It’s Not Just Israel: Biden’s Foreign Policy Is a Mess

It may be typical for presidential administrations to periodically laud their own accomplishments in print, particularly in their waning months. But both Blinken’s and Sullivan’s articles stand out for the absurd juxtaposition of their statements with actual events. Who could honestly argue that the world feels safer than it did four years ago? That may not be solely the fault of the Biden administration, which has been beset by a series of geopolitical crises and upheavals. But even judged by modest standards, it is almost impossible to argue that Biden will leave America in a better strategic place than when he was inaugurated.

Perhaps the best case for Biden’s foreign policy is the notable improvement in America’s standing among its liberal, Western allies since 2020. The administration’s strong stance on Ukraine bolstered Kyiv’s defenses over the last two years and adroitly managed the inter-allied policy and sanctions debates that followed the 2022 invasion. Unlike their Trumpian predecessors, Biden appointees speak the language of the “liberal international order,” feting alliances and liberal values, and standing up to dictators such as Vladimir Putin. As a result, administration officials have been warmly welcomed back to transatlantic forums like the Munich Security Conference.

The Biden administration has also enhanced alliances in the Indo-Pacific, building new pacts like the Australian-British-American partnership, or AUKUS, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, or IPEF, and engaging with existing partnerships such as the so-called Quad, made up of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. The practical core of Biden’s foreign policy—quite aside from its thematic focus on democracy and dictatorship—has been the return of “competence,” with staff who understand how to wield the bureaucratic levers of power to focus on achievable, tangible goals. The contrast with the first Trump administration could hardly be more pronounced. Whether one wants to coordinate sanctions policies among allies, more efficiently deliver weapons to Ukraine or Israel, or organize a contentious “Summit for Democracy,” the technocrats of the Biden administration have delivered exactly what they promised: a departure from the chaos of the Trump years and a return to a competent interagency process.