Biden tries to ease worries over US commitment to the Middle East in meetings with key leaders - CNN

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(CNN)President Joe Biden on Saturday attempted to reassert US leadership in the Middle East as he met with key leaders in the region, promising his administration would stay engaged amid fears China and Russia would swiftly fill a leadership vacuum.

The President said American leadership in the Middle East would focus on using diplomacy to strengthen alliances and build coalitions, and that the US' objectives would remain "focused, realistic and achievable."

His speech comes nearly one year after the US withdrew all military troops from Afghanistan and ended 20 years of war in the country. He noted his visit to the Middle East was the first time since the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 that a US President visited the region without American troops being engaged in combat in the region, though US forces continue to conduct operations in Syria.

Biden's foreign policy since taking office has largely focused on countering China's growing geopolitical influence and Russia's war in Ukraine, which has raised questions about the extent of the President's commitment to engagement in the Middle East. But on Saturday at a summit in Jeddah, the President sought to assure other Middle Eastern leaders -- and the rest of the world -- that the US still sees the region as crucial to its foreign policy goals.

"Let me state clearly that the United States is going to remain an active and engaged partner in the Middle East," Biden said at a summit attended by key leaders on the last day of his Middle East swing.

The President said, "As the world grows more competitive, and the challenges we face more complex, it is only becoming clearer to me how closely interwoven our interests are with the successes of the Middle East. We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia, or Iran."

The President announced $1 billion in aid to food security assistance in the Middle East and North Africa on Saturday. The President also announced Gulf Arab leaders are pledging more than $3 billion over the next two years in projects that align with global infrastructure and investment.

The President said the US would focus on supporting countries "that subscribe to a rules-based international order," including helping those countries defend themselves against foreign threats. He thanked the leaders present for voting to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the UN General Assembly and called it a "watershed moment" that showed "the core values" of the region.

He spoke of the importance of protecting the "freedom of navigation" through waterways in the Middle East, which allows for the free flow of commerce and resources throughout the region. Biden said the US has established a new naval task force to work in partnership with Middle Eastern countries to help secure the Red Sea.

Biden said the US would "work to reduce tensions, deescalate and end conflicts wherever possible." He pointed to the truce in Yemen -- its first nationwide truce in six years -- as an example of successful diplomacy. He again vowed to never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon.

The President also touched on human rights as he sat beside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling the values enshrined in the UN charter "foundational to who we are as Americans."

"I've gotten plenty of criticism over the years. It's not fun. But the ability to speak openly, exchange ideas freely, is what unlocks innovation," Biden said.