Transition Note 1 | Foreign policy success begins and ends with allies
This article is part of a series of posts by ISD staff and fellows — Transition Notes — that provide insights and recommendations on key foreign policy issues as the federal government transitions to a new administration under President-elect Biden.
During World War II, Winston Churchill famously quipped that the only thing worse than fighting with allies is fighting without them. Thankfully, the United States today does not find itself in the midst of total war, but the need to shore up its alliances is pressing nonetheless. From long standing alliances such as NATO, to key bilateral relationships in Asia, to America’s northern neighbor, the United States’ international relationships are in a state of disrepair.
The past four years under the Trump administration have seriously degraded the United States’ partnerships abroad and hurt its global standing, at a time when alliances are more important than ever. The incoming Biden administration needs to use this opportunity not just to rebuild, but remake these institutions and partnerships to reflect the world of 2020 and beyond.
Shoring up alliances and partnerships is key
Regardless of the Biden administration’s initial foreign policy priorities, allies and partners are a must, whether it be rejoining or remaking the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran; initiating a new strategy vis-à-vis China; pushing back against a combative Russia; or rejoining the Paris Climate Accords and working toward a new, stronger climate agreement. The United States — as the JCPOA, the Paris Accords, and a long list of other achievements has shown — can only truly accomplish its goals with like-minded partners on board.
World leaders have been clamoring for more positive American engagement in the world since President Trump and his nationalistic “America First” foreign policy took the stage. Foreign governments’ willingness to greet renewed American engagement with open arms was on display after U.S. media declared former Vice-President Biden the winner. The new administration will get an immediate opportunity to work with the international community — instead of against it — as it lays out its international Covid-19 plans. The lack of strong international leadership since the spring has hampered international responses to the pandemic and led to fears of “vaccine nationalism,” but there is still vast room for international leadership to help corral and direct global efforts.
Regardless of the issue, alliances and partnerships will underlie any successful policy. When one looks at what are sure to be the Biden administration’s new policies toward China and Russia, for instance, the importance of allies becomes quite apparent. While Trump was able to build one of his better relationships with former prime minister of Japan (a key democratic ally) Shinzo Abe, his track record in Asia overall is subpar. Abe ingratiated himself with Trump in large part due to fears of U.S. abandonment.
Trump shunned the traditional bilateral hub-and-spoke U.S. alliance system in the region, has had a turbulent relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and called off U.S. participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, all the while ramping up competition with China to new levels. There is arguably no bilateral relationship more important in the coming decade than the one between the United States and China. China’s main goal is to soften up America’s alliances and partnerships in the region. Beijing correctly believes it has a stronger hand to play in the region when it can deal with Washington unilaterally. Reengaging with America’s Asian allies must be of the utmost urgency for the Biden administration.
In Europe, the Biden administration will most assuredly pursue new policies toward Russia that will push back against Moscow’s increased aggression. Early moves from the Biden team to shore up individual bilateral relationships and the broader NATO alliance will place the new administration on firmer ground when dealing with Moscow, as well as on broader security issues such as Iran and the JCPOA.
It’s a brave new world
Remaking alliances is only the first step. Today’s world is not the same as it was when Joe Biden left office in early 2017, nor should the president-elect and his foreign policy team treat it as such when dealing with allies and partners. Some partnerships will need strengthening, some will need to be rethought altogether, and while NATO will remain a key component of an American policy in Europe, it is time to seriously consider some revisions to the 70-year old alliance.
The last four years have wreaked havoc on America’s place in the world and Washington’s alliances and partnerships, but the United States now has a fresh opportunity to rebuild, rethink, and revise these same relationships.
Kelly McFarland is a U.S. diplomatic historian and the director of programs and research at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. Follow him on Twitter @McFarlandKellyM.
