He plans to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal if Iran agrees to comply, extend the nuclear arms treaty with Russia for another five years, and strengthen US commitments to NATO after threats from Trump to withdraw from the alliance. Biden also vows to hold Russia accountable for election interference. He aims to move away from Trump's "America First" approach, which he believes hindered international cooperation in addressing the pandemic, resulting in high death rates in the US. The decline in respect for American leadership is due to Trump's alignment with autocrats and disregard for democratic allies. While it may be simple to pledge a return to the internationalist approach of the post-World War II era, actually implementing this after years of global disengagement and during a pandemic is challenging. The world has changed significantly since Biden was last in the White House, with power vacuums being filled by China, democracies retreating, and new rivalries emerging in the race for a vaccine. While foreign allies may find Biden comforting and reassuring, they still have doubts about fully trusting the United States not to revert to isolationist policies. Biden's top advisers are outlining a plan to reverse Trump's efforts to withdraw the US from global engagement, which they refer to as the Great Undoing. Antony J. Blinken, Biden's national security adviser, emphasized the importance of the US taking a leadership role in global affairs, as leaving a power vacuum can lead to negative consequences. Although some may wish to turn back time to before Trump's presidency, Blinken acknowledges that this is not possible. Biden is expected to proceed cautiously, with symbolic gestures such as rejoining the Paris climate accord, but rebuilding US power will be a slow process. Richard N. Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations and a close friend of Biden, stated that Biden will have a lot of freedom but also limitations when he takes office. He mentioned that Biden can reverse Trump's executive orders with his own, but any actions that require Senate approval or military force without clear provocation will be difficult. Biden, who is 77 years old, believes in a return to a more traditional approach to foreign policy and has expressed a desire to move away from the "America First" mentality. Despite not focusing much on foreign policy during his campaign, Biden has not been questioned on how his views have evolved over time. He has not specified what consequences he envisions for President Putin of Russia, but one of his advisors, Jake Sullivan, has provided some insight. Just before the election, he stated that Biden was prepared to impose severe consequences on those responsible for Russian interference, such as financial sanctions, asset freezes, counter cyberattacks, and potentially revealing corruption by foreign leaders. This shift would represent a tougher stance on US policy, reminiscent of actions considered by the Obama administration during Biden's time as vice president but never executed. The change in approach towards Russia indicates the detailed planning undertaken by Biden's transition team, which was assembled last spring, to undo Trump's foreign policy decisions. The team includes a mix of formal and informal advisers, mostly former midlevel and senior officials from the Obama administration who are expected to return. The team has set timelines for starting negotiations, reentering treaties, and holding early summit meetings. Officials say that the most striking example will be in reconsidering the strategy towards China, with notable differences from the approach taken by the Obama administration. Biden and his national security team during the Obama administration underestimated China's rapid crackdown on dissent and its challenge to US influence through 5G networks and the Belt and Road Initiative. Diplomatic and commercial engagement with China has not led to the expected political and economic openness, according to Kurt Campbell and Ely Ratner. US military power and regional balancing have not been able to prevent Beijing from attempting to replace key aspects of the US-led system. China is just one area where Biden's long-standing beliefs will encounter new realities. Despite his likable personality, Biden has often been criticized for his foreign policy decisions, including his stance on Afghanistan. In 2009, he advocated for a minimal force with a focus on counterterrorism, but was overruled by Obama. This initial setback has now become a political advantage for Biden, as Trump's attempt to paint him as a supporter of "endless wars" did not resonate with voters. Biden, as described by Sullivan, aims to transition U.S. presence in Afghanistan to focus on counterterrorism efforts to prevent al-Qaida or Islamic State forces from establishing a base there in order to protect the United States. This approach would be specific and targeted, reflecting Biden's stance in 2009 and his current position. Unlike past Democrats who were seen as appeasing Russia during the Cold War, Biden is the first Democrat to take a different approach. He does not downplay the Russian threat like Obama did during his debates with Romney in 2012, nor does he seek to reset relations with Russia like Clinton did in her early days as secretary of state. Biden has emphasized his understanding of the Russian interference in the 2016 election, stating that Putin does not want him to become president. Following revelations of Russian interference and Trump's reluctance to confront Putin, Democrats have shifted to being more critical of Russia. During most of the campaign, Biden criticized Trump for getting too close to dictators and talked about how he was willing to take action against Russia if elected. As president, Biden will need to address Russia's large arsenal of nuclear weapons, including 1,550 deployed nuclear weapons and numerous tactical nuclear weapons that have been deployed even before Trump withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. How will Biden stop the negative trend? According to Blinken, he would first extend the New START treaty for five years, as it expires just 16 days after the inauguration. After that, he would aim to expand the treaty to cover other types of weapons and possibly involve more countries. He planned to capitalize on Putin's weakening economy. Blinken stated that they would discourage and penalize Putin's interference and aggression, but acknowledged the other side of the coin when dealing with Moscow. He mentioned that Putin is seeking to reduce Russia's reliance on China, putting him in an uncomfortable position. This suggests that the Biden administration may exploit the distrust between Moscow and Beijing to divide the two superpowers, similar to how President Nixon did with China decades ago. In a meeting in 2010, Biden expressed frustration as news leaked about a joint US-Israel cyberattack, called "Stuxnet," aimed at Iran's nuclear program. "It has to be the Israelis who went too far," is believed to have started a new era of conflict, with Biden playing a significant role. He supported the covert operation as a means to hinder Iran's nuclear development without escalating tensions in the Middle East. Biden later credited the covert program for bringing Iran to the negotiating table, leading to the Iran nuclear deal five years later. Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of Britain, addressed NATO leaders at The Grove hotel and resort in Watford, England on December 4, 2019. President-elect Joe Biden is looking to strengthen America's commitments to NATO. As for Iran, Biden's first move is to restore the previous agreement if Iran's supreme leader is willing to adhere to the production limits set in 2015. However, Iran has suggested there will be consequences for Trump's actions, and key restrictions on Iran are set to be lifted soon. The expiration of the arms embargo in October allows for Russia and China to resume sales to Iran. There will be a new Iranian president soon, and it is uncertain how this will affect potential talks. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke at a NATO meeting in Watford in December 2019. President-elect Joe Biden wants to strengthen American commitments to NATO. Biden's team believes that rejoining the deal that Trump left puts pressure on Tehran. Secretary of State Blinken stated that if Iran does not comply, the US will have more support from allies who blame Trump for exiting the agreement. In 2012, Biden welcomed Xi to Washington and praised him as a reformer, believing in China's peaceful rise. However, by this year, Biden had changed his view of Xi, calling him a "thug." During the campaign, Biden criticized Trump for his handling of the trade war with China, pointing out that American taxpayers were ultimately paying for the tariffs through government subsidies. Biden has not discussed his plans for countering China's actions much, but he will have to address new challenges such as managing technological advances by companies like Huawei and TikTok. He has hinted that he may continue some of Trump's policies with more diplomatic efforts to gain support from allies. Biden is concerned about the potential misuse of information collected by the Chinese and has promised to delve deeply into the issue if elected president. "I will bring in cyberexperts to help me find the best solution to address the issue," Biden stated. Adding to the complexity of the situation is Biden's commitment to prioritize values in foreign policy, especially in regards to the US-China relationship. This stance is reminiscent of Bill Clinton's promise in the 1992 election to confront the Chinese government. This likely entails holding China accountable for Xi's crackdown on dissent, which includes the implementation of national security laws resulting in detention camps in Xinjiang, the arrest of dissidents in Hong Kong, and the expulsion of foreign journalists who provided independent reporting in China. ©2020 The New York Times Company.