State Dept. condemns arrests, repression in Russia

“He set a goal of 100 million shots in his first 100 days … that’s a floor, it’s not a ceiling,” Biden’s nominee for Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says when pressed by ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on whether the Biden administration’s vaccination plan is ambitious enough.

Sunday on ABC's "This Week," Stephanopoulos also asked Murthy if he is confident the U.S. can meet the goal of opening most elementary schools in the first 100 days of the Biden administration.

"That’s a very important goal," Murthy responded. "It’s going to take a lot of work."

National security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with his Israeli counterpart Saturday and expressed the president's commitment to Israel's security.

Sullivan also discussed building on Israel's normalization arrangements with UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco -- negotiated under the Trump administration, according to a statement from NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne.

The president has also been making calls to officials from around the world, speaking with the leaders of Canada, Mexico and the U.K.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has given his senior leaders two weeks to send him reports on sexual assault prevention programs in the military in his first directive since taking office, according to the Associated Press.

Austin's directive calls for his senior leaders to submit sexual assault and harassment measures they have taken in the past year and to detail which initiatives worked and which did not, as well as including data over the past decade about efforts they have taken to support sexual assault and harassment victims.

“Include in your report the consideration of novel approaches to any of these areas,” he said, adding that “we must not be afraid to get creative.”

Austin’s directive is the first step in a commitment that he made during his confirmation hearing in front of U.S. senators last week when we promised to address the issue of sexual assault and harassment in the military head on.

“This is a leadership issue,” Austin said in his two-page memo. “We will lead.”

In his confirmation hearing, senators pointedly asked what Austin planned to do about the issue.  Senator after senator demanded to know what Austin planned to do about the problem, which defense and military leaders have grappled with for years as reports of sexual assaults, according to the Associated Press, have steadily gone up since 2006, including a 13% jump in 2018 and a 3% increase in 2019.

Said Austin: “This starts with me and you can count on me getting after this on Day One.”

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson shared details of the phone call he had with Biden Saturday, as the president continues to reach out to U.S. allies and partners in the days after his inauguration.

In a post on social media, Johnson said it was "great to speak" with Biden. "I look forward to deepening the longstanding alliance between our two countries as we drive a green and sustainable recovery from COVID-19," he added, along with a photo of himself smiling on the phone. 

During the call, Johnson "warmly welcomed" Biden's decision to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization, a Downing Street spokesperson said.  

"They also discussed the benefits of a potential free trade deal between our two countries, and the Prime Minister reiterated his intention to resolve existing trade issues as soon as possible," the spokesperson said.

President Biden has been making his first calls to foreign leaders as president. On Friday, he spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

In previewing the president's early calls to foreign heads of state, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had said the president would first prioritize close "partners and allies," because the president "feels it's important to rebuild those relationships and to address the challenges and threats we're facing in the world." 

-ABC News' Rashid Haddou, Jordyn Phelps and Molly Nagle