Russia-Ukraine war: Biden promise to restore world order collapses as global chaos reigns
Biden promised that, if he was elected, Putin’s days of ‘trying to intimidate’ Eastern Europe were over
The way candidate Joe Biden told it on the campaign trail, things were simple: elect him president, and the world order would return to one in which America was not to be crossed.
“The world does not organize itself. American leadership, backed by clear goals and sound strategies, is necessary to effectively address the defining global challenges of our time,” Biden’s campaign website asserted. “In order to lead again, we must restore our credibility and influence. From day one of a Biden administration, other countries will once again have reason to trust and respect the word of an American president.”
And he also talked tough about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Vladimir Putin doesn’t want me to be President. He doesn’t want me to be our nominee. If you’re wondering why — it’s because I’m the only person in this field who’s ever gone toe-to-toe with him.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) February 21, 2020
But just over 13 months since President Biden took office, the post-Cold War world order is on the verge of crumbling altogether.
It started with a humiliating American exit from Afghanistan, in which desperate Afghans clung to departing American planes only to fall to their deaths, the safety of American soldiers was dependent on Taliban fighters, and American civilians were stranded in the country after their president broke his promise not to leave them behind.