Kamala Harris's foreign policy unknown

(Dan Tri) - While Mr. Trump's uncertainty was predicted, international observers do not have much information to evaluate Ms. Harris's foreign policy if the Democratic candidate is elected US president.

US Vice President Kamala Harris and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris in November 2021 (Photo: AFP).

With the US presidential election taking place in less than 2 months (November 5), analysts around the world are asking: What will the foreign policy of the incoming administration be like? With Mr. Trump, the world has had 4 years of experience. Although the former US President is considered "uncertain", this instability was predicted in advance. Meanwhile, the world's understanding of Ms. Harris's policies is still relatively vague. Although she has undertaken some foreign affairs tasks in the administration of President Joe Biden, observers have not been able to determine specifically which issues Ms. Harris may have different policies from Mr. Biden, if she is elected. Foreign experience In fact, as vice president, Ms. Harris has had some foreign policy experience. If she becomes the owner of the White House, her experience will be much richer than that of some previous US presidents such as Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. As vice president, Harris has met dozens of world leaders, represented the United States at global conferences and events, and received daily intelligence briefings for the president. In her speech at the Democratic convention in August, Harris revealed that she shared intelligence with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about Russia's activities shortly before Moscow launched a special military operation in 2022. Democrats have highlighted her role in the recent prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia. With a series of visits to the Indo- Pacific region over the years, Harris has contributed to strengthening and developing the US's network of allies in the region. She has also led efforts to address the root cause of illegal immigration through aid to Latin America. "She's not a foreign policy expert. However, there's no doubt that she plays an active role in many foreign affairs issues," Ian Bremmer, president of the political consultancy Eurasia Group, told Slate . Harris's advisers and foreign officials who have interacted with her say Harris is always trying to learn about foreign affairs from practice, according to CNN . A former senior adviser said she often brings home thick documents and asks a series of questions for her assistants. However, observers have not been able to determine what the differences are between Harris's policies and Biden's. Over the past four years, as "deputy", Harris's job has been to support the White House boss's policies rather than to express her own views. If so, these opinions are usually spread only in internal channels. Of the issues where Harris and Biden's views differ, the war in Gaza is perhaps the most publicized. Progressive voters expect Harris to be less pro-Israel and more concerned about the suffering of the Palestinian people. However, Halie Soifer, who served as national security adviser when Harris was a senator, told Vox that the differences between Harris and Biden on Gaza are actually relatively small. "I don't think the policy will change," she said. "We've only seen a few differences in how they talk about the conflict. Vice President Harris has reaffirmed her commitment to Israel and its security, while also showing greater empathy for the innocent Palestinian people." Slate has published revelations from sources close to Harris that the US Vice President disagrees with Biden's ideological foreign policy lens. According to Harris, this lens is quite simplistic and can even lead to wrong policy because the US will sometimes be forced to choose allies. In fact, Ms. Harris's foreign policy views have also changed in recent years. In 2020, she announced her support for a plan to "cut the defense budget and spend that money on those who need it." Now, she is committed to "ensuring America has the strongest, most formidable fighting force in the world." However, campaign statements do not fully reflect a candidate's policy after becoming the owner of the White House. Some analysts pointed out that when campaigning in 2020, President Biden promised to punish Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. However, after being elected, Mr. Biden considered cooperation with Riyadh one of the central factors in his policy towards the Middle East. Former President Barack Obama opposed US military activities in the Middle East. But he is remembered for his increased use of drones - the US military's most controversial tool - as well as the campaigns to overthrow Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and kill terrorist Osama Bin Laden. To be fair, sometimes US presidents cannot foresee all the unexpected events that will happen. Former President George W. Bush had pledged to implement a "modest" foreign policy, reducing foreign military intervention. But the 9/11 terrorist attacks changed all that. Therefore, Ms. Harris's foreign policy will only be able to take shape after she becomes the owner of the White House - if she can defeat Mr. Trump. "For every administration, foreign policy priorities are largely shaped by events," Ms. Soifer said.

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