As the war in Ukraine drags on, many look to the United States for a clear strategy to defeat Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a recent press interaction, President Joe Biden said his message to President Putin is to “stop.” This vague statement underscores the West’s uncertainty about how to curb Putin’s escalating aggression. 

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, held a joint press availability with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Sept. 18, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt to announce the new US-Egypt Strategic Dialogue program. This was Blinken’s 10th visit to the Middle East since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, but unlike other trips to the region, he did not make a stop in Israel. Instead, the main purpose of the visit was to strengthen the long-standing relationship between the US and Egypt.

On Nov. 24, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a trilateral call with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japan Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko from their respective offices. The officials spoke about the recent spy satellite launched by North Korea.

On Oct. 30, US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanual announced in an interview with Reuters reporters that the US military had started bulk buying Japanese seafood products banned by China.

After the United States’ closest ally in the Middle East was stunned by a highly coordinated terrorist attack at an unprecedented scale, American politicians from across the political spectrum immediately offered their complete support to Israel, giving the government a greenlight to respond how it sees fit.

On Oct. 12, New Jersey Senator Robert “Bob” Menendez was indicted with a second charge of “Conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent” of Egypt during his term as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.