Biden Foreign Policy - a dressed-up version of Trump’s emphasis on putting U.S. interests above its global commitments
U.S. Foreign Policy Under Biden
President
Joe Biden took office with an ambitious U.S. foreign policy agenda
summed up by his favorite campaign tagline: “America is back.” Above
all, that meant repairing the damage done to America’s global standing
by his predecessor, former President Donald Trump. During his four years
in office, Trump strained ties with America’s allies in Europe and
Asia, raised tensions with adversaries like Iran and Venezuela, and
engaged in a trade war with China that left bilateral relations in their
worst state in decades.
In
principle, Biden’s agenda is rooted in a repudiation of Trump’s
“America First” legacy and the restoration of the multilateral order.
That was reflected in his early moves to rejoin the Paris Climate
Accords and the World Health Organization, and reestablish U.S.
leadership on climate diplomacy. The COVID-19 pandemic also offered
Biden an opportunity to reassert America’s global leadership role and
begin repairing ties that began to fray under Trump.
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But
in practice, some of Biden’s priorities bear a close resemblance to
Trump’s agenda. His “foreign policy for the middle class,” which ties
U.S. diplomacy to peace, security and prosperity at home, has been
described as a dressed-up version of Trump’s emphasis on putting U.S.
interests above its global commitments. Biden also followed through on
Trump’s deal to withdraw from Afghanistan without consulting or
coordinating with Washington’s NATO allies—and paid a political cost for
the collapse of the Afghan government and chaotic evacuation that
ensued. And on other issues, like his approach to immigration and border
policies, Biden has not demonstrated any urgency to make immediate
changes. Similarly, he only belatedly lifted controversial tariffs on
European steel and aluminum imports as well as, more recently, the most
draconian of Trump’s sanctions on Cuba.
Despite
the rhetorical commitment to repudiating Trump, Biden may find it
difficult to fully restore a pre-Trump status quo. Countries may no
longer be willing to follow the U.S. lead on democracy promotion after
the erosion of America’s democratic norms during the Trump era. And
Europe, in particular, has recalibrated its relationship with the United
States and may no longer be willing to align with America’s approach,
particularly the hardening of relations with China. Nevertheless, as the
war in Ukraine and the crisis leading up to it highlight, there is
still high demand among allies, partners and other countries around the
world for decisive U.S. leadership in times of crisis.
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