Professor Przemysław Żurawski vel Grajewski commented on this shift in American foreign policy.
He stated that Poland and Central Europe will lose out in the first half of Biden’s term, but the second half remains undecided. The outcome depends on the conclusions and experiences the US will gather along the way.
The professor explained that since 2001, the US has been in a constant state of war, which is a difficult task politically for any democracy. American voters in particular are tired with the current status quo and new presidents are searching for a way to lessen the military burden on the nation, with the goal being to withdraw a significant number of US troops and replace them with a viable alternative. Such a solution was found in the Far East, where the US persuaded Japan to change its constitution and establish a regular army that helps assure stability in the region.
“The same was attempted in Europe. This is why Donald Trump had pressured for increasing military spending so much. With the exception of NATO’s Eastern flank, the rest of Europe responded to this negatively. Meanwhile, Biden would want Germany to fulfil Japan’s role but in Europe,” he said.
He added that this was in accordance with American tradition that dates back to the end of the Second World War, when the US chose Germany to house its main bases in Europe. Biden also sees Germany as a leader due to it being the most populous and most wealthy nation in the region.
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