What a New President Means for US Overseas Alliances

I THINK WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT WAS A VERY WELCOME MESSAGE TO A LOT OF AMERICA'S FRIENDS AND ALLIES WHO, OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, HAVE SEEN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF UNPREDICTABLE UNILATERALISM WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE HIS OWN THING AND APPARENTLY WHEN HE'S TRYING TO BE HELPFUL TO ALLIES ON OWN TERRITORIES IN THE UNITE KINGDOM QUITE OFTEN MAKING THINGS MORE DIFFICULT LIKE THERESA MAY WHEN HE WAS ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE UK.

OVER THE YEARS, MANY ALLIES HAVE WORRIED ABOUT BOTH UNILATERALISM AND UNDERMINING ALLIANCES AND INSTITUTIONS THAT KEPT THE WORLD SAFE, WHETHER IT'S NATO OR WTO OR W.H.O. OR ATTACKING THE EUROPEAN UNION AND GERMANY AND A NUMBER OF AUTOCRATS AROUND THE WORLD A FREE PASS.

THAT'S THE MESSAGE TO NEW PRESIDENT AND ALLIES, MANY OF WHOM HE KNEW VERY WELL AS VICE PRESIDENT FOUR YEARS BACK, THAT AMERICA IS BACK AS SOMEBODY WITH WHOM YOU CAN ENGAGE AND WHO'S GOING TO BE WORKING COLLECTIVELY WITH LIKE-MINDED PARTNERS AND NOT JUST DOING ITS OWN THING AND DISREGARDING EVERYBODY ELSE'S INTERESTS.

CORY SHAQI, WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION WILL NEED TO DO TO DO WHAT PETER IS TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, TO GET BACK IN THE GROOVE?

OBVIOUSLY, PRESIDENT BIDEN IS MASSIVELY EXPERIENCED.

SO MUCH FOREIGN EXPERIENCE.

HE'S GOING TO DO SOME IMMEDIATE THINGS TO SORT OF RIGHT THE SHIP, SO TO SPEAK.

YEAH.

I MEAN, IT WILL HELP, JUST NOT TO HAVE A POLITICAL ARSONIS AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

I AGREE WITH PETER, ALLIES ARE WITH A HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF, BUT AS I SEE THE EU CONCLUDING ITS TRADE AGREEMENT WITH CHINA JUST ON THE EVE OF THE ADMINISTRATION, THEY'RE NERVOUS ABOUT WHETHER WE'LL BE ABLE TO REGAIN OUR EQUILIBRIUM AND FOR ALL OF THE ADMIRABLE CALLS FOR UNITY ON THE PART OF PRESIDENT BIDEN, THEY'RE ACTUALLY ALSO LOOKING TO SEE WHETHER REPUBLICANS ARE WILLING TO END THIS UNCIVIL WAR AND WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO SQUARE OUR SHOULDERS AND DO WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY AND I THINK THEY'RE REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT THAT SO PRESIDENT BIDEN AND HIS ADMINISTRATION WILL DO LOTS OF, THERE'S SO MANY EASY THINGS THEY CAN DO THAT ARE JUST REVERSING THE ANTAGONISTIC APPROACH AND THE SOVEREIGNTY AT ALL COSTS APPROACH OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, BUT I THINK ALLIES ARE ALSO LOOKING TO SEE HOW WE REPUBLICANS WILL RESPOND TO THOSE CALLS.