Biden pushes new Russia, Iran, Korea, China effort before Trump term

(Reuters)

WASHINGTON, Dec 11 – President Joe Biden is pushing U.S. national security agencies ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration to devise new strategies to tackle the risky, deepening ties among Russia, Iran, North Korea and China, according to U.S. officials.

In exchange for Iran’s help with the Russian war effort in Ukraine, Moscow is giving its ally fighter aircraft, missile defense and space technology, Biden concluded in a national security memorandum issued on Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is giving North Korea fuel, money and technology, and is recognizing it as a de facto nuclear state. Russia is conducting joint patrols with China in the Arctic, the administration said.

The classified document was described in general terms to reporters, but has not independently been reviewed by Reuters. Russia, China, Iran and North Korea have disputed similar assessments in the past and accused Washington of destabilizing behavior.

Biden’s new document orders various arms of the U.S. government to restructure groups currently organized by region to better focus on issues linking the four countries that span Europe and Asia.

The document’s strategies and policy suggestions could be implemented – or rejected altogether – by President-elect Trump, a Republican who takes office on Jan. 20.

“When the new team sort of looks at it, I don’t think they will see anything in it that is trying to box them in or tilt them toward one policy option or another,” said one of the senior administration officials, who declined to be named.