Joe Biden鈥檚 injects greater uncertainty into the world at a time when Western leaders are grappling with wars in Ukraine and Gaza, a more assertive China in Asia and the rise of the far right in Europe.
During a , Biden developed extensive personal relationships with multiple foreign leaders that none of the potential replacements on the Democratic ticket can match. After his announcement, messages of support and gratitude for his years of service poured in from near and far.
The scope of foreign policy challenges facing the next U.S. president makes clear how consequential what happens in Washington is for the rest of the planet. Here鈥檚 a look at some of them.
ISRAEL
With being , Israelis on Sunday scrambled to understand what her candidacy would mean for their country as it confronts increasing global isolation over its military campaign against Hamas.
Israel鈥檚 left-wing Haaretz daily newspaper ran a story scrutinizing Harris鈥� record of support for Israel, pointing to her reputation as Biden鈥檚 鈥渂ad cop鈥� who has vocally admonished Israel for its offensive in Gaza. In recent months, she has gone further than Biden in calling for a cease-fire, denouncing Israel鈥檚 invasion of Rafah and expressing horror over the civilian death toll in Gaza.
鈥淲ith Biden leaving, Israel has lost perhaps the last Zionist president,鈥� said Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli consul general in New York. 鈥淎 new Democratic candidate will upend the dynamic.鈥�
Biden鈥檚 staunch defense of Israel since Hamas鈥� Oct. 7 attack has its roots in his half-century of support for the country as a senator, vice president, then president. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant thanked Biden for his 鈥渦nwavering support of Israel over the years.鈥�
鈥淵our steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable,鈥� Gallant wrote on social media platform X.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog praised Biden as a 鈥渟ymbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples鈥� and a 鈥渢rue ally of the Jewish people.鈥� There was no immediate reaction from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an ally of former President Donald Trump whose history of cordial relations with Biden has come under strain during .
UKRAINE
Any Democratic candidate would likely continue Biden鈥檚 . But frustration with the Biden administration has grown in Ukraine and Europe over the slow pace of U.S. aid and restrictions on the use of Western weapons.
鈥淢ost Europeans realize that Ukraine is increasingly going to be their burden,鈥� said Sudha David-Wilp, director of the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund, a research institute. 鈥淓veryone is trying to get ready for all the possible outcomes.鈥�
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that he respected the 鈥渢ough but strong decision鈥� by Biden to drop out of the campaign, and he thanked Biden for his help 鈥渋n preventing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin from occupying our country.鈥�
Trump has promised to end in one day if he is elected 鈥� a prospect that has raised fears in Ukraine that Russia might be allowed to keep the territory it occupies.
Trump鈥檚 vice presidential pick, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, is among Congress鈥� most vocal opponents of U.S. aid for Ukraine and has further raised the stakes for Kyiv.
Russia, meanwhile, dismissed the importance of the race, insisting that no matter what happened, Moscow would press on in Ukraine.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 it for Biden,鈥� Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia鈥檚 Security council, said on the Telegram messaging app. 鈥淭he goals of the special military operation will be achieved,鈥� he added, using the Kremlin鈥檚 term for the war in Ukraine.
CHINA
In recent months, both Biden and Trump have tried to show voters who can best stand up to Beijing鈥檚 growing military strength and belligerence and protect U.S. businesses and workers from low-priced Chinese imports. Biden has hiked tariffs on electric vehicles from China, and Trump has promised to implement tariffs of 60% on all Chinese products.
Trump鈥檚 鈥淎merica First鈥� doctrine exacerbated tensions with Beijing. But disputes with the geopolitical rival and economic colossus over wars, trade, technology and security continued into Biden鈥檚 term.
China鈥檚 official reaction to the U.S. presidential race has been careful.
鈥淭he U.S. elections are U.S. internal politics. I have no comment on this,鈥� said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.
The editor of the Communist Party-run Global Times newspaper, Hu Xijin, downplayed the impact of Biden鈥檚 withdrawal.
鈥淲hoever becomes the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party may be the same,鈥� he wrote on X.
IRAN
With Iran鈥檚 proxies across the Middle East increasingly entangled in the Israel-Hamas war, the U.S. confronts a region in disarray.
Yemen鈥檚 Iran-backed Houthis struck Tel Aviv for the first time last week, prompting retaliatory Israeli strikes inside war-torn Yemen. Simmering tensions and cross-border attacks between Lebanon鈥檚 Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group and the Israeli military have raised fears of an all-out regional conflagration.
Hamas, which also receives support from Iran, continues to fight Israel even nine months into a war that has killed 38,000 Palestinians and displaced over 80% of Gaza鈥檚 population.
The U.S. and its allies have accused Iran of and to an unprecedented 60%, near-weapons-grade levels.
After then-President Trump in 2018 withdrew from Tehran鈥檚 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, Biden said he wanted to reverse his predecessor鈥檚 hawkish stance. But the Biden administration has maintained severe economic sanctions and overseen failed attempts to renegotiate the agreement.
The sudden death of Ebrahim Raisi 鈥� the supreme leader鈥檚 hard-line protege 鈥� in a helicopter crash vaulted a new reformist to the presidency in Iran, generating new opportunities and risks. Masoud Pezeshkian has said he wants to help Iran open up to the world but has maintained a defiant tone against the U.S.
During a briefing Monday, Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, brushed off Biden鈥檚 withdrawal.
鈥淭o us, the coming and going of governments and persons on top of the U.S administration is not important on its own,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat can change the atmosphere of relations is a fundamental change in this (U.S.) hostile policy against the Islamic Republic of Iran.鈥�
EUROPE AND NATO
Many Europeans were happy to see Trump go after his years of disparaging the European Union and undermining NATO. Trump鈥檚 seemingly dismissive attitude toward European allies in last month鈥檚 presidential debate did nothing to assuage those concerns.
Biden, on the other hand, has supported close American relations with bloc leaders.
That closeness was on stark display after Biden鈥檚 decision to bow out of the race. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called his choice 鈥減robably the most difficult one in your life.鈥� The newly installed British prime minister, Keir Starmer, said he respected Biden鈥檚 鈥渄ecision based on what he believes is in the best interests of the American people.鈥�
There was also an outpouring of affection from Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris, who called Biden a 鈥減roud American with an Irish soul.鈥�
The question of whether NATO can maintain its momentum in supporting Ukraine and checking the ambitions of other authoritarian states hangs in the balance of this presidential election, analysts say.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want to see Donald Trump as president. So there鈥檚 quite a bit of relief but also quite a bit of nervousness鈥� about Biden鈥檚 decision to drop out, said Jeremy Shapiro, research director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. 鈥淟ike many in the United States, but perhaps more so, they are really quite confused.鈥�
MEXICO
The close relationship between Mexico and the U.S. has been marked in recent years by disagreements over trade, energy and climate change. Since President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador took power in 2018, both countries have found common ground on issue of migration 鈥� with Mexico making it more difficult for migrants to cross its country to the U.S. border and the U.S. not pressing on other issues.
The L贸pez Obrador administration kept that policy while Trump was president and continued it into Biden鈥檚 term.
On Friday, Mexico鈥檚 president called Trump 鈥渁 friend鈥� and said he would write to him to warn him against pledging to close the border or blaming migrants for bringing drugs into the United States.
鈥淚 am going to prove to him that migrants don鈥檛 carry drugs to the United States,鈥� he said, adding that 鈥渃losing the border won鈥檛 solve anything, and anyway, it can鈥檛 be done.鈥�
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