Biden's foreign policy tested by Trump legacy

President Joe Biden is expected to highlight key points of his administration's foreign policy in a speech before American diplomats at State Department Thursday, just as he is facing two critical tests of wher deadly riot at U.S. Capitol has damd America’s standing as a beacon for democracy.

Protests in Russia in support of opposition leader Alexi Navalny and a military coup in Myanmar come as American credibility on world st is lowest in recent memory after last month’s storming of Capitol by a pro-Donald Trump mob looking to stop certification of Biden’s election victory.

Biden is seeking to fulfill a campaign pledge to dramatically reposition U.S. as a global leader following four years of foreign policy driven by Donald Trump's “America First” mantra. That policy was marked by frequent disparment of democratic allies and occasional embrace of authoritarian leaders.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday Biden's upcoming visit was largely focused on thanking State Department staff. "This will t be a lay down of his vision for every issue and every foreign policy issue," she said.

Brookings Institution Senior Fellow, Bruce Jones, says re is deep skepticism w about durability of American commitment to multilateral institutions or alliances. Jones said many countries had difficulty handling dysfunction of Trump administration.

"So, re'll be a kind of huge sigh of relief," Jones told Associated Press, adding re "will be an underlying hesitation," kwing that Biden approach could change in two or four years. Biden, in early days of his presidency, has sought to send mess in a series of calls with foreign leaders that America is back.

He's reassured Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga that U.S. has its support in an ongoing territorial dispute with China over islets in East China Sea. He's sought to reset relationship with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was belittled by Trump as "dishonest & weak." And he's told Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that U.S. would send $4 billion to help development in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala — nations whose hardships have spawned tides of migration through Mexico toward United States.

Biden's new Secretary of State described relationship between United States and China as "arguably most important relationship that we have in world going forward."

Stephen Pomper, Interim Policy Chief with International Crisis Group described relationship between two countries during Trump years as filled with "really needless, foolish friction."

Biden has threatened to slap new sanctions on Myanmar after a coup that saw military arrest civilian leaders of its government, calling episode "a direct assault on country's transition to democracy and rule of law."

But Jones believes coup in Myanmar will pit Biden drive for supporting democracy against "containing China's influence in region."

crises in Myanmar and Russia present Biden with difficult tests of his promise to reestablish global leadership that are likely to be far more complicated than mending fences with traditional allies.

In his first call with Russian President Vladimir Putin as counterparts last week, Biden raised concerns about detention of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and crackdown on supporters backing his arrest. mass arrests have only accelerated in days since two leaders spoke as protests have continued across country.

Navalny's supporters wrote to Biden urging him to take meaningful action with sanctions against members of Putin's inner circle to demonstrate that he's serious about reclaiming U.S. role as a champion of democracy.  events of January 6th, where a riotous pro-Trump mob attacked Capitol Hill, have weakened Biden's hand in promoting democracy abroad. "Key to United State's strength and to strength of its example overseas is ability to get it's own house in order," Pomper said.

Im: AP