Allies and adversaries see parallels with Donald Trump in Joe Biden’s foreign policy

This month, at the annual meeting of world leaders United nations, President Joe Biden and Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken Speak with ambition On international cooperation and the new diplomatic strategy a United State After Trump.

But nearly all of his diplomatic efforts at the tiny United Nations General Assembly were overshadowed – and complicated by – The Legacy of President Donald J. Trump.

Biden eased strained relations with France On a phone call with the president Emmanuel Macron held on Wednesday 22nd September. Blinken met in New York With his French counterpart on Thursday, September 23.

But the French officials Publicly compare the Biden government to the Trump administration for failing to warn them about a strategic agreement with United kingdom And Australia Which forced them, they said, to get out of the submarine contract.

In an active speech to the world organization on Wednesday, September 22nd, President Iran Ibrahim Raisi suggested that there A simple difference between Biden and his predecessor Invoking their foreign policy slogans: The world doesn’t care about ‘America first’ or ‘America is back’.

And in response to the ambitious goals to reduce global carbon emissions Biden presented in his speech, an editorial in the hawkish newspaper Global Times from Beijing He made an argument familiar to Biden officials: “If the next US government is a Republican again, chances are Biden’s promises were cancelled. Mediator Books.

It’s a judgment that the Iranians also used when they spoke of a possible return to the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump abruptly abandoned. At a press conference marking the end of Diplomatic Week, Blinken gave a positive assessment.

He said that US officials have met their counterparts from more than 60 countries and They emphasized US leadership on topics such as climate change and the coronavirus. When asked about several recent criticisms of US foreign policy, such as the withdrawal of AfghanistanThe stalemate in the nuclear negotiations with Iran and the diplomatic crime in ParisIn New York this week, the secretary of state said he did not hear these complaints directly.

What I’ve heard in recent days in response to the president’s speech and the direction it’s going She was very positive and supportive of the United StatesBlinken mentioned.

Parallel Reality

French officials said they were surprised by the US submarine deal with Australia, a complaint filed by Biden officials They didn’t have a simple answer.

“This brutal, unilateral and unexpected decision reminds me very much of what Trump was doing,” Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a French radio station. Reuters. I am upset and sad. This is not done between allies.”

This had softened a bit already on Thursday, September 23, after Biden’s call to Macron and Blinken’s meeting with Le Drian. However, the French diplomat’s statement indicates that the matter has not been completely forgotten. Getting out of the crisis we are going through will take time and require action. Rule.

The controversy with Paris could have been dismissed as a separate episode were it not for the fact that it closely resembles the complaints of some allies OTAN That Biden withdrew from Afghanistan without consulting them carefully or informing them of the time Washington I planned.

Trump has become notorious for himThe habit of surprising historical allies with impulsive or unilateral actions.

Blinken defended himself against this accusation and claimed that he met with NATO officials in The autumn for their views on the situation in Afghanistan. However, the officials of GermanyThe United Kingdom and other countries have stated this Their recommendations for a slower withdrawal were rejected.

Biden allies claim the comparisons are valid Exaggerated, although not unfounded.

“At first blush, it’s ridiculous for allies or partners or anyone to think that there is some kind of continuity between Trump and Biden in how they see our allies, negotiate internationally, or formulate national security strategies,” said Lauren Dejong. Shulman, who served on the National Security Council and pentagonal during the Obama administration. “It’s a funny opinion matrix.”

However, he added, other countries have valid questions about how the Biden administration, under the Trump era, will establish sustainable international commitments – such as Possible nuclear deal with Tehran – and generate more popular support for foreign alliances.

“This problem cannot be solved by saying ‘trust us’,” said Dejong Shulman, deputy principal investigator at the Center for a New American Security.

What does it differ from? is the question

It wasn’t just angry allies who embraced the Biden-Trump similarity. The opponents realized that a A useful weapon against Biden. The Global Times, which often reflect the opinions of Chinese Communist Party, confirmed that Biden’s policies in China They are “practically identical” to Trump.

Among those policies Biden’s persistence in trade tariffs under Trump, which Democrats vehemently denounced before Biden took office, but soon saw his officials as a major source of influence in their negotiations with China.

Trump has been criticized by countless foreign policy veterans of both parties. But criticism of Biden’s team management is also They are increasing, especially after the wrong drone attack by the US military forces in Acceptance Last month, what 10 civilians were killed, including 7 children and a humanitarian worker.

Some Biden officials claim, without acknowledging the many flaws, that the diplomatic work has been particularly difficult as dozens of veteran Foreign Service officials have retired during the Trump administration. In addition, Senator Ted Cruz, republican about Texas, he has Dozens of Biden Candidates Banned to occupy high-ranking positions in county administration and embassies.

Biden has also been compared to Trump on other issues, such as immigration.

Today’s question is: How is it really different from Trump? “, Tell New York times This week Marisa Franco, executive director of Mijente, an organization that advocates for civil rights for Latinos.

New York
mc