With the 2024 US presidential election just two months away, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris Working to appeal to American voters on issues such as the economy, culture, women’s healthcare and education, among other local issues.
But there’s a lot going on overseas right now, and many of these problems aren’t likely to go away anytime soon.
Regardless of who is elected to the top job this fall, the next president will likely face a wide range of international challenges — and potential crises — that could draw his attention beyond US borders. There are problems ranging from China and Taiwan For the Middle East Ukraine war.
Trump’s first term, and especially his foreign policy, was marked by an “America First” strategy that reshaped the US’s role on the global stage. On the second go around, it is unclear what that continued approach will look like, although he has recently expressed some controversial views on NATO, how he will handle it. Israel’s War in GazaAnd the war in Ukraine.
On the other hand, Harris finds international issues to be something obstruction. She has yet to release a platform on issues such as Ukraine and Russia, China and North Korea, and it is unclear how many of her policies, if any, will align with President Joe Biden’s approach.
But either Trump or Harris will likely find foreign policy at the forefront of their presidencies as the world changes — and with some conflicts on the brink or ongoing, these are some of the biggest issues that could await whoever sits in the next Oval Office.
Russia and Ukraine war
For more than two and a half years, there is no immediate end to the war in Ukraine. Casualties are extraordinary, the latest Western intelligence estimates of Russian deaths and injuries Over 600,000. Ukrainian forces have also suffered more losses, although details are unclear. Ukraine shockingly invaded Russia’s Kursk regionBut Russian forces are advancing in Ukraine.
And beyond war, North Korea’s support for RussiaAmmunition, including missiles and other equipment, has created a relative partnership between America’s enemies.
US politics has often affected how the country supports Ukraine, aligns with its allies and partners on the issue, and how it confronts Russia over the conflict. These issues, like war, linger.
U.S. has been impressive, supporting Ukraine as its largest single-nation provider of security assistance, but divisions in Congress have often made it difficult to send more support. In addition, the US It has often been criticized for flip-flopping and frequent hesitation on arms provisions and use. Blocks Ukraine.
Trump and Harris have expressed polar opposites in their support for Ukraine, adding uncertainty to Kiev’s future.
Trump has said without evidence that he will end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours and has repeatedly threatened to undermine NATO. Collective defense of alliances. Harris has said he will “stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies,” citing his efforts in the Biden administration to support Kiev as evidence.
Aggressive China
Issues in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly China, Taiwan, and the Philippines, as well as other regional U.S. Issues related to allies may also be important issues facing the next president.
The Pentagon has long identified the region as its primary focus, even as other conflicts often occur around the world Get his attentionand has all branches of the US military Increased training, exercises and strategies America’s pacing challenge, to stop China.
The ongoing standoff between China and the Philippines over disputed waters in the South China Sea has its roots in long-standing disputes. And has the potential to escalate the conflict, which could pull the US through its mutual defense pact.
Recently, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command even suggested that it is possible The US could send ships to escort Philippine ships To protect them Chinese harassmentEssentially putting the US in the middle of this South China Sea standoff.
Another possible flashpoint is a Possible Chinese invasion or blockade of TaiwanWhich Beijing claims as its own, demands continued integration. China has repeatedly said that unification with the autonomous island nation is inevitable, even if it is done by force. The US military has said that the goal is to be ready for China Such a fight By 2027.
Including Beijing’s intimidation tactics Large military exercises And Continued incursions into Taiwan’s waters and airspaceBeijing has expressed concern about how it will use its military to force Taiwan into submission.
Trump and Harris again differ on the role of the US in the region. Trump has shown little support for the alliance, leaving ambiguity about US defense commitments to Taiwan and saying Taiwan should pay the US for its support. Harris has repeatedly called out China’s aggressive behavior in the region and aligned with Biden on supporting Taiwan.
The ongoing crisis in the Middle East
Another major issue is the war in Ukraine Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Since Hamas launched its worst terrorist attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023, more than 1,000 Israelis have been killed, most of them civilians. Human Rights WatchThe horrors that have unfolded in the region have presented a variety of challenges for the Biden administration.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry estimates that Israel’s war, which has included bombings and ground operations, has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians. It has also flared up Increased stress And, in some cases, full-scale conflict with Iran and its proxies, often bringing the Middle East to the brink of all-out war. There have been assassinations, missile barrages, firefights and more.
Iranian-backed Houthis Attacks on commercial shipping lanes It started as a response to the wars in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman but has evolved into something more over time. The US Forces have been sentAircraft carriers and destroyers in particular, in the region to deter Iran and counter the Houthi rebels.
Efforts to contain the Houthis are costly to the US Over $1 billion in weaponsIncluding surface-to-air missiles, surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. And that figure was just for one carrier strike group and a few extra destroyers.
It is not clear when these conflicts will end.
Harris’s language on Israel and Gaza largely echoes Biden’s: staunch support for Israel but with frequent calls for a ceasefire. But the White House’s continued issues with pro-Palestinian protesters and disagreements with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are weighing on Harris’ campaign.
Trump has shown clear support for Israel in his first term and has made repeated decisions improving US-Israeli relations. He has said He supports Israel’s war in Gaza and will continue to give Israel the weapons and aid it wants; He too Told the donors It will “crush” pro-Palestinian protesters.
Tensions with North Korea
North Korea to the US has rebounded from failed negotiations with and covid isolation, establishing new, potentially fruitful alliances with Russia through arms deals. China also includes Pyongyang in those ties, leaving it, as one expert said earlier this year, “Sitting pretty.”
North Korea has emboldened, stonewalling its nuclear status and continuing to advance its missile programs while significantly strengthening its ties with US rivals.
Additionally, North Korea’s provocations continue amid growing concerns Inter-Korean conflictAs it did in the 1950s, inevitably the US responded.
Trump and Harris may be more aligned on their North Korea policy than on other issues, but US policy toward North Korea has traditionally been a rift, with a show of force and demands for its denuclearization often failing. Negotiations are also failing.
In shaping US policy, the next president may also face challenges with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, which requires the delicate navigation of bilateral relations, taking a tougher stance on North Korea than previous administrations.
Both Trump and Harris find themselves vying for the presidency at a particularly tense time in global politics. Amid the many challenges at home, US attention is being pulled in different directions.
Whoever wins the 2024 presidential election this November will have to think about how to manage these issues with the US’s position on the world stage. And their decisions can affect not only the US, but also allies, partners and adversaries.
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