Joe Biden含羞草研究社檚 injects greater uncertainty into the world at a time when Western leaders are grappling with wars in Ukraine and Gaza, a more assertive China in Asia and the rise of the far right in Europe.
During a , Biden developed extensive personal relationships with multiple foreign leaders that none of the potential replacements on the Democratic ticket can match. After his announcement, messages of support and gratitude for his years of service poured in from near and far.
The scope of foreign policy challenges facing the next U.S. president makes clear how consequential what happens in Washington is for the rest of the planet. Here含羞草研究社檚 a look at some of them.
ISRAEL
With being , Israelis on Sunday scrambled to understand what her candidacy would mean for their country as it confronts increasing global isolation over its military campaign against Hamas.
Israel含羞草研究社檚 left-wing Haaretz daily newspaper ran a story scrutinizing Harris含羞草研究社� record of support for Israel, pointing to her reputation as Biden含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渂ad cop含羞草研究社� who has vocally admonished Israel for its offensive in Gaza. In recent months, she has gone further than Biden in calling for a cease-fire, denouncing Israel含羞草研究社檚 invasion of Rafah and expressing horror over the civilian death toll in Gaza.
含羞草研究社淲ith Biden leaving, Israel has lost perhaps the last Zionist president,含羞草研究社� said Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli consul general in New York. 含羞草研究社淎 new Democratic candidate will upend the dynamic.含羞草研究社�
Biden含羞草研究社檚 staunch defense of Israel since Hamas含羞草研究社� Oct. 7 attack has its roots in his half-century of support for the country as a senator, vice president, then president. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant thanked Biden for his 含羞草研究社渦nwavering support of Israel over the years.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淵our steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable,含羞草研究社� Gallant wrote on social media platform X.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised Biden as a 含羞草研究社渟ymbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples含羞草研究社� and a 含羞草研究社渢rue ally of the Jewish people.含羞草研究社� There was no immediate reaction from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an ally of former President Donald Trump whose history of cordial relations with Biden has come under strain during .
UKRAINE
Any Democratic candidate would likely continue Biden含羞草研究社檚 . But frustration with the Biden administration has grown in Ukraine and Europe over the slow pace of U.S. aid and restrictions on the use of Western weapons.
含羞草研究社淢ost Europeans realize that Ukraine is increasingly going to be their burden,含羞草研究社� said Sudha David-Wilp, director of the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund, a research institute. 含羞草研究社淓veryone is trying to get ready for all the possible outcomes.含羞草研究社�
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that he respected the 含羞草研究社渢ough but strong decision含羞草研究社� by Biden to drop out of the campaign, and he thanked Biden for his help 含羞草研究社渋n preventing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin from occupying our country.含羞草研究社�
Trump has promised to end in one day if he is elected 含羞草研究社� a prospect that has raised fears in Ukraine that Russia might be allowed to keep the territory it occupies.
Trump含羞草研究社檚 vice presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is among Congress含羞草研究社� most vocal opponents of U.S. aid for Ukraine and has further raised the stakes for Kyiv.
Russia, meanwhile, dismissed the importance of the race, insisting that no matter what happened, Moscow would press on in Ukraine.
含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 it for Biden,含羞草研究社� Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia含羞草研究社檚 Security council, said on the Telegram messaging app. 含羞草研究社淭he goals of the special military operation will be achieved,含羞草研究社� he added, using the Kremlin含羞草研究社檚 term for the war in Ukraine.
CHINA
In recent months, both Biden and Trump have tried to show voters who can best stand up to Beijing含羞草研究社檚 growing military strength and belligerence and protect U.S. businesses and workers from low-priced Chinese imports. Biden has hiked tariffs on electric vehicles from China, and Trump has promised to implement tariffs of 60% on all Chinese products.
Trump含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淎merica First含羞草研究社� doctrine exacerbated tensions with Beijing. But disputes with the geopolitical rival and economic colossus over wars, trade, technology and security continued into Biden含羞草研究社檚 term.
China含羞草研究社檚 official reaction to the U.S. presidential race has been careful.
含羞草研究社淭he U.S. elections are U.S. internal politics. I have no comment on this,含羞草研究社� said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
The editor of the Communist Party-run Global Times newspaper, Hu Xijin, downplayed the impact of Biden含羞草研究社檚 withdrawal.
含羞草研究社淲hoever becomes the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party may be the same,含羞草研究社� he wrote on X.
IRAN
With Iran含羞草研究社檚 proxies across the Middle East increasingly entangled in the Israel-Hamas war, the U.S. confronts a region in disarray.
Yemen含羞草研究社檚 Iran-backed Houthis struck Tel Aviv for the first time last week, prompting retaliatory Israeli strikes inside war-torn Yemen. Simmering tensions and cross-border attacks between Lebanon含羞草研究社檚 Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group and the Israeli military have raised fears of an all-out regional conflagration.
Hamas, which also receives support from Iran, continues to fight Israel even nine months into a war that has killed 38,000 Palestinians and displaced over 80% of Gaza含羞草研究社檚 population.
The U.S. and its allies have accused Iran of and to an unprecedented 60%, near-weapons-grade levels.
After then-President Trump in 2018 withdrew from Tehran含羞草研究社檚 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, Biden said he wanted to reverse his predecessor含羞草研究社檚 hawkish stance. But the Biden administration has maintained severe economic sanctions and overseen failed attempts to renegotiate the agreement.
The sudden death of Ebrahim Raisi 含羞草研究社� the supreme leader含羞草研究社檚 hard-line protege 含羞草研究社� in a helicopter crash vaulted a new reformist to the presidency in Iran, generating new opportunities and risks. Masoud Pezeshkian has said he wants to help Iran open up to the world but has maintained a defiant tone against the U.S.
During a briefing Monday, Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, brushed off Biden含羞草研究社檚 withdrawal.
含羞草研究社淭o us, the coming and going of governments and persons on top of the U.S administration is not important on its own,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲hat can change the atmosphere of relations is a fundamental change in this (U.S.) hostile policy against the Islamic Republic of Iran.含羞草研究社�
EUROPE AND NATO
Many Europeans were happy to see Trump go after his years of disparaging the European Union and undermining NATO. Trump含羞草研究社檚 seemingly dismissive attitude toward European allies in last month含羞草研究社檚 presidential debate did nothing to assuage those concerns.
Biden, on the other hand, has supported close American relations with bloc leaders.
That closeness was on stark display after Biden含羞草研究社檚 decision to bow out of the race. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called his choice 含羞草研究社減robably the most difficult one in your life.含羞草研究社� The newly installed British prime minister, Keir Starmer, said he respected Biden含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社渄ecision based on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people.含羞草研究社�
There was also an outpouring of affection from Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris, who called Biden a 含羞草研究社減roud American with an Irish soul.含羞草研究社�
The question of whether NATO can maintain its momentum in supporting Ukraine and checking the ambitions of other authoritarian states hangs in the balance of this presidential election, analysts say.
含羞草研究社淭hey don含羞草研究社檛 want to see Donald Trump as president. So there含羞草研究社檚 quite a bit of relief but also quite a bit of nervousness含羞草研究社� about Biden含羞草研究社檚 decision to drop out, said Jeremy Shapiro, research director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. 含羞草研究社淟ike many in the United States, but perhaps more so, they are really quite confused.含羞草研究社�
MEXICO
The close relationship between Mexico and the U.S. has been marked in recent years by disagreements over trade, energy and climate change. Since President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador took power in 2018, both countries have found common ground on issue of migration 含羞草研究社� with Mexico making it more difficult for migrants to cross its country to the U.S. border and the U.S. not pressing on other issues.
The L贸pez Obrador administration kept that policy while Trump was president and continued it into Biden含羞草研究社檚 term.
On Friday, Mexico含羞草研究社檚 president called Trump 含羞草研究社渁 friend含羞草研究社� and said he would write to him to warn him against pledging to close the border or blaming migrants for bringing drugs into the United States.
含羞草研究社淚 am going to prove to him that migrants don含羞草研究社檛 carry drugs to the United States,含羞草研究社� he said, adding that 含羞草研究社渃losing the border won含羞草研究社檛 solve anything, and anyway, it can含羞草研究社檛 be done.含羞草研究社�
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