the Administrative Procedure Act and ordered DHS to "enforce and implement MPP in good faith." Watch | Mexico: 49 migrants killed, dozens injured in Mexico truck accident As a result of the extensive review conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, the Department issued a new memorandum terminating MPP on October 29. DHS will implement the new memorandum as soon as practicable after the issuance of the final judicial decision vacating the Texas injunction. Till then in compliance with the order, the MPP has been restarted and on Wednesday, US authorities returned the first two migrants to Mexico under the reinstated "Remain in Mexico" policy. (With inputs from agencies)

UNICEF expresses concern over reimplementation of Trump-era 'Remain in Mexico' policy

US President Joe Biden's much-awaited "Summit of Democracies" kicked off today. China and Russia are attacking the event. But, the list of invitees for the summit has sparked a bigger controversy. Is Biden's democracy summit divisive? Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Will Biden's Summit of Democaries backfire?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (December 10) said that the Indian story has a clear message to the world that democracy can deliver, has delivered and will continue to deliver. He added that centuries of colonial rule could not suppress the democratic spirit of the Indian people.

While speaking during at 'Summit for Democracy', via video conferencing, PM Modi said the concept of democracy is just not about of, by or for the people but also with the people and within the people.&nbsp;

PM Modi said that India's independence from oppressive British rule led to an unparalleled story in democratic nation-building over the last 75 years.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cds-gen-bipin-rawats-demise-great-loss-for-both-nations-us-state-secy-antony-blinken-speaks-to-jaishankar-435828">CDS Gen Bipin Rawat's demise 'great loss' for both nations: US State Secy Antony Blinken speaks to Jaishankar</a>

The Indian PM said that he is proud to represent the world's largest democracy at the 'Summit of Democracy'

"The structural features like multi-party elections, independent judiciary, and free media - are important instruments of democracy. However, the basic strength of democracy is the spirit and ethos that lie within our citizens and our societies," said PM Modi.&nbsp;

On the ending note PM Modi said that India would be happy to share its expertise in holding free and fair elections, and in enhancing transparency in all areas of governance through innovative digital solutions.&nbsp;

"We must also jointly shape global norms for emerging technologies like social media and crypto-currencies, so that they are used to empower democracy, not to undermine it," PM Modi said.&nbsp;

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The United States President Biden kicked off the first-ever summit for democracy on Thursday and around 80 world leaders attended the opening remarks virtually.&nbsp;

The main focus of the summit is to create a common platform for the world to focus on challenges and opportunities facing democracies.&nbsp;

It will also provide a platform for leaders to announce both individual and collective commitments, reforms, and initiatives to defend democracy and human rights at home and abroad.&nbsp;

Important to note that China was not invited to the summit while Pakistan had declined to participate without divulging details.&nbsp;

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Ahead of his participation in the Summit for Democracy hosted by the United States President Joe Biden, PM Modi had tweeted, "Happy to have participated in the Summit for Democracy at the invitation of President Biden. As the world's largest democracy, India stands ready to work with our partners to strengthen democratic values globally, including in multilateral fora."

The prime minister had further stated that technology firms should contribute to preserving democratic societies as technology has the ability to impact democracy "positively or negatively", Modi had said at the virtual summit.

Biden hosted the Summit for Democracy and representatives from over a hundred countries are attending it.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (December 10) said that the Indian story has a clear message to the world that democracy can deliver, has delivered and will continue to deliver.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (December 10) said that the Indian story has a clear message to the world that democracy can deliver, has delivered and will continue to deliver. He added that centuries of colonial rule could not suppress the democratic spirit of the Indian people. While speaking during at 'Summit for Democracy', via video conferencing, PM Modi said the concept of democracy is just not about of, by or for the people but also with the people and within the people. PM Modi said that India's independence from oppressive British rule led to an unparalleled story in democratic nation-building over the last 75 years. ALSO READ | CDS Gen Bipin Rawat's demise 'great loss' for both nations: US State Secy Antony Blinken speaks to Jaishankar The Indian PM said that he is proud to represent the world's largest democracy at the 'Summit of Democracy' "The structural features like multi-party elections, independent judiciary, and free media - are important instruments of democracy. However, the basic strength of democracy is the spirit and ethos that lie within our citizens and our societies," said PM Modi. On the ending note PM Modi said that India would be happy to share its expertise in holding free and fair elections, and in enhancing transparency in all areas of governance through innovative digital solutions. "We must also jointly shape global norms for emerging technologies like social media and crypto-currencies, so that they are used to empower democracy, not to undermine it," PM Modi said. ALSO READ | Tribunal rules China committed genocide against Uyghurs, Jinping 'primarily' responsible The United States President Biden kicked off the first-ever summit for democracy on Thursday and around 80 world leaders attended the opening remarks virtually. The main focus of the summit is to create a common platform for the world to focus on challenges and opportunities facing democracies. It will also provide a platform for leaders to announce both individual and collective commitments, reforms, and initiatives to defend democracy and human rights at home and abroad. Important to note that China was not invited to the summit while Pakistan had declined to participate without divulging details. × Ahead of his participation in the Summit for Democracy hosted by the United States President Joe Biden, PM Modi had tweeted, "Happy to have participated in the Summit for Democracy at the invitation of President Biden. As the world's largest democracy, India stands ready to work with our partners to strengthen democratic values globally, including in multilateral fora." The prime minister had further stated that technology firms should contribute to preserving democratic societies as technology has the ability to impact democracy "positively or negatively", Modi had said at the virtual summit. Biden hosted the Summit for Democracy and representatives from over a hundred countries are attending it.

The India story has clear message to the world: PM Modi says democracy has delivered, will continue to deliver

Days after US President Joe Biden's virtual meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Russia seems to be escalating its hostile rhetoric against Ukraine.

While President Biden pushes for a diplomatic solution, Russia ups the hostile rhetoric against Kyiv

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address US President Joe Biden's virtual Democracy Summit. Over 100 nations are in attendance.

India's PM Narendra Modi to address US President Joe Biden's virtual Democracy Summit

US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to make the federal government carbon-neutral by 2050, aiming for a 65% reduction in planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

President Joe Biden signs executive order to make US government carbon-neutral by 2050

President Joe Biden reaffirmed US support for Ukraine in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, vowing that the United States and its European allies will continue commitment to the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

US President Joe Biden reaffirms support for Ukraine in call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy

United States: Joe Biden vows to make govt carbon neutral by 2050

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Thursday shared Nepal’s experiences in the journey of democracy and democratic transformation during the Summit for Democracy hosted by United States President Joe Biden.&nbsp;

Deuba participated in the Leader’s Summit for Democracy hosted virtually and highlighted the achievements made on the front of Nepal’s home-grown peace process.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bidens-democracy-summit-100-nations-invited-china-russia-see-red-after-being-left-out-435351">Biden's Democracy Summit: 100+ nations invited, China &amp; Russia see red after being left out</a>

The Prime Minister stated that the democratic and inclusive Constitution was made by the elected Constituent Assembly as part of the peace process.&nbsp;

“He stated that Nepal’s success story is a testimony that even the most complicated political differences could be resolved through dialogue. While highlighting Nepal’s commitments to and achievements on gender equality, the Prime Minister stressed that democracy must deliver on people’s aspirations and that the country has now prioritized economic agendas in order to sustain democracy,” according to the statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.&nbsp;

The Prime Minister also sent a pre-recorded video message for the summit in which he shared Nepal’s commitments to women empowerment, fight against corruption, inclusive representation in all domains of governance and completion of the peace process, among others.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democracy-facing-alarming-challenges-worldwide-says-biden-during-summit-for-democracy-435540">Democracy facing alarming challenges worldwide, says Biden during Summit for Democracy</a>

According to the ministry, he highlighted universal suffrage, separation of power, checks and balances, an independent judiciary, and protection of rights and freedoms as the key features of Nepal’s multiparty democracy.&nbsp;

Nepal has also released a separate statement outlining the country's views on democracy, human rights, and good governance as well as achievements made on these fronts.

Earlier, US Embassy in Nepal hosted a Summit for Democracy supporting event on the eve of the summit.&nbsp;

Addressing the event, US Ambassador Randy Berry highlighted the achievements Nepal has made in recent years, “In many ways Nepal serves as a model for the region and the world. Within the last 15 years, Nepal has progressed through a violent Maoist conflict, subsequent peace process, the return of democratic governance, and the ratification of a constitution that defined Nepal as a secular, democratic, and federal government.”

Watch |&nbsp;US President Joe Biden flags off virtual Democracy Summit

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The summit is a part of a series of programs supporting the resilience of democracy and overcoming challenges throughout the year 2022.&nbsp;

While addressing the first-ever virtual Summit for democracy, US President Joe Biden said, "democracy does not happen by accident, it needs to be renewed with every generation.”&nbsp;

“Democracy needs champions," the US president said with over 100 countries invited to the virtual summit.

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Thursday shared Nepal’s experiences in the journey of democracy and democratic transformation during the Summit for Democracy hosted by United States President Joe Biden.

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Thursday shared Nepal’s experiences in the journey of democracy and democratic transformation during the Summit for Democracy hosted by United States President Joe Biden. Deuba participated in the Leader’s Summit for Democracy hosted virtually and highlighted the achievements made on the front of Nepal’s home-grown peace process. Also read | Biden's Democracy Summit: 100+ nations invited, China & Russia see red after being left out The Prime Minister stated that the democratic and inclusive Constitution was made by the elected Constituent Assembly as part of the peace process. “He stated that Nepal’s success story is a testimony that even the most complicated political differences could be resolved through dialogue. While highlighting Nepal’s commitments to and achievements on gender equality, the Prime Minister stressed that democracy must deliver on people’s aspirations and that the country has now prioritized economic agendas in order to sustain democracy,” according to the statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Prime Minister also sent a pre-recorded video message for the summit in which he shared Nepal’s commitments to women empowerment, fight against corruption, inclusive representation in all domains of governance and completion of the peace process, among others. Also read | Democracy facing alarming challenges worldwide, says Biden during Summit for Democracy According to the ministry, he highlighted universal suffrage, separation of power, checks and balances, an independent judiciary, and protection of rights and freedoms as the key features of Nepal’s multiparty democracy. Nepal has also released a separate statement outlining the country's views on democracy, human rights, and good governance as well as achievements made on these fronts. Earlier, US Embassy in Nepal hosted a Summit for Democracy supporting event on the eve of the summit. Addressing the event, US Ambassador Randy Berry highlighted the achievements Nepal has made in recent years, “In many ways Nepal serves as a model for the region and the world. Within the last 15 years, Nepal has progressed through a violent Maoist conflict, subsequent peace process, the return of democratic governance, and the ratification of a constitution that defined Nepal as a secular, democratic, and federal government.” Watch | US President Joe Biden flags off virtual Democracy Summit The summit is a part of a series of programs supporting the resilience of democracy and overcoming challenges throughout the year 2022. While addressing the first-ever virtual Summit for democracy, US President Joe Biden said, "democracy does not happen by accident, it needs to be renewed with every generation.” “Democracy needs champions," the US president said with over 100 countries invited to the virtual summit.

Nepal commits to sustain democracy, highlights achievements during Biden’s democracy summit 

US President Joe Biden flags off his ambitious 2-day long virtual Democracy Summit. World leaders from over 100 nations are in attendance. Biden has urged democracies to uphold democratic values.

US President Joe Biden flags off virtual Democracy Summit

President Joe Biden is to sign an order Wednesday to make the federal government carbon neutral by 2050 via a panoply of clean-energy initiatives including electric vehicles and environmentally friendly buildings.&nbsp;

The executive order, announced by the White House, directs the government to replace its fleet of gas-guzzling vehicles with electric cars and trucks by 2035 and ensure federal buildings are carbon-free by 2045.

"The president is building on his whole-of-government effort to tackle the climate crisis in a way that creates well-paying jobs, grows industries, and makes the country more economically competitive," the Biden administration said in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-threatens-russia-with-severe-sanctions-if-ukraine-is-attacked-435291" hreflang="en">Biden threatens Russia with 'severe sanctions' if Ukraine is attacked</a>

The potential impact of the order can hardly be overstated. The government owns or leases some 300,000 buildings of all ages, and runs a fleet of 600,000 vehicles.

Aiming to achieve a 65 per cent reduction in planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions within a decade, it is the latest in a number of initiatives the president has announced to limit the country's environmental impact.

"The executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities," the administration added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/forced-labour-us-house-passes-law-to-ban-imports-from-chinas-xinjiang-435293">'Forced labour': US House passes law to ban imports from China's Xinjiang</a>

The reforms would help Biden honor his pledge to world leaders at a UN gathering in Glasgow last month to slash US greenhouse gas emissions by more than half.

Biden signed a sweeping infrastructure package last month that includes $7.5 billion for a network of electric vehicle chargers and Congress is negotiating an even bigger social welfare bill that would provide more than $500 billion to fight climate change.

A "buy clean" program will prioritize products made and shipped with low greenhouse gas emissions, the White House said.

But the proposals are likely to meet with opposition from business groups and Republican lawmakers who typically oppose federal measures to curb climate change

President Joe Biden is to sign an order Wednesday to make the federal government carbon neutral by 2050 via a panoply of clean-energy initiatives including electric vehicles and environmentally friendly buildings.

President Joe Biden is to sign an order Wednesday to make the federal government carbon neutral by 2050 via a panoply of clean-energy initiatives including electric vehicles and environmentally friendly buildings. The executive order, announced by the White House, directs the government to replace its fleet of gas-guzzling vehicles with electric cars and trucks by 2035 and ensure federal buildings are carbon-free by 2045. "The president is building on his whole-of-government effort to tackle the climate crisis in a way that creates well-paying jobs, grows industries, and makes the country more economically competitive," the Biden administration said in a statement. Also read | Biden threatens Russia with 'severe sanctions' if Ukraine is attacked The potential impact of the order can hardly be overstated. The government owns or leases some 300,000 buildings of all ages, and runs a fleet of 600,000 vehicles. Aiming to achieve a 65 per cent reduction in planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions within a decade, it is the latest in a number of initiatives the president has announced to limit the country's environmental impact. "The executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities," the administration added. Also read | 'Forced labour': US House passes law to ban imports from China's Xinjiang The reforms would help Biden honor his pledge to world leaders at a UN gathering in Glasgow last month to slash US greenhouse gas emissions by more than half. Biden signed a sweeping infrastructure package last month that includes $7.5 billion for a network of electric vehicle chargers and Congress is negotiating an even bigger social welfare bill that would provide more than $500 billion to fight climate change. A "buy clean" program will prioritize products made and shipped with low greenhouse gas emissions, the White House said. But the proposals are likely to meet with opposition from business groups and Republican lawmakers who typically oppose federal measures to curb climate change

Biden calls for carbon neutral federal government by 2050

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine remain high. On Tuesday, US president Joe Biden held talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin where the two leaders discussed Ukraine issue and the day after the talks Biden has said that sending American troops to Ukraine is not an option without the support of native allies.

Joe Biden: Sending US troops to Ukraine not on cards | Russia-Ukraine tensions

US President Joe Biden is convenes the first-ever White House Summit for Democracy with countries around the world invited to take part in a discussion of how to reverse the “recession” of democratic values that’s been a trend in recent years.

US President Joe Biden hosts the Summit for Democracy with world leaders

A day after the virtual meet over the Ukraine issue, US President Joe Biden said that it is not an option to send US troops to Ukraine without the support of NATO allies amid invasion fears from Russia. Meanwhile, Russia denies any such invasion plans.

Tensions between US & Russia remain high despite Biden's decision not to send US troops to Ukraine

US President Joe Biden said that the US is refraining from sending its soldiers to Ukraine without the support of its NATO allies. US-Russia tensions have been boiling up because of Ukraine, which faces an Invasion threat from Russia.

US President Joe Biden: Sending US troops to Ukraine without NATO allies' support not an option

Pakistan has turned down US' invitation for the Summit for Democracy, an event hosted by Joe Biden with representatives from more than 100 countries.

Pakistan declines invitation to Summit for Democracy by US

On Wednesday, US authorities returned the first two migrants to Mexico under the reinstated "Remain in Mexico" policy.

According to Trump-era policy, asylum-seekers have to wait in Mexico for an immigration court hearing in the United States.

In a statement, the UN International Organization for Migration said that the migrants were sent to Mexico by way of a bridge in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. Nationalities of the two were not provided by the UN Agency.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/unprecedented-number-of-migrants-cross-mexico-border-us-govt-405181">'Unprecedented' number of migrants cross Mexico border: US govt</a>

Upon arrival, Mexican officials provided them with documents, and UN officials gave them coronavirus tests and transported them to a shelter. Mexico says the US Government has committed to vaccinating all migrants returning under the program.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden's administration reinstated the policy to comply with a court order and agreed to the changes and additions Mexico requested.

According to a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details weren't made public, the return of migrants to Ciudad Juárez was set to begin in El Paso with up to 50 migrants being sent there every day.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-migrant-caravan-in-mexico-pushes-past-blockade-to-head-north-423467">New migrant caravan in Mexico pushes past blockade to head north</a>

The Homeland Security Department confirmed that returning has started at one location and will expand to six more in the near future. Citing 'operational security reasons,' it declined to identify the launch city or how many migrants will be processed.

As a response to Mexico's concerns that applicants will languish in a backlogged court system of 1.5 million cases, the US has pledged to try to complete cases within 180 days.

In January 2019, President Trump introduced a policy that forced approximately 70,000 asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico, sometimes for months.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-mexico-border-arrests-reach-record-highs-reveals-report-423367">US-Mexico border: Arrests reach record highs, reveals report</a>

President Biden suspended this policy on his first day in office. He ended the controversial Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) in pursuit of what he called a more humane approach toward immigration. Biden's move, however, was found to have not followed proper procedure and a federal judge reinstated MPP in August.

(With inputs from agencies)

On Wednesday, US authorities returned the first two migrants to Mexico under the reinstated "Remain in Mexico" policy. According to Trump-era policy, asylum-seekers have to wait in Mexico for an immigration court hearing in the United States.

On Wednesday, US authorities returned the first two migrants to Mexico under the reinstated "Remain in Mexico" policy. According to Trump-era policy, asylum-seekers have to wait in Mexico for an immigration court hearing in the United States. In a statement, the UN International Organization for Migration said that the migrants were sent to Mexico by way of a bridge in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. Nationalities of the two were not provided by the UN Agency. Also read | 'Unprecedented' number of migrants cross Mexico border: US govt Upon arrival, Mexican officials provided them with documents, and UN officials gave them coronavirus tests and transported them to a shelter. Mexico says the US Government has committed to vaccinating all migrants returning under the program. On Monday, US President Joe Biden's administration reinstated the policy to comply with a court order and agreed to the changes and additions Mexico requested. According to a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details weren't made public, the return of migrants to Ciudad Juárez was set to begin in El Paso with up to 50 migrants being sent there every day. Also read | New migrant caravan in Mexico pushes past blockade to head north The Homeland Security Department confirmed that returning has started at one location and will expand to six more in the near future. Citing 'operational security reasons,' it declined to identify the launch city or how many migrants will be processed. As a response to Mexico's concerns that applicants will languish in a backlogged court system of 1.5 million cases, the US has pledged to try to complete cases within 180 days. In January 2019, President Trump introduced a policy that forced approximately 70,000 asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico, sometimes for months. Also read | US-Mexico border: Arrests reach record highs, reveals report President Biden suspended this policy on his first day in office. He ended the controversial Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) in pursuit of what he called a more humane approach toward immigration. Biden's move, however, was found to have not followed proper procedure and a federal judge reinstated MPP in August. (With inputs from agencies)

'Remain in Mexico': US sends back two Mexican migrants under controversial Trump-era policy

On Thursday, Joe Biden will host representatives from more than 100 countries for a democracy summit that has drawn criticism from China and Russia.&nbsp;

The White House describes the event, which is taking place by video link due to the Coronavirus pandemic, as US leadership in the existential struggle between democracies and powerful autocracies or dictatorships.

"Make no mistake, we're at a moment of democratic reckoning," said Uzra Zeya, the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/forced-labour-us-house-passes-law-to-ban-imports-from-chinas-xinjiang-435293" hreflang="en">'Forced labour': US House passes law to ban imports from China's Xinjiang</a>

"It's no secret that democracies around the world are facing increasing challenges from new and novel threats. Countries in virtually every region of the world have experienced degrees of democratic backsliding."

United States sees the December 9 and 10 summit as a "galvanizing moment" for world democracies to address pressing challenges.

The two-day summit will be opened by President Biden at the White House and will bring together participants from over 100 countries, as well as NGOs, businesses, philanthropic organizations and legislators.

However, the fact that Biden continues to face shocking challenges to democratic norms from Donald Trump, who has attempted to throw out the 2020 election, poses a troubling backdrop to the summit.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-threatens-russia-with-severe-sanctions-if-ukraine-is-attacked-435291" hreflang="en">Biden threatens Russia with 'severe sanctions' if Ukraine is attacked; US troops not to be involved</a>

Even before summit attendees could meet, tensions erupted over who should be included and excluded from the list.

In Biden's case, China and Russia, which he sees as the champions of autocracies, were left out, which they say is stoking an ideological rift.

"No country has the right to judge the world's vast and varied political landscape by a single yardstick," wrote ambassadors Anatoly Antonov of Russia and Qin Gang of China in a joint essay last month.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/the-achilles-heel-of-bidens-climate-plan-coal-miners-435265" hreflang="en">The Achilles’ heel of Biden’s climate plan? Coal miners.</a>

A further irritant to Chinese sensibilities is the Biden administration's invitation to Taiwan, a democratically-ruled island that mainland China considers a part of its territory, but does not yet control.

In addition, the absence of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan, which are some of India's closest democratic neighbours, further reinforces China's view that the summit is intended to divide Asia.

(With inputs from agencies)

On Thursday, Joe Biden will host representatives from more than 100 countries for a democracy summit that has drawn criticism from China and Russia. The White House describes the event, which is taking place by video link due to the Coronavirus pandemic, as US leadership in the existential struggle between democracies and powerful autocracies or dictatorships.

On Thursday, Joe Biden will host representatives from more than 100 countries for a democracy summit that has drawn criticism from China and Russia. The White House describes the event, which is taking place by video link due to the Coronavirus pandemic, as US leadership in the existential struggle between democracies and powerful autocracies or dictatorships. "Make no mistake, we're at a moment of democratic reckoning," said Uzra Zeya, the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights. Also read | 'Forced labour': US House passes law to ban imports from China's Xinjiang "It's no secret that democracies around the world are facing increasing challenges from new and novel threats. Countries in virtually every region of the world have experienced degrees of democratic backsliding." United States sees the December 9 and 10 summit as a "galvanizing moment" for world democracies to address pressing challenges. The two-day summit will be opened by President Biden at the White House and will bring together participants from over 100 countries, as well as NGOs, businesses, philanthropic organizations and legislators. However, the fact that Biden continues to face shocking challenges to democratic norms from Donald Trump, who has attempted to throw out the 2020 election, poses a troubling backdrop to the summit. Also read | Biden threatens Russia with 'severe sanctions' if Ukraine is attacked; US troops not to be involved Even before summit attendees could meet, tensions erupted over who should be included and excluded from the list. In Biden's case, China and Russia, which he sees as the champions of autocracies, were left out, which they say is stoking an ideological rift. "No country has the right to judge the world's vast and varied political landscape by a single yardstick," wrote ambassadors Anatoly Antonov of Russia and Qin Gang of China in a joint essay last month. Also read | The Achilles’ heel of Biden’s climate plan? Coal miners. A further irritant to Chinese sensibilities is the Biden administration's invitation to Taiwan, a democratically-ruled island that mainland China considers a part of its territory, but does not yet control. In addition, the absence of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan, which are some of India's closest democratic neighbours, further reinforces China's view that the summit is intended to divide Asia. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden's Democracy Summit: 100+ nations invited, China & Russia see red after being left out

For years, environmentalists have sought compromises with labor unions in industries reliant on fossil fuels, aware that one of the biggest obstacles to cutting carbon emissions is opposition from the unions’ members.

States like Washington, New York and Illinois have enacted renewable-energy laws that were backed by unions representing workers who build and maintain traditional power plants. And unions for electricians and steelworkers are rallying behind President Joe Biden’s climate and social policy legislation, now in the Senate’s hands.

But at least one group of workers appears far less enthusiastic about the deal-making: coal workers, who continue to regard clean-energy jobs as a major risk to their standard of living.

“It’s definitely going to pay less, not have our insurance,” Gary Campbell, a heavy-equipment operator at a coal mine in West Virginia, said of wind and solar jobs. “We see windmills around us everywhere. They’re up, then everybody disappears. It’s not consistent.”

Biden has sought to address the concerns about pay with subsidies that provide incentives for wind and solar projects to offer union-scale wages. His bill includes billions in aid, training money and redevelopment funds that will help coal communities.

But Phil Smith, the top lobbyist for the United Mine Workers of America, said a general skepticism toward promises of economic relief was nonetheless widespread among his members. “We’ve heard the same things over and over and over again going back to JFK,” Smith said. The union has been pointedly mum on the current version of Biden’s bill, which the president is calling Build Back Better.

Unfortunately for Biden, this skepticism has threatened to undermine his efforts on climate change. While there are fewer than 50,000 unionized coal miners in the country, compared with the millions of industrial and construction workers who belong to unions, miners have long punched above their weight thanks to their concentration in election battleground states like Pennsylvania or states with powerful senators, like Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

When Manchin, a Democrat and one of the chamber’s swing votes, came out against Biden’s $150 billion clean electricity program in October, his move effectively killed what many environmentalists considered the most critical component of the president’s climate agenda. The miners’ union applauded.

And Manchin and his constituents will continue to exert outsize influence over climate policy. Biden’s roughly $2 trillion bill includes about $550 billion in spending on green technology and infrastructure. Even if the bill passes largely intact, most experts say future government action will be necessary to stave off the catastrophic effects of global warming.

All of that has raised the stakes for courting coal miners.

“Our guiding principle is the belief that we don’t have to choose between good jobs and a clean environment,” said Jason Walsh, executive director of the BlueGreen Alliance, which has united labor and environmental groups to marshal support for initiatives like Biden’s. “But our ability to continue to articulate that belief with a straight face depends on the policy choices we make.”

“Coal miners,” he added, “are at the center of that.”

It is impossible to explain mine workers’ jaundiced view of Biden’s agenda without appreciating their heightened economic vulnerability: Unlike the carpenters and electricians who work at power plants but could apply their skills to renewable-energy projects, many miners are unlikely to find jobs on wind and solar farms that resemble their current work. (Some, like equipment operators, have more transferable skills.)

It is also difficult to overstate the political gamesmanship that has shaped the discourse on miners. In her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton proposed spending $30 billion on economic aid for coal country. But a verbal miscue — “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business,” she said while discussing her proposal at a town hall — allowed opponents to portray her as waging a “war on coal.”

“It is a politicized situation in which one political party that’s increasingly captured by industry benefits from the status quo by perpetuating this rhetoric,” said Matto Mildenberger, a political scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who studies the politics of climate policy.

And then there is Manchin, a complicated political figure who is among the Senate’s leading recipients of campaign money from the fossil fuel industry.

Manchin has sometimes resisted provisions favored by the miners’ union, such as wage-replacement payments to coal workers who must accept a lower-paying job. “At the end of the day, it wasn’t something he was interested in doing,” said Smith, the union’s lobbyist. A spokesperson for Manchin declined to comment.

Yet in other ways Manchin has channeled his constituents’ feelings well, suggesting that he might be more enthusiastic about renewable-energy legislation if they were.

At a forum in the spring, he talked about the tendency to forget coal miners — “We feel like the returning Vietnam veteran,” he said — and questioned the proposed trade of “the traditional jobs we’re about to lose, for the transitional jobs that I’m not sure are going to be there.”

In interviews, coal workers said they were skeptical that Biden’s spending plan would ultimately benefit them. Campbell, a recording secretary for his union local, said he would be pleased if an electric-vehicle battery plant opened in West Virginia under a manufacturing tax credit pending in Congress.

But he doubted it would happen. “Until something gets done, I don’t want to jump on anyone’s coattail,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of promises, that’s about it.”

Dustin Tingley, an expert on public opinion on climate policy at Harvard University, said that while investments in green technology were popular among the general public, many coal country residents simply didn’t believe these investments would produce jobs in their communities over the long term.

“If you’re some 35-year-old, 40-year-old worker in fossil fuels thinking about transitioning to some new industry, you need to have the expectation that the jobs will actually be around,” Tingley said.

The clean-energy bill that Illinois passed in September illustrates the tension. The legislation allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and ensures that construction workers will receive union-scale wages on most nonresidential projects. It also includes tens of millions of dollars for worker training.

But Doris Turner, a Democratic state senator from central Illinois whose district includes a coal-powered plant and mine workers, said she had voted “present” rather than “yea” on the bill because of lingering concerns about workers.

Turner, a first-term senator who helped win a concession to extend the life of the local coal plant, said she sometimes felt like the Joe Manchin of Illinois. “I’m trying to build relationships with new colleagues, and all of a sudden here we are with this energy legislation and I’m like, ‘I can’t do that,’” Turner said. “Nobody was very rude, but I could hear sighs.”

Pat Devaney, the secretary-treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO, who was involved in negotiating the bill, said coal workers presented the most vexing policy quandary.

“That one is a little bit tougher of a nut to crack,” he said, adding that the AFL-CIO and other labor groups would continue to push for proposals like health benefits and lost-wage compensation for displaced workers, programs that didn’t make it into the recently enacted Illinois law.

Such delays in economic relief are typical and have heightened miners’ opposition to clean-energy legislation, said Heidi Binko, executive director of the Just Transition Fund, a nonprofit group focused on growing local economies hit hard by the decline of fossil fuels.

Binko cited the example of the Obama administration, which in 2014 proposed an ambitious regulatory effort to reduce carbon emissions that appeared likely to accelerate the closing of coal-fired plants. The administration later unveiled an economic development package for coal country — after voters there had already become alarmed.

“It would have been received so differently if first the administration had done something to help the people left behind,” Binko said.

Private philanthropists have often reinforced the problem, Binko said, by spending millions on campaigns to shut down coal plants, but little on economic development that would ease the political opposition to renewable energy in states like West Virginia.

Carrie Doyle, a senior fellow in the environment program of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which makes grants to organizations working on climate change, said philanthropists were only beginning to address the shortfall in funding for economic development.

“It feels like it should have been put into place a while ago,” Doyle said. “Some of that funding is happening now, but it needs to scale.”

While such efforts will come too late to ease the passage of Biden’s climate legislation, they could be essential to ensuring that renewable energy remains politically viable.

Some scholars point to international trade as a cautionary tale. In the 1990s and 2000s, Congress approved multiple trade deals. Economists argued, as they do on renewable energy today, that the benefits to the country would far outweigh the costs, which would be concentrated among a small group of workers who could be compensated for their losses, or find new jobs for similar pay.

But the failure to ease the economic blow to manufacturing workers, who many economists now concede were devastated by greater trade with China, helped unravel political support for free trade. In 2016, both major presidential nominees campaigned against the 12-nation trade pact that the Obama administration had spent years negotiating.

If displaced fossil fuel workers go through a comparable experience, these scholars say, the political effects could be similar, unraveling support for climate policies.

“There are lessons to be learned from that experience,” said Tingley, speaking of the fallout from trade. Among them, he added, “was just recognizing how hard it is to pivot, given where people are in life.”

For years, environmentalists have sought compromises with labor unions in industries reliant on fossil fuels, aware that one of the biggest obstacles to cutting carbon emissions is opposition from the unions’ members.

For years, environmentalists have sought compromises with labor unions in industries reliant on fossil fuels, aware that one of the biggest obstacles to cutting carbon emissions is opposition from the unions’ members. States like Washington, New York and Illinois have enacted renewable-energy laws that were backed by unions representing workers who build and maintain traditional power plants. And unions for electricians and steelworkers are rallying behind President Joe Biden’s climate and social policy legislation, now in the Senate’s hands. But at least one group of workers appears far less enthusiastic about the deal-making: coal workers, who continue to regard clean-energy jobs as a major risk to their standard of living. “It’s definitely going to pay less, not have our insurance,” Gary Campbell, a heavy-equipment operator at a coal mine in West Virginia, said of wind and solar jobs. “We see windmills around us everywhere. They’re up, then everybody disappears. It’s not consistent.” Biden has sought to address the concerns about pay with subsidies that provide incentives for wind and solar projects to offer union-scale wages. His bill includes billions in aid, training money and redevelopment funds that will help coal communities. But Phil Smith, the top lobbyist for the United Mine Workers of America, said a general skepticism toward promises of economic relief was nonetheless widespread among his members. “We’ve heard the same things over and over and over again going back to JFK,” Smith said. The union has been pointedly mum on the current version of Biden’s bill, which the president is calling Build Back Better. Unfortunately for Biden, this skepticism has threatened to undermine his efforts on climate change. While there are fewer than 50,000 unionized coal miners in the country, compared with the millions of industrial and construction workers who belong to unions, miners have long punched above their weight thanks to their concentration in election battleground states like Pennsylvania or states with powerful senators, like Joe Manchin of West Virginia. When Manchin, a Democrat and one of the chamber’s swing votes, came out against Biden’s $150 billion clean electricity program in October, his move effectively killed what many environmentalists considered the most critical component of the president’s climate agenda. The miners’ union applauded. And Manchin and his constituents will continue to exert outsize influence over climate policy. Biden’s roughly $2 trillion bill includes about $550 billion in spending on green technology and infrastructure. Even if the bill passes largely intact, most experts say future government action will be necessary to stave off the catastrophic effects of global warming. All of that has raised the stakes for courting coal miners. “Our guiding principle is the belief that we don’t have to choose between good jobs and a clean environment,” said Jason Walsh, executive director of the BlueGreen Alliance, which has united labor and environmental groups to marshal support for initiatives like Biden’s. “But our ability to continue to articulate that belief with a straight face depends on the policy choices we make.” “Coal miners,” he added, “are at the center of that.” It is impossible to explain mine workers’ jaundiced view of Biden’s agenda without appreciating their heightened economic vulnerability: Unlike the carpenters and electricians who work at power plants but could apply their skills to renewable-energy projects, many miners are unlikely to find jobs on wind and solar farms that resemble their current work. (Some, like equipment operators, have more transferable skills.) It is also difficult to overstate the political gamesmanship that has shaped the discourse on miners. In her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton proposed spending $30 billion on economic aid for coal country. But a verbal miscue — “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business,” she said while discussing her proposal at a town hall — allowed opponents to portray her as waging a “war on coal.” “It is a politicized situation in which one political party that’s increasingly captured by industry benefits from the status quo by perpetuating this rhetoric,” said Matto Mildenberger, a political scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who studies the politics of climate policy. And then there is Manchin, a complicated political figure who is among the Senate’s leading recipients of campaign money from the fossil fuel industry. Manchin has sometimes resisted provisions favored by the miners’ union, such as wage-replacement payments to coal workers who must accept a lower-paying job. “At the end of the day, it wasn’t something he was interested in doing,” said Smith, the union’s lobbyist. A spokesperson for Manchin declined to comment. Yet in other ways Manchin has channeled his constituents’ feelings well, suggesting that he might be more enthusiastic about renewable-energy legislation if they were. At a forum in the spring, he talked about the tendency to forget coal miners — “We feel like the returning Vietnam veteran,” he said — and questioned the proposed trade of “the traditional jobs we’re about to lose, for the transitional jobs that I’m not sure are going to be there.” In interviews, coal workers said they were skeptical that Biden’s spending plan would ultimately benefit them. Campbell, a recording secretary for his union local, said he would be pleased if an electric-vehicle battery plant opened in West Virginia under a manufacturing tax credit pending in Congress. But he doubted it would happen. “Until something gets done, I don’t want to jump on anyone’s coattail,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of promises, that’s about it.” Dustin Tingley, an expert on public opinion on climate policy at Harvard University, said that while investments in green technology were popular among the general public, many coal country residents simply didn’t believe these investments would produce jobs in their communities over the long term. “If you’re some 35-year-old, 40-year-old worker in fossil fuels thinking about transitioning to some new industry, you need to have the expectation that the jobs will actually be around,” Tingley said. The clean-energy bill that Illinois passed in September illustrates the tension. The legislation allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and ensures that construction workers will receive union-scale wages on most nonresidential projects. It also includes tens of millions of dollars for worker training. But Doris Turner, a Democratic state senator from central Illinois whose district includes a coal-powered plant and mine workers, said she had voted “present” rather than “yea” on the bill because of lingering concerns about workers. Turner, a first-term senator who helped win a concession to extend the life of the local coal plant, said she sometimes felt like the Joe Manchin of Illinois. “I’m trying to build relationships with new colleagues, and all of a sudden here we are with this energy legislation and I’m like, ‘I can’t do that,’” Turner said. “Nobody was very rude, but I could hear sighs.” Pat Devaney, the secretary-treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO, who was involved in negotiating the bill, said coal workers presented the most vexing policy quandary. “That one is a little bit tougher of a nut to crack,” he said, adding that the AFL-CIO and other labor groups would continue to push for proposals like health benefits and lost-wage compensation for displaced workers, programs that didn’t make it into the recently enacted Illinois law. Such delays in economic relief are typical and have heightened miners’ opposition to clean-energy legislation, said Heidi Binko, executive director of the Just Transition Fund, a nonprofit group focused on growing local economies hit hard by the decline of fossil fuels. Binko cited the example of the Obama administration, which in 2014 proposed an ambitious regulatory effort to reduce carbon emissions that appeared likely to accelerate the closing of coal-fired plants. The administration later unveiled an economic development package for coal country — after voters there had already become alarmed. “It would have been received so differently if first the administration had done something to help the people left behind,” Binko said. Private philanthropists have often reinforced the problem, Binko said, by spending millions on campaigns to shut down coal plants, but little on economic development that would ease the political opposition to renewable energy in states like West Virginia. Carrie Doyle, a senior fellow in the environment program of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which makes grants to organizations working on climate change, said philanthropists were only beginning to address the shortfall in funding for economic development. “It feels like it should have been put into place a while ago,” Doyle said. “Some of that funding is happening now, but it needs to scale.” While such efforts will come too late to ease the passage of Biden’s climate legislation, they could be essential to ensuring that renewable energy remains politically viable. Some scholars point to international trade as a cautionary tale. In the 1990s and 2000s, Congress approved multiple trade deals. Economists argued, as they do on renewable energy today, that the benefits to the country would far outweigh the costs, which would be concentrated among a small group of workers who could be compensated for their losses, or find new jobs for similar pay. But the failure to ease the economic blow to manufacturing workers, who many economists now concede were devastated by greater trade with China, helped unravel political support for free trade. In 2016, both major presidential nominees campaigned against the 12-nation trade pact that the Obama administration had spent years negotiating. If displaced fossil fuel workers go through a comparable experience, these scholars say, the political effects could be similar, unraveling support for climate policies. “There are lessons to be learned from that experience,” said Tingley, speaking of the fallout from trade. Among them, he added, “was just recognizing how hard it is to pivot, given where people are in life.”

The Achilles’ heel of Biden’s climate plan? Coal miners.

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