Name? Joe Biden
Westphalian identity? US American
Age? 79
Why is he in the news? After over a year in office, President Biden gave his first State of the Union address this past Tuesday—focusing predominantly on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While Biden was seemingly successful in gaining the confidence of Congress and the American public as his approval ratings rose, he was unsuccessful in this suit with the Iranian … sorry Ukrainian people…
Why do we care? The Ukraine crisis is a major test for Biden’s foreign policy. When Biden became President, he committed to reversing Trump’s ‘America First’ approach,and reestablishing U.S. leadership through global alliances. Can Biden follow through on his pledges “America is back” and “America stands up to bullies” despite a divided Congress? Given that Biden’s report card is mixed so far, we care a great deal about whether his foreign policy vision passes Putin’s test.
Why should you care? In all honesty, Biden’s State of the Union address is not the most important speech you’ll hear this week. Rather, we recommend watching President Zelensky’s first news conference since the war began in Ukraine. You should care 10/10 about what he has to say about the ongoing conflict, and maybe 5/10 about Biden’s address.
Who else cares? President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus cares as many in his inner circle have become a target for US sanctions as a consequence of the country’s support of Putin and this week’s referendum giving all powers to the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly, an assembly created by Lukashenko and his inner circle. Lukashenko also decided to vote against the UN General Assembly Resolution to condemn Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Any further comments? As millions of Ukrainians flee the country, the Biden Administration has granted temporary protective status to Ukrainians staying in the U.S. without legal documentation since March 1st or earlier—paving the way for greater legal protection for future Ukrainian refugees.
