Top EU diplomat waits return of U.S. 'leadership'

The world's need for American leadership in the fight against COVID-19 has been highlighted by the top diplomat for the European Union.

Josep Borrell spoke to Reuters on the eve of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

“This is the first crisis, the first global global crisis in which the American leadership has been missing. (There) has not been American leadership on this crisis and the World needs the American leadership."

Borrell hopes the end of the Trump era will be an opportunity to rebuild transatlantic ties - describing his "America First" approach as governing by Twitter.

"Look, only with two things, the U.S. coming back to the (2015 Paris) Climate Agreement, which I've been told is going to happen quickly and rejoining the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), the (2015) Nuclear Deal with Iran, only with these two things, the World will be much better and much (more) secure."

"What we will miss? The tweets. The tweets for sure. Governing by tweeting has marked a period of the political history. Governing by tweeting. And I think that maybe we can go to governing using other ways of communicating and defining positions taking into account the problems and interests of others."

Borrell added that it is now up to the U.S. to retake its place as "an engine of the world" and help with the fight against coronavirus.