President Biden will announce an end to U.S. support for offensive combat operations in Yemen, signaling a break with Saudi Arabia and a clear shift from the Trump administration’s Middle East policy, when he delivers a major address at the State Department later on Thursday, according to his national security adviser.
Jake Sullivan said Biden will unveil a five-point plan that would allow him to pursue a “foreign policy for the middle class.”
Biden is also expected to deliver a morale boost to State Department staffers who were frequently viewed with suspicion by former President Donald Trump and top officials inside his White House.
The timing of his visit (two weeks into his presidency) is deliberate, a nod to Biden’s long interest in foreign policy and his time as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and an effort to signal to allies that he is breaking decisively with Trump’s “America First” doctrine.
Sullivan set out plans to rebuild alliances and pursue a fresh start on finding peace in war-ravaged Yemen.
“He is going to announce an end to American support for offensive operations in Yemen,” said Sullivan. “That is a promise that he made in the campaign that he will be following through on, but he will go further than that. He will talk about the United States playing a more active and engaged role in the diplomacy to bring an end to the conflict in Yemen, and that will include the naming of a special envoy, which will happen today.”
The five-year conflict has claimed more than 233,000 lives, according to the United Nations. Saudi Arabia is widely blamed for triggering a humanitarian crisis by launching offensive operations against Iran-backed Houthi rebels there.
The policy of supporting a Saudi-led coalition with refueling, intelligence, and logistical assistance began under President Barack Obama, when Biden was vice president. But concern grew among U.S. officials as the death toll mounted and the war took on an air of a grim stalemate.
Trump used his veto power to prevent Congress from halting U.S. support for Saudi airstrikes, protecting the Saudi royal family, one of the 45th president’s key foreign allies.
Sullivan said the move is part of a five-pronged approach that also includes investing at home in Biden’s American recovery plan, revitalizing alliances, reengaging with key institutions and agreements, reasserting America’s values, and reviewing the country’s global force posture.
The review will include freezing any troop redeployments from Germany, he added, essentially halting another Trump order.
Developing a new position of strength will allow the country to compete more effectively with Russia and China on everything from trade to technological development, Sullivan told reporters.
“Everything we do in our foreign policy and national security will be measured by a basic metric,” the national security adviser said. “Is it going to make life better, safer, and easier for working families.”
Biden is also expected to announce that he will raise the cap on refugees allowed into the U.S. The number was reduced to 15,000 under Trump, but Biden will reportedly increase it to 125,000.
