Biden Promised Peace, but Will Leave His Successor a Nation Entangled in War

Speaking from the Oval Office past period arsenic helium explained his determination not to question re-election, President Biden boasted astir his accomplishments. One of them, helium suggested, was presiding implicit an epoch of peace.

“I’m the archetypal president successful this period to study to the American radical that the United States is not astatine warfare anyplace successful the world,” Mr. Biden declared to the nation.

But portion America is nary longer waging a large-scale crushed warfare similar those successful Iraq and Afghanistan, for overmuch of his tenure Mr. Biden has seemed similar a wartime leader.

Since pulling the past American troops retired of Afghanistan 3 years ago, Mr. Biden has spent overmuch of his presidency mobilizing nationalist sentiment and subject mightiness against Russia’s penetration of Ukraine and playing a profoundly engaged relation successful supporting Israel successful its warfare successful Gaza, and against Iran and the groups it backs.

“War volition beryllium a cardinal portion of Biden’s legacy,” said Stephen Wertheim, a elder chap astatine the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “What’s hard to wrapper one’s caput astir is that, though the United States is not straight progressive successful the wars successful Ukraine oregon Gaza, the risks of large-scale struggle person go higher implicit the people of Biden’s presidency.”

The implications for Mr. Biden’s successor — either erstwhile President Donald J. Trump oregon Vice President Kamala Harris — could beryllium huge.