Biden’s Foreign Policy

A new book lays claim to interpreting the former president’s global legacy—and has a plan for what a second term could accomplish.

U.S. allies intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles, and then Israeli forces counterattacked in a limited strike—but the threat of regional war remains.

The U.S. president can’t stop Israel from retaliating against Iran, but he can choose whether to help Israel manage the consequences.

U.S. support for NATO and Ukraine needs to be part of a new trans-Atlantic bargain.

But pushback from the far right and far left could stall efforts to pass the four-part package.

Israel is in growing danger—but the responsibility lies more in Washington than in Tehran.

Past U.S. presidents rejected Israel’s push to strike Tehran, but Biden is falling into his trap.

Instead of trying to put out security fires, U.S. policy should focus on governance and growth.

Squabbles over Ukraine aid obscure broader consensus among the party’s two major wings.

Both Democrats and Republicans recognize the need for a more realist approach to Maduro’s government.

The United States and Japan aim to counter Beijing’s influence in the South China Sea.

In their 100th column, Matt and Emma revisit clashes over Taiwan, Ukraine, Iran—and how to deter an alien invasion.

The forum has prevented backsliding elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere.

If New Delhi and Washington leave frictions to fester, they could ultimately derail future cooperation.

The industry’s “digital trade” strategy seeks to preemptively constrain governments.

The West’s warnings about Vladimir Putin’s future plans are getting louder—but not any more convincing.

American abstention on a U.N. vote this week caused a major public spat between the two partners.

Humanitarian organizations argue that truck deliveries into Gaza are safer, cheaper, and more effective.

Civil society loses—and China and Russia fill the vacuum.

The U.S.-led resolution signals a subtle shift in the Biden administration’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war.

The country is experiencing its worst economic crisis since the end of the Cold War.

Washington wants Israel to secure the Egypt-Gaza border instead of launching an all-out offensive on Rafah.

A close look at the foundations of U.S. influence—and the lack of it.

The chair of the Federal Trade Commission makes the case for competition in an increasingly consolidated world.

The country risks becoming an “open-air jail,” Haiti’s former foreign minister warns.

As Biden and Trump gear up for a rematch, rifts are emerging within both Democratic and Republican ranks.

The calls for renewed U.S. global leadership are getting louder. They’re as mistaken as they ever were.

Neighboring Caribbean countries pushed Washington to support a leadership transition in Port-au-Prince.

A cease-fire deal remains distant as Hamas rejects key Israeli hostage demands until it receives a permanent truce offer.

A nationwide military deployment leaves little room for necessary social investments.

The Biden administration’s delicate, much criticized line recognizes the lack of a coherent alternative strategy.

Hamas and Israeli officials remain at odds over ongoing cease-fire talks.

The six-week cease-fire would occur over Ramadan and include the release of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.

Washington proposed its own draft opposing Israel’s impending Rafah offensive.

Mounting evidence suggests Biden kept pro-Bolsonaro generals from executing a coup.

Indifference to Palestinian suffering in Gaza is alienating moderates across the Islamic world and tarnishing the appeal of liberal democratic values.

The Iraq War highlighted its risks. Russia’s war in Ukraine showcased its opportunities.

Dale C. Copeland’s new history of commerce is magisterial—and prescient.

While China has indeed become a regional player, it is still playing a remarkably self-interested game.

Washington’s handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict appears to be hurting the president’s credibility among African Americans.

The coming economic disaster has less to do with financial stability than military industry.

The election-year gamble is a long shot.

With presidential elections just weeks away, hope is not enough of a plan.

The dam holding back chaos in U.S. foreign policy is cracking.

Ukraine, the Middle East, and Taiwan are part of an unstable frontier—and require a more principled U.S. strategy.

A close look at several ruts that American policymakers are currently stuck in.

Growing economic integration with Latin America could help the United States avoid the fate of an aging China.

The White House is developing plans for the Middle East that are too ambitious for its own good.

But the United States vowed to continue targeting Iran-backed militias linked to the deadly Jan. 28 drone strike.

Three years on, the administration’s policy has bright spots—but still lacks a clear strategy for the region.

Risk signals for a conflict are flashing red.

It’s unclear whether Washington’s threats will change Tehran’s calculus.

In lifting tough sanctions on Maduro, Biden will test whether sanctions can work as a diplomatic tool.

The Islamic State has regained its momentum, and the Biden administration might inadvertently give it another boost.

The United States has expanded its security commitments around the world—and the bill is coming due.

The world’s fears are mostly exaggerated.

Legal caveats will allow humanitarian aid to continue entering Yemen.

The region is on fire, and Washington is to blame.

Arab diplomatic recognition of Israel may still be possible if Israel ends its war in Gaza.

Israel’s Defense Ministry said the Palestinian Authority will not be given control of Gaza.

NAFTA and USMCA have dramatically reshaped Mexico.

The U.S. president’s challenges this year won’t stop at the waterfront.

Our columnists share the most important developments on their radar in the year ahead.

The U.S. president’s foreign-policy strategy came undone in 2023.

The Biden administration’s hesitance to intervene decisively in the Red Sea is a big mistake.

Five big-think articles from 2023 that cut through the news.

Stephen Walt explains why countries are accusing America of hypocrisy.

FP’s five best episodes of 2023.

This year, countries from the United States to Brazil abandoned maximalist aims of regime change in Venezuela.

The Biden administration wants Israel to pivot to a less intense phase of the war as soon as possible.

U.S. responses to China’s growing presence in Latin America risk falling into an old paternalistic pattern.

The country’s president-elect says he’s the victim of an attempted legal “coup.”

From Ukraine to Gaza, U.S. credibility on the world stage is appearing strained as an election year looms.

But Republicans continue to block an emergency spending bill over demands for immigration reform.

As Hungary blocks Kyiv’s membership bid, U.S. senators push back on another aid package.

As Congress stalls, the U.S. public has good reason to demand more transparency on Biden’s funding for Ukraine and Israel.

If Republicans continue to block the nearly $106 billion package, then U.S. funding for Ukraine will dry up by the end of the year.

Countries are balancing against China—just like a student of international relations would predict.

The Palestinian-American historian and professor on the road ahead after Oct. 7.

The death of a legendary diplomat raises difficult questions about his legacy.

For a crisis with so many moving parts, the U.S. president has fared pretty well.

From Kissinger to Kerry, Washington’s top diplomat once visited Beijing regularly. Not anymore.

The late statesman was a master of realpolitik—whom some regarded as a war criminal.

The United States has supported the so-called dictators’ bank to rival China in Central America—and funded El Salvador’s authoritarian descent in the process.

The Chinese president’s strong-arm diplomacy hasn’t worked.

The Western world has misunderstood what the global south really wants.

As the drug has spread, AMLO has blocked efforts to track and control it.

From new panda promises to failed AI compromises, here are the biggest wins and losses of this week’s U.S.-China tête-à-tête.

Note to Congress: Ukraine aid is not charity but serves critical U.S. interests.

Efforts to reestablish communication channels dominated the highly anticipated summit.

In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

While deliverables are likely to be modest, Wednesday’s meeting could yield progress on shared priorities.

After all the death and destruction, the situation will be no closer to a resolution than it was before Oct. 7.

Skeptical of trade deals, Washington is working through development banks instead.

The country’s youngest-ever leader has less than 18 months to govern before the next election.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues to butt heads with key regional leaders on calls for an Israel-Hamas cease-fire.

Long a nonstarter in Washington, it may now be the best source of common ground with Beijing.

The new debates over aid to Ukraine and Israel have opened an old wound: avoiding too many foreign entanglements.

It’s a crazy idea—and it unfortunately needs debunking.

The country must be held to the laws and conventions that regulate warfare.