Under the Biden Administration, the US national security strategy has begun a process of switching its focus from non-state actors, e.g. terrorist organisations, to traditional state actors. For Washington, states which pose the greatest threat to US national security include China, Russia, and Iran, indicating the extent to which Eurasia has come to occupy a central place in US foreign policy. Under President Biden, economic competition with China, limiting Russian expansion in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons will continue to be at the top of the priority list for the US national security agenda as it was during the Trump era. However, in both substance and style, the Biden Administration is following a different approach than the Trump administration.
Contrary to the Trump administration, the Biden administration is focused on strengthening ties with traditional allies, especially the EU. Meanwhile, the Biden administration advocates a more diplomatic approach towards Iran, more harshly criticises China’s human rights record in Hong Kong and Xinjiang and has has adopted a more more confrontational approach towards Russia. Moreover, foreign policy analysts expect the US to play an increased role in Taiwan while confronting Russia over Ukraine. The Biden administration’s changing priorities and policies regarding US national security will shape politics in Eurasia in the coming years. This session will discuss the adjustment of the Biden administration’s strategy towards Eurasia and its possible outcomes.
Discussion Themes
• What are the main pillars of US national security strategy under the Biden Administration?
• In what ways will the Biden administration’s approach to China differ from the Trump administration?
• What are the implications of an increased Chinese presence in Eurasia, e.g. Belt and Road Initiative, for US national security?
• What are the prospects for US-Russia relations under the Biden administration? What implications does Biden’s more assertive approach to Russia have for Eurasian politics?
• What are other potential implications of Biden’s National Security Strategy in Eurasia? How will other actors in Eurasia, particularly the Turkic states, be affected?
Discussants
• Zongyuan Zoe Liu – Instructional Assistant Professor, Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service
• Richard Outzen – Geopolitical Consultant
• Lauren M. Speranza – Director of the Transatlantic Defense and Security program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
• Helin Sarı Ertem – Associate Professor, Istanbul Medeniyet University
• Talha Köse – Associate Professor, Ibn Haldun University
