It’s time for the United States to get involved in Ireland-UK Relations (again)
“Mr. Biden, a quick word for the BBC?” — Nick Bryant, BBC Correspondent
“The BBC? I’m Irish.” — Joe Biden (2019)
Brexit has opened a new chapter in the tumultuous history of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, now the United Kingdom’s (UK) only land border with a European Union (EU) member state. Keeping the border open as it has been since 1998 was a key consideration in the original Brexit negotiations. However, the original plan for a “backstop” solution was rejected by the UK Parliament, and what has now come into place is the “Northern Ireland Protocol.” In lieu of bringing back the hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, this protocol has created a quasi border along the Irish Sea so imports from Great Britain are now held to EU standards at ports in Northern Ireland.
Unionists in Northern Ireland see the protocol as an exclusion of Northern Ireland from the post-Brexit UK. These tensions came to a head in March of 2021 when a series of riots led by Ulster loyalists broke out. These riots, which included the use of petrol bombs and the burning of cars, were reminiscent of the Troubles and ignited fears of a return to civil unrest in Northern Ireland. These fears have been further exacerbated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to unilaterally extend deadlines on grace periods for cross-border trade which resulted in the EU launching legal action against the UK for violation of international law.
An important figure in the discussion regarding the border challenge is U.S. President Joe Biden, a proud Irish American who uses the Secret Service code name Celtic. At the center of this discussion is the Good Friday Agreement. Often praised as a foreign policy achievement of the United States, the agreement is now being pointed to as something which must be upheld despite the challenges that Brexit presents for Northern Ireland. President Biden has reaffirmed support for the Good Friday Agreement in multiple instances since the start of his presidency, even noting his own Irish ancestry and his role as ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time of the agreement. With the new border challenge heating up, Biden has the opportunity to do as former U.S. President Bill Clinton did in the late 1990s and involve the United States in the future of Ireland-UK relations. In doing so, the United States will be able to defend its own foreign policy legacy while also flexing its influence in Europe, a strategic move which will aid Biden in his effort to coalesce the world’s democracies in a pivot towards China.
Brexit has called into question whether the Good Friday Agreement can persist without both Ireland and the UK under the umbrella of the EU. Should tensions continue to rise and a solution not be drawn up by the UK and Ireland, one of the United States’ more recent diplomatic achievements in Europe will be erased. In taking on a greater role in the future of Irish-UK relations, the United States could defend this foreign policy legacy. The optics of a re-emergence of violence or a return to a hard border are less than desirable for U.S. diplomacy. Recent polling has shown that Europeans believe the United States has a broken political system and cannot be relied on to defend Europe. A dampening on the legacy of U.S. multilateral diplomacy in Europe only stands to worsen this perception.
Biden should be particularly concerned with the European perception of the United States, seeing that European states would play a significant role in the coalition of democracies he hopes to pivot against China’s growing influence. Polling found that a majority of Europeans believe China will be more powerful than the United States in a decade and that their respective countries should remain neutral in any conflict that arises amongst the world’s superpowers. Given this, Biden would deeply benefit from a showcase of American influence in Europe, outside the context of eastern European security and the threat of Russia. Involvement in the future of Northern Ireland allows the United States to do this. By contrast, a rising conflict amongst American allies in western Europe will reflect poorly on any attempt by the United States to carve itself out as a leader of democracies in the face of authoritarian threats.
The United States not only has the incentives, but also the capabilities to steer the direction of future Ireland-UK relations on the border. First, the United States has a great deal of leverage with the UK considering that a key goal for Boris Johnson in the aftermath of Brexit was to form a new trade deal with the United States. During his presidential campaign, Biden said that a future U.S.-UK trade deal would be dependent on the maintenance of the Good Friday Agreement, a sentiment echoed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in September of 2020. Congressional support for the Good Friday Agreement was seen again following the March 2021 riots when U.S. policymakers on both sides of the aisle passed a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee resolution reaffirming American support for the agreement.
However, Boris Johnson told press that Biden did not urge him to crack down on the issue with Northern Ireland after a meeting between the two in June of 2021. This was a misstep by Biden considering the United States holds a great deal of leverage with the UK due to the potential trade deal. The United States still maintains this leverage though, and the White House should make use of it, especially considering the diplomatic legacy and support of Congress on the matter. Who is better suited for this than Biden? Known for often quoting his favorite Irish poets and referencing his family’s deep roots in County Louth and County Mayo, Biden’s Irish identity will aid him in reasserting American influence on Irish-UK relations.
Biden can follow in the footsteps of President Clinton by using the U.S. Envoy to Northern Ireland as a key position for American influence on the future of the border. As of right now, the position remains vacant. Biden should fill this vacancy immediately to restore an open line of communication between US diplomats and the UK on the future of Northern Ireland and the border. Taking a leaf out of Clinton’s book, Biden can also host political leaders of Northern Ireland at the White House to signify the United States’ deep commitment to the maintenance of peace on the island of Ireland. So far, the border has only been an unofficial matter of discussion in Biden’s presidential visits with leaders of the UK and Ireland. By facilitating a visit specifically dedicated to the future of Ireland-UK relations on the border, Biden will be able to reassert the role the United States played under President Clinton.
Biden cannot afford waning European support for a transatlantic partnership, particularly if he wants to lead a coalition of democracies to address China’s growing global influence. The rising conflict in post-Brexit Northern Ireland presents an opportunity for the United States to flex its influence in Europe while also defending its foreign policy legacy. Biden should follow Clinton’s lead by asserting American influence on the future of Ireland-UK relations to ensure that the Good Friday Agreement and peace in Northern Ireland do not become casualties of Brexit.
Photo Credit: IrishFireside; Flickr.
