Coming in from the cold: How Biden plans to reset US foreign policy

‘There is a big difference in attitude between Trump’s administration and this one’, a senior Iranian official, who was part of the nuclear deal negotiations, tells Kim Sengupta

(EPA)

Donald Trump began attempts to dismantle the international legacy of Barack Obama soon after arriving at the White House, and ended his turbulent presidency seeking to place roadblocks in the path of Joe Biden’s foreign policy. 

Trump sought to sabotage one of Obama’s landmark achievements by reneging on the Iran nuclear deal and imposing punitive sanctions on Tehran. Israel and Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, were given carte blanche on a range of issues, from Palestinian rights to the war in Yemen.  

Trump alienated America’s western European partners with constant attacks on the European Union and Nato while appearing loth to criticise Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Having threatened to destroy North Korea, Trump allowed Kim Jong-un to continue developing his arsenal of missiles. He started a trade war with China, but also weakened ties with key allies in the region, such as Japan and South Korea.