Joe Biden: Russia is the biggest threat to the 'global liberal order'

In his last official speech before leaving the White House, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden stated that Russia is the biggest threat to the 'global liberal order.' According to Reuters, on Wednesday, January 29, in Davos at the World Economic Forum, Biden also warned that Russia is expected to make 'greater' efforts to interfere in the elections of Western countries. Biden's remarks refer to allegations regarding Russia's interference in the recent U.S. presidential elections. According to U.S. intelligence reports released in early January, Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, personally ordered cyber attacks and the distortion of media reports aimed at undermining the electoral campaign of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate in the 2016 presidential election. With elections for parliament and presidency set to take place soon in several European countries, Biden warned: 'We should expect Russia to make more efforts to interfere in the democratic process of elections.' He added: 'I promise this will happen again, and the ultimate goal is clear: the destruction of the global liberal order.' Biden's comments come as Russia has denied any interference in the U.S. presidential elections. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, on January 28, strongly criticized U.S. intelligence agencies regarding reports of Donald Trump's connections with Russia, stating that any claims of Moscow's cyber attacks and interference in European elections are 'fantasy.' Biden also pointed to China and Iran as two countries attempting to infiltrate the global liberal order, while emphasizing that these actions are primarily led by Russia. The U.S. Vice President added: 'Russia, under Putin's leadership, is trying to infiltrate among European nations by any means possible and expand its sphere of influence.' Biden continued: 'We see this behavior in their aggression towards neighboring countries, including Ukraine, and their support for separatist movements.' He referred to Russia's propaganda apparatus and the misinformation campaign supported by the country, adding that Russia uses its energy carriers as a weapon and has engaged in cyber interventions against political parties and individuals in the United States. The U.S. Vice President called for efforts from the European Union and the United States to 'lead the fight' against Putin and protect liberal values. He emphasized that NATO should remain a key element in the relations between countries on both sides of the Atlantic. Donald Trump, the U.S. President-elect, described NATO as a 'defunct' organization due to its insufficient action in the fight against terrorism in an interview on January 26 with the 'Times' and 'Bild' newspapers, but he also stated that this alliance remains very important to him. Relations between Washington and Moscow have cooled following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Subsequently, Moscow's support for separatists in Eastern Ukraine and its involvement in the Syrian conflicts have further strained relations between the two countries.