Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the U.S. presidential race injects greater uncertainty into the world at a time when Western leaders are grappling with wars in Ukraine and Gaza, a more assertive China in Asia and the rise of the far-right in Europe.
During a five-decade career in politics, Mr. Biden developed extensive personal relationships with multiple foreign leaders that none of the potential replacements on the Democratic ticket can match. After his announcement, messages of support and gratitude for his years of service poured in from near and far.
The scope of foreign policy challenges facing the next U.S. President makes clear how consequential what happens in Washington is for the rest of the planet. Here’s a look at some of them.
With Vice President Kamala Harris being eyed as a potential replacement for Mr. Biden, Israelis on Sunday scrambled to understand what her candidacy would mean for their country as it confronts increasing global isolation over its military campaign against Hamas.
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Israel’s left-wing Haaretz daily newspaper ran a story scrutinising Ms. Harris’s record of support for Israel, pointing to her reputation as Mr. Biden’s “bad cop” who has vocally admonished Israel for its war on Gaza. In recent months, she has gone further than Mr. Biden in calling for a ceasefire, denouncing Israel’s invasion of Rafah and expressing horror over the civilian death toll in Gaza.
“With Biden leaving, Israel has lost perhaps the last Zionist President,” said Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli Consul General in New York. “A new Democratic candidate will upend the dynamic.”
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Mr. Biden’s staunch defence of Israel since Hamas’s October 7 attack has its roots in his half-century of support for the country as a Senator, Vice President, and then President. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant thanked Mr. Biden for his “unwavering support of Israel over the years.” “Your steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable,” Mr. Gallant wrote on social media platform X.
‘Unbreakable bond’
Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised Mr. Biden as a “symbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples” and a “true ally of the Jewish people.” There was no immediate reaction from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an ally of former President Donald Trump whose history of cordial relations with Mr. Biden has come under strain during the Israel-Hamas war.
Any Democratic candidate would likely continue Mr. Biden’s legacy of staunch military support for Ukraine. But frustration with the Biden administration has grown in Ukraine and Europe over the slow pace of U.S. aid and restrictions on the use of Western weapons.
“Most Europeans realise that Ukraine is increasingly going to be their burden,” said Sudha David-Wilp, director of the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund, a research institute. “Everyone is trying to get ready for all the possible outcomes.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that he respected the “tough but strong decision” by Mr. Biden to drop out of the campaign, and he thanked Mr. Biden for his help “in preventing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin from occupying our country.”
Mr. Trump has promised to end Russia’s war on Ukraine in one day if he is elected — a prospect that has raised fears in Ukraine that Russia might be allowed to keep the territory it occupies. Mr. Trump’s vice presidential pick, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, is among Congress’s most vocal opponents of U.S. aid for Ukraine and has further raised the stakes for Kyiv.
Russia, meanwhile, dismissed the importance of the race, insisting that no matter what happened, Moscow would press on in Ukraine.
“That is it for Biden,” Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security council, said on the Telegram messaging app. “The goals of the special military operation will be achieved,” he added, using the Kremlin’s term for the war in Ukraine.
In recent months, both Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump have tried to show voters who can best stand up to Beijing’s growing military strength and belligerence and protect U.S. businesses and workers from low-priced Chinese imports. Mr. Biden has hiked tariffs on electric vehicles from China, and Mr. Trump has promised to implement tariffs of 60% on all Chinese products.
Mr. Trump’s “America First” doctrine exacerbated tensions with Beijing. But disputes with the geopolitical rival and economic colossus over wars, trade, technology and security continued into Mr. Biden’s term.
China’s official reaction to the U.S. presidential race has been careful.
“The U.S. elections are U.S. internal politics. I have no comment on this,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
The editor of the Communist Party-run Global Times newspaper, Hu Xijin, downplayed the impact of Mr. Biden’s withdrawal. “Whoever becomes the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party may be the same,” he wrote on X.
Many Europeans were happy to see Mr. Trump go after his years of disparaging the European Union and undermining NATO. Mr. Trump’s seemingly dismissive attitude toward European allies in last month’s presidential debate did nothing to assuage those concerns. Mr. Biden, on the other hand, has supported close American relations with bloc leaders.
That closeness was on stark display after Mr. Biden’s decision to bow out of the race. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called his choice “probably the most difficult one in your life.” The newly installed British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said he respected Biden’s “decision based on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people.”
