The Biden Foreign Policy Legacy Debate Begins

U.S. President Joe Biden’s determination yesterday to driblet retired of nan 2024 statesmanlike predetermination yesterday wholly upends nan statesmanlike contest, conscionable complete 100 days earlier nan election. Biden’s determination intends that 1 of voters’ awesome concerns astir nan Democratic candidate—his age—is nary longer a factor, but whether aliases not this changes nan broader fundamentals of nan title will dangle connected who nan caller nominee is.

As of now, nan Democratic Party appears to beryllium uniting astir Vice President Kamala Harris, and aft a astir month-long damaging news rhythm for Democrats, her emergence arsenic nan clear frontrunner to switch Biden has generated an tremendous displacement successful temper and momentum successful nan Democratic camp.

Of course, 100 days is an eternity successful U.S. electoral politics, truthful alternatively than estimate astir what will happen, we’re taking today’s newsletter to look astatine what this news intends for Biden. Although he still has astir six months near successful his term, Biden’s determination to extremity his bid for reelection yesterday fundamentally closes nan book connected his stewardship of U.S. overseas argumentation and kicks disconnected nan statement astir what his bequest will be.

Biden’s overseas argumentation grounds falls into 3 categories. First, location are nan clear successes, nan astir salient being his administration’s confederation management. After 4 years of harm to Washington’s relations pinch its friends nether erstwhile President Donald Trump, Biden restored U.S. activity of NATO and efficaciously coordinated nan West’s consequence to Russia’s penetration of Ukraine. Biden besides made nan long overdue decision to extremity nan U.S. beingness successful Afghanistan, moreover if nan poorly handled withdrawal makes it difficult to speak of an unqualified success.

There were besides immoderate quieter accomplishments, including helping to fend disconnected coups successful Brazil and Guatemala, creating a latticework of informal multilateral information structures successful Asia and helping to reinvigorate world diplomacy connected ambiance change.

Second, location are nan clear failures, astir notably nan U.S. handling of nan Israel-Hamas war. Biden clearly struggled to workout immoderate benignant of meaningful sway complete Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to forestall aliases extremity nan humanitarian catastrophe successful Gaza. Less noticed has been nan U.S. nonaccomplishment to respond astatine each to nan civilian wars successful Ethiopia and Sudan.

Finally, location are nan legacy policies from nan Trump management that Biden institutionalized. For instance, location is nary uncertainty that Biden has been much strategical successful his handling of U.S.-China argumentation than Trump, but he has besides ne'er questioned nan basal assumptions of the “tough connected China” consensus Trump ushered in, nor has he articulated what nan extremity end of title pinch China moreover is. Similarly, Biden’s trade policy—combining business argumentation astatine location pinch Trump’s protectionist tariffs astatine nan border—not only could easy backfire but besides alienated galore U.S. partners, including those successful nan progressively influential Global South.

Overall, Biden’s handling of overseas argumentation was undoubtedly professional, successful invited opposition to nan Trump administration. But while nan existent management has identified nan correct problem sets, its grounds connected coming up pinch nan correct solutions is mixed astatine best.

Of course, nan last appraisal of Biden’s bequest will dangle connected what comes next—whether it is different 4 years of Trump, aliases 4 years of either Harris aliases different Democrat carrying Biden’s torch.

For more: Read our free Insight connected Biden’s overseas argumentation schedule here.

Police blocked nan office of Uganda’s biggest guidance statement Monday to enforce an imposed prohibition connected planned anti-government protests. A constabulary spokesperson called nan move precautionary, but guidance leader Bobi Wine said aggregate statement leaders had been violently arrested and constabulary were preventing anyone from entering aliases exiting nan headquarters.

The authorities of President Yoweri Museveni has agelong violently repressed Uganda’s opposition—including Wine’s National Unity Party—while astatine nan aforesaid clip coopting members of nan guidance successful bid to diminish their power. As Michael Mutyaba wrote successful March, that strategy has led to tensions among nan opposition, but it has besides emboldened those who, for illustration Wine, for illustration nan way of celebrated revolution, protestation and confrontation against Museveni.

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On Friday, nan Biden management announced a strategy to tackle integrative usage successful nan U.S. by phasing retired nan national government’s purchases of single-use plastics and imposing tougher regulations connected integrative manufacturing. The U.S. authorities is presently nan world’s biggest purchaser of user goods.

While a invited development, immoderate solution to nan world situation of plastics contamination desperately requires world practice and management, which is why negotiators are presently trying to finalize a legally binding world pact connected integrative pollution. But arsenic Joshua Lincoln wrote successful May, captious countries for illustration nan U.S., China and India are showing small appetite for an eager treaty.

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China and the Philippines reached a woody Sunday aimed astatine ending confrontations complete a disputed shoal successful nan South China Sea. Read much astir nan standoff successful this briefing by Richard Javad Heydarian from past year.

Meanwhile, nan Philippines’s defense curate said earlier coming nan state is looking to forge defense pacts pinch Canada, France and New Zealand, among different countries, successful nan coming year. That fits into nan Philippines’ broader efforts to build a web of alliances successful consequence to China’s aggression, arsenic we highlighted successful the Daily Review past month.

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Barcelona’s politician said yesterday nan metropolis plans to raise nan tourer taxation for cruise vessel passengers visiting nan metropolis for little than 12 hours. The aforesaid day, thousands took to nan streets of Spain’s Palma de Mallorca, protesting against nan effects of overtourism. Read much astir nan increasing vexation pinch overtourism successful Spain and astir successful nan world successful this Daily Review from earlier this month.

• James Bosworth connected Brazil and Argentina’s feuding leaders.
• Cristina Guevara connected Panama’s crackdown connected migration.
• Paul Poast connected India’s imaginable to beryllium a awesome power.
• Emil Avdaliani connected Iran and Azerbaijan’s thawing ties.