Indeed, in the final days as he battled to retain his candidacy, his unparalleled experience was cited by his supporters as a reason in perilous times not to force him out.
Biden himself has said he knows more about foreign policy than Henry Kissinger did.
European leaders had cherished his succession to the presidency in 2021 after Donald Trump.
Without his careful consultations and weighing of the options, it is unlikely the west would have been able to respond as decisively as it did initially in imposing sanctions on Russia and giving military support to Ukraine after Vladimir Putin's invasion. But now there may be a period as a lame duck president in which all his decisions are set against his cognitive ability.
Diplomats had already sensed his star had been waning, including his ability to articulate to Americans the need to defend Ukraine. The sense he is not prosecuting foreign policy arguments domestically with sufficient vigour has become a mainstay of European diplomatic discourse. His performance at the recent G7 summit in Italy raised eyebrows, and gradually some of his instincts have come to be seen as a product of a bygone era.
This story is from the July 23, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the July 23, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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