He plans to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal if Iran agrees to follow its limits. He also intends to extend the nuclear arms treaty with Russia for another five years and strengthen US commitments to NATO after Trump's threats to leave the alliance. Additionally, Biden wants to hold Russia accountable for interference in elections, but his main goal is to move away from the "America First" mentality and work with allies to combat global challenges like the pandemic, which has claimed over 1.2 million lives worldwide. Biden criticized Trump's response to the pandemic, noting that the US has had a disproportionately high number of deaths compared to its population. Trump has been cozying up to autocrats and alienating democratic allies, causing a decline in respect for American leadership. While it may be tempting to revert to a more internationalist approach like after World War II, it will be challenging after four years of isolationism and during a pandemic that has strengthened nationalist tendencies. The global landscape has changed significantly since Biden was last in office, with power shifts favoring China, democracies retreating, and new rivalries emerging in the race for a vaccine. Foreign allies may find Biden comforting, but they also acknowledge that they may never fully trust the United States to not go back to isolating itself by building walls. Biden's top advisers are working on a plan to undo Trump's efforts to withdraw the US from global affairs, recognizing that the world does not organize itself and that American leadership is necessary to prevent negative consequences. Antony J. Blinken, Biden's national security adviser, admitted that the US made mistakes in the past but emphasized the importance of American leadership in global affairs. While some may want to turn back time to before Trump's presidency, it is not possible. Biden is expected to take gradual steps to rebuild US power, starting with rejoining the Paris climate accord. Richard N. Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and a close friend of Biden's, stated that Biden will inherit a situation that gives him a lot of freedom but also limits him in some ways. Haass mentioned that anything Trump did through executive order can be reversed the same way, but any actions requiring Senate approval or new military force will be difficult to achieve without a clear reason. Biden, at 77, has a vision of moving away from "America First" and tapping into the strength that led to victories in past wars. However, during his campaign, Biden was not questioned about how current superpower competition differs from his early political career. He also did not specify what consequences he has in mind for President Putin of Russia, although one of his foreign policy advisers, Jake Sullivan, provided some insight. Just before the election, he stated that Biden was ready to impose significant and long-lasting consequences on those responsible for Russian interference, such as financial sanctions, asset freezes, counter cyberattacks, and possibly exposing corruption by foreign leaders. This would represent a toughening of US policy, reflecting a shift from the approach of the Obama administration during Biden's time as vice president. The change in stance towards Russia reveals the detailed planning by Biden's transition team, which was established in the spring to reverse Trump's foreign policy. The team has assembled a group of foreign policy advisors, both formal and informal, mainly consisting of midlevel and senior officials from the Obama administration who are expected to return. Plans include timelines for negotiations, reentering treaties, and early summit meetings. According to officials, the Biden administration's plans demonstrate significant departures from the strategies of the Obama administration. Biden appears to be reconsidering his previous positions from his time in the Senate and as Vice President. One notable example is Biden's advocacy for a minimal military presence with a focus on counterterrorism in Afghanistan during the early days of the Obama administration. The most noticeable change in strategy, officials say, will be in how the administration approaches China. His advisers acknowledge that during the Obama administration, Biden and his national security team underestimated how quickly President Xi Jinping of China would suppress dissent and use its 5G networks and Belt and Road Initiative to challenge US influence. Kurt Campbell and Ely Ratner, former officials in Biden's administration, wrote in 2018 that China has not been swayed by carrots or sticks as expected, and diplomatic and commercial engagement has not led to political and economic openness. Despite the fact that US military power and regional balancing have not deterred Beijing from attempting to replace key elements of the US-led system, China is just one area where Biden's longstanding views will clash with new realities. In the past, Biden's stance on Afghanistan, advocating for a minimal counterterrorism force, was criticized by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Despite being overruled by Obama, Biden's position on Afghanistan has shifted from a setback to a political advantage, as Trump's attempts to portray him as a supporter of endless wars have not been successful. According to Sullivan, Biden's goal is to shift our presence in Afghanistan to focus on counterterrorism, with the aim of preventing al-Qaida or the Islamic State from establishing a base there. This approach would be specific and targeted, reflecting Biden's stance in 2009 and today. Unlike past Democrats who were seen as appeasing Russia during the Cold War, Biden is taking a different approach. He acknowledges the Russian threat, unlike Obama, and is not eager for a reset with Moscow like Clinton. Biden has also pointed out that Russia preferred Trump in the 2016 election, indicating that Putin does not want him to become president. After the 2016 election interference and Trump's handling of Putin, Democrats have become more critical of Russia. During much of the campaign, Biden criticized Trump for getting too close to dictators and expressed his readiness to take action against Russia if elected. As president, Biden will need to address the challenge of dealing with a Russia that possesses 1,550 deployed nuclear weapons along with various tactical nuclear weapons. How can Biden reverse the negative trend? One way would be to extend the New START treaty for five years, as it is set to expire shortly after the inauguration. Additionally, he may look to broaden the treaty to include other types of weapons and potentially involve more countries. And he would take advantage of Putin's increasing economic vulnerability. Blinken stated that they will deter and impose consequences for Putin's interference and aggression. However, Blinken also noted that Putin is seeking to reduce Russia's reliance on China, which has put him in an uncomfortable position. This implies that the Biden administration may attempt to exploit the distrust between Moscow and Beijing to divide the two superpowers, similarly to how President Nixon used it to establish relations with China decades ago. In a different situation, Biden expressed frustration in 2010 when news of a covert operation with Israel to disrupt Iran's nuclear program with a cyberweapon was at risk of being exposed. A decade later, it seems that the Israelis may have been responsible for going too far in their attempts to undermine the Iranian nuclear program. This event marked the beginning of a new era of conflict, with Biden playing a significant role. Biden supported the covert operation as a way to slow Iran's progress without sparking a war in the Middle East. He later believed that this covert program helped bring Iran to the negotiating table for the Iran nuclear deal five years later. President-elect Joe Biden is looking to reaffirm American commitments to NATO. Biden is also planning to reenter the Iran nuclear deal, but it may not be a straightforward process as Iran has indicated there will be consequences for Trump's actions. Additionally, key restrictions on Iran are set to expire soon, allowing Russia and China to resume sales. And soon, a new Iranian president will take office, with uncertain implications for potential negotiations. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed NATO leaders at The Grove hotel and resort in Watford, England on Dec. 4, 2019. President-elect Joe Biden is eager to reaffirm American commitments to NATO. Biden's team believes that rejoining the agreement that Trump withdrew from would put pressure back on Tehran. Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken stated that if Iran refuses to comply, the US would be in a stronger position to rally support from allies who currently blame Trump for sparking the crisis by rejecting an existing agreement. In 2012, Biden welcomed Xi to Washington and praised him as a reformer. Biden initially supported the idea of China's peaceful rise but later changed his view, calling Xi a "thug." During the campaign, Biden criticized Trump for losing a trade war that he started, pointing out that American taxpayers ultimately paid for the tariffs on Chinese goods through government subsidies. Biden has not provided many details on how he plans to confront these challenges. In addition to resolving disputes over agricultural goods and intellectual property theft by China, he will need to address new issues such as managing the technological advancements made by companies like Huawei and TikTok. Biden has hinted that he may continue Trump's tough stance on China, but with a more diplomatic approach to engage European and other allies. He expressed concerns about how China may be using information obtained from the United States and stated that he would thoroughly investigate the matter if elected president. “I will consult with cyberexperts to determine the best solution to address the issue.” Biden's assertion that he will prioritize values in foreign policy, particularly in the US-China relationship, complicates the situation. This echoes Bill Clinton's promise in 1992 to confront "the butchers of Beijing." This likely involves holding China accountable for Xi's crackdown on dissent, such as the national security laws resulting in detention camps in Xinjiang, the arrests of dissidents in Hong Kong, and the expulsion of foreign journalists who provided independent reporting in China.