Team Biden Tries to Answer Davos Man’s Cry for Help
With war in Ukraine, tensions in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, Israelis fighting Hamas in Gaza, and missiles flying through the skies from the Red Sea to Pakistan, Davos Man wants to know how Uncle Sam plans to restore order. The Biden administration doesn’t want its allies and adversaries to think things are spinning out of control, so Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan dropped into Davos to reassure all and sundry that the Americans are on the job. Mr.
Blinken was at his diplomatic best, reassuring listeners that despite the occasional flare-up and awkward headline, the Biden administration has matters in hand. Russia is on the back foot, Kyiv is moving forward with economic and political reforms, and Ukraine’s reliance on Western aid will diminish over time. Despite their differences, the U.S.
and China are stabilizing their relationship and both sides are determined to ensure that their competition doesn’t boil over into conflict. As for the Middle East, Mr. Blinken says Israel and its neighbors are closer than ever to agreements that will achieve both Palestinian statehood and regional peace.
Most World Economic Forum attendees surely hope that Mr. Blinken turns out to be right about the state of the world, but the doubts one hears here about the wisdom and competence of the Biden administration won’t be easily laid to rest. Take the Middle East.
Speaking in February 2021 about the war that Saudi Arabia was waging in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthis, President Biden was clear. “This war has to end," he told the world. “And to underscore our commitment, we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arms
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