Biden news: Foreign policy speech sees president declare ‘America’s back’ and take hard line on Russia

President Joe Biden delivered a major foreign policy speech from the State Department on Thursday, declaring that "America is back" and putting Russia and China on notice that the days of rolling over to aggression were finished.

Mr Biden announced several foreign policy initiatives, including a global posture review, a freeze of troop withdrawals from Germany, an end to offensive military operations in Yemen and an executive order on restoring the country’s refugees admissions program.

The speech comes amid discussion of plans to send face masks to all American homes - a plan that was allegedly scrapped by the Trump administration.

Mr Biden also appears unwilling to give in to pressure from Republicans on his $1.9trn Covid relief plan and is prepared to ditch bipartisanship to pass the economic package quickly.

According to CNN, Mr Biden told House Democrats: “I’m not going to start my administration by breaking a promise to the American people."

It seems the US president, however, is open to negotiating on who exactly will receives the stimulus checks, but is stressing the need for speed.

Speaking on ABC's Good Morning America, US Treasury secretary Janet Yellen called on Congress to "act forcefully to make sure Americans do not suffer needlessly." This was in reference to the Covid relief plan.

This comes as the president is expected to announce a decision to open US doors to thousands of refugees, many more than were allowed in by the Trump administration.

Mr Biden previously pledged to increase the number of refugees being allowed entry into the US to 125,000 a year, compared to the low of 15,000 set by the Trump administration.

In other news, Mr Biden has agreed to work together with South Korea to achieve denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula.

The US president has also received an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to visit Australia in September.