"Yoon Criticism-Free Biden, Silent on Alliance Issues If Necessary to Check Adversaries"
The New York Times (NYT) analyzed on the 26th (local time) that major U.S. allies, including South Korea, have dealt a blow to the core diplomatic values of the Joe Biden administration.
The NYT pointed out that major U.S. allies acted against the democracy, rule of law, and human rights supported by President Biden, and in some cases, undermined U.S. power and prestige.
The outlet cited President Yoon Seok-yeol's declaration of martial law as a representative example. It also noted that although the incident recalled former President Donald Trump's actions after the 2020 presidential election, President Biden did not criticize President Yoon but only expressed concern. The reason mentioned was that Biden had invested efforts in President Yoon, such as having South Korea host the third Summit for Democracy, a key project.
Other examples included Afghanistan, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The NYT pointed out that President Biden continued to publicly support Israel in the Gaza Strip war, and during the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the Afghan National Army collapsed rapidly, resulting in casualties.
It further criticized that President Biden and his aides remained silent even when the leaders of those countries failed to fulfill their roles properly or rejected U.S. policy recommendations and diplomatic efforts. It added that the Biden administration justified this silence with the logic that it could not alienate allies necessary to counter Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China.
Emma Ashford, senior fellow at the Stimson Center, pointed out that recent turmoil in some U.S. allies highlights the fact that democracy is imperfect while President Biden makes democracy the core of his foreign policy. She said, "Biden's Summit for Democracy is problematic because many U.S. allies are not fully democratic countries."
Matt Duss, senior vice president at the Center for International Policy, evaluated that unlike President-elect Trump, Biden has been regarded as a defender of the U.S.-led world order for decades, so his actions showed that international rules are hollow.
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