In his first two years in office, President Biden made a priority of restoring confidence in U.S.-led alliances such as NATO and framing global conflict as a contest between democracy and autocracy. Critics contend that support for Ukraine is one of the administration’s few obvious foreign policy successes, as the president failed to resolve pressing problems, some of which he inherited upon taking office, related to China, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Halfway through his first term, does Mr. Biden have a “Biden Doctrine,” a coherent, abiding approach to U.S. foreign policy? That question is the focus of the latest episode of History As It Happens. Washington Times reporters Guy Taylor and Ben Wolfgang talk about the foreign policy challenges awaiting the administration in 2023.
“He does have a bit of a doctrine, but the jury is still out about how clear it is,” said Mr. Taylor, The Times’ national security team leader. “Biden emphasizes things like repairing U.S. alliances and putting America forward in the world in this trusted position of leadership and standing up for democracies … that’s very broad.”
“One of the most fascinating things about Biden’s foreign policy was, early on in his administration, when you talked to folks behind the scenes at the White House or inside the Defense Department and State Department, there was a major emphasis on him being the antithesis of Trump,” said Mr. Wolfgang, the Times’ military and foreign affairs correspondent.
Yet two years later, the relationship with China remains damaged by the Trump-led trade war and China’s disastrous handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2019, and the Iran nuclear accord remains on ice, to name two issues.
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Listen to Guy Taylor and Ben Wolfgang discuss Mr. Biden’s foreign policy challenges across six continents by downloading this episode of History As It Happens. And subscribe to their new Washington Times weekly newsletter focusing on national security issues, Threat Status.
