Foreign policy of the Tom Kirkman administration

The **foreign policy of the Tom Kirkman administration** is characterized by expanding diplomacy, promoting democracy, and modernizing and strengthening the Department of Defense and United States Armed Forces.

Kirkman's foreign policy has widely been viewed as non-interventionist. He opposes direct American intervention in the political affairs of foreign nations unless American interests or national security are at risk. Opposing protectionism, he has negotiated several free trade agreements with other countries as president, though they address the United States' trade deficit and prioritize domestic manufacturing. He oversaw the signing of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), which repealed and replaced NAFTA.

As president, Kirkman has prioritized the military more than most previous administrations since the presidency of Ronald Reagan. He slightly raised the federal budget for the Department of Defense, although it was subsequent after cutting some of the budget for other agencies, particularly focused on welfare, after the U.S. economy saw record job creation. Kirkman's only secretary of state thus far is Cornelius Moss, the former 44th president of the United States, who pursued a similar foreign policy during his tenure in office. Moss, who is highly experienced in global affairs, is the only former president to later serve in the position.

Kirkman's administration has reaffirmed many of the U.S.' multinational commitments, specifically NATO and the G7, while also reevaluating others. He withdrew the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council in protest to China's reelection, accusing them of being the largest human rights abuser through their persecution of the Uyghur Muslim people, which Kirkman has recognized as a genocide. After Russian president Viktor Petrov repeatedly violated the INF Treaty, Kirkman withdrew, though he later negotiated a separate arms control treaty. He recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and initiated plans to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv while subsequently endorsing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. Kirkman has overseen reduction of U.S. troops from Iraq and Syria while completely withdrawing American combat forces from Afghanistan in 2021, ending the twenty-year long War in Afghanistan.

## Overview

### Appointments

*Further information: Cabinet of Tom Kirkman*

### Americas

#### Canada

Kirkman has recognized Canada as a critical and special ally of the United States. He has worked closely and frequently with Canadian prime minister Robert Bowman on a series of issues. In June 2017, Kirkman held a bilateral meeting with Bowman during the 2017 Toronto summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Canada and the United Kingdom both backed Kirkman's nuclear arms agenda at the summit, despite its rejection.

Both leaders have traveled frequently to each other's nations, most recently a state visit taken by Kirkman to Ottawa. In addition to their close bilateral alliance, the Kirkman administration has cooled trade relations on the longstanding Canadian-U.S. softwood lumber dispute and ruled out the use of any tariffs. Canada also endorsed Kirkman's proposed United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and vowed to sign it.

#### Cuba

Kirkman has continued the longstanding opposition the Communist government of Cuba and has maintained sanctions against the country. He is opposed to the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the country.

In February 2019, several members of an American trade delegation, including National Security Advisor Aaron Shore and Hannah Wells, were detained and taken hostage by rebel forces outside of Havana. Kirkman ordered a rescue mission conducted by the United States Air Force to recover the hostages, but rebels shot down U.S. black hawk helicopters. There were no casualties, but most crew members were injured, thus preventing the rescue operation. Kirkman successfully negotiated the release of the hostages with Cuban president Emiliano Ortega, but confronted him after the Central Intelligence Agency discovered bank transactions between his administration and the rebel force's leader. Kirkman then subsequently terminated and prohibited any diplomatic relations with the country.

#### Mexico

Kirkman has emphasized border security and immigration reform, and made it an issue of his 2020 reelection campaign. Mexico vowed to work bilaterally with the United States to combat increasing illegal immigration across the Mexico-United States border. When Kirkman proposed the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), the Mexican government quickly announced support for it, along with Canada.

In 2021, Mexico announced full support for the Kirkman administration's proposed Advanced Asylum Review Policy (AARP), which would require all asylum seekers in the United States to remain in their country of origin while their request was being processed. The Department of Homeland Security would work with the respective nation's governments to conjointly fund developed "condo-like" complexes to hold asylum seekers while their request is being processed. When the United States Congress passed the Advanced Asylum Review Act of 2022, Mexico immediately announced bilateral plans to begin the policy.

### Europe

#### France

In 2017, French president Jacques Mainard was one of the first world leaders to condemn the Capitol Bombing and offer full support to the newly-sworn in Kirkman. The two leaders held several calls to discuss U.S.-French relations in his first weeks in office.

During the 2017 Toronto summit, French prime minister Justine Massett opposed the United States' nuclear arms agenda. Massett publicly ridiculed Kirkman and questioned his legitimacy as president due to the events of the Capitol Bombing, which she was widely criticized and later apologized for. The French government later said that Massett's words did not reflect the bilateral relationship and President Mainard personally apologized to Kirkman for the incident during a phone call meant to resolve the minor tension, where he reaffirmed his commitment to the United States' oldest alliance.

#### Germany

German relations generally have improved under the Kirkman administration. German Chancellor Jonas Grottke went against French prime minister Justine Massett's opposition to the United States' nuclear arms agenda at the 2017 Toronto summit and fully supported the initiative. He was frequently characterized as a go-to ally of Kirkman.

In 2021, Kirkman called newly-elected German chancellor Agnes Bruckner to congratulate her on her election victory and to discuss American-German relations.

#### Russia

Shortly after Kirkman's first unceremonious inauguration, Russia urged the administration to take a constructive approach at renegotiating potential long-range ballistic and nuclear arms control agreements. The Russian government also condemned and offered support in combating Islamic extremism after the Capitol Bombing.

In 2017, Kirkman negotiated for the release of coach Brad Weston, who was arrested on narcotics charges upon arriving in Moscow. He was released days later, but did not return to the United States. Reports were uncovered shortly afterwards that Weston was employed by Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service as a double agent in the Central Intelligence Agency.

On January 27, 2018, Russian Air flight 342 was hijacked on the ground by Ukrainian separatists at Chicago Midway International Airport. Out of the 165 passengers on board, 68 were Americans. After both Russian and Ukrainian diplomats refused to cooperate in trilateral measures, U.S. intelligence uncovered bank transactions from each Ukrainian hijacker with funds tracing back to a state-run Russian bank. The Department of State classified the intelligence as a Russian pretext for an invasion of mainland Ukraine with the goals of bringing the United States into the conflict through the hijacking on American soil.

The Kirkman administration negotiated again with the Russian government in July 2020, after four American citizens on a diplomatic trip were detained on espionage charges. According to the Central Intelligence Agency, the detained Americans were observing and interested in artifacts from the State History Museum and were thought to have been American spies. Russian president Viktor Petrov ordered their release on July 22, four days after they were arrested.

Kirkman ordered a cyberattack on a Russian bomber with the capability of carrying nuclear weapons after it was located in the territorial waters off the coast of Washington on August 27, 2020. The Russian government did not comment on the incident and attempted to cover up the allegations.

After the U.S.-led manhunt for Italian bio-engineer Silvio Caruso ended in his killing, Russia blamed Ukraine for the airstrike, which destroyed numerous Russian military vehicles. Kirkman responded to the 2022 Russian military buildup by threatening severe sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine, but would not deploy U.S. troops unless American interests or national security were directly at risk.

#### Ukraine

After the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, U.S. policy towards Ukraine was in favor of Ukrainian sovereignty and generally against Russian aggression. Kirkman's administration's policy towards Ukraine marked a shift in the traditional relations after the hijacking of Russian Air flight 342. The Kirkman administration accused the Ukrainian government of warmongering and "sitting on their hands" after bank transactions to Ukrainian separatists were traced to a state-run Russian bank. Kirkman threatened to sever diplomatic relations and impose sanctions if any individuals onboard were injured or killed by hijackers after intelligence suggested the Ukrainian government was aware of the bank transactions, but did not act.

Kirkman pledged support for Ukrainian sovereignty during the 2022 Russian military buildup, which sparked following the airstrike that killed Silvio Caruso, but vowed that he would not help the Ukrainian government through direct American military support.

### Asia

#### Afghanistan

During the 2020 reelection campaign, Kirkman stated that a priority of his second term would be withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan and ending the War in Afghanistan, initiated days after the September 11 attacks. Over the course of his first term, he had gradually reduced troop levels to 1,000.

In August 2021, Kirkman announced that all U.S. combat troops would leave the country by December. 500 security personnel would remain in the country to assist Afghan forces if necessary and would stay until further review the following year. NATO endorsed the plan and announced a full withdrawal in cooperation with the United States.

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban began a final offensive in an attempt to retake the country, which was toppled by U.S. forces in days. Numerous Taliban fighters were killed and remaining bases of operation were struck by American airstrikes, causing surviving fighters to flee the country. As part of the agreements with the Afghan government, the United States would reduce combat troop presence in the country from 1,000 to 700 by November. Kirkman ordered all American infrastructure to be shipped to Joint Base Andrews in Bethesda, Maryland by December 10. On December 15, the Pentagon announced that the final U.S. combat soldier had departed Kabul, bringing the twenty year War in Afghanistan to an end with an American victory.

#### China

Kirkman has criticized the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) as an authoritarian government and has accused them of stealing American manufacturing jobs by frequently violating international trade regulations. His domestic manufacturing policy is primarily directed towards unfair Chinese trade practices, and according to analysis, has cost China billions in lost value. American relations with China under the Richmond administration were generally in a "detente-like" period. Kirkman's tenure has marked a shift in U.S. policy.

Kirkman has repeatedly accused the Chinese Communist Party of human rights abuses, specifically the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. He recognized the persecution as a genocide, one of the first world leaders to do so, which greatly angered Chinese officials. Kirkman criticized international silence on the issue, claiming it was a political move to preserve trade relations. He subsequently classified China as a "currency manipulator" and sanctioned top Chinese officials, stating that U.S. policy on China would no longer be "silence to save money."

In 2019, Kirkman imposed severe sanctions against Mainland China and Hong Kong officials for their crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. Secretary of State Cornelius Moss detailed complete American opposition to China's building of artificial islands in the South China Sea as a way of expanding sovereignty. Kirkman characterized it as a Chinese incursion on foreign sovereignty. China claimed the waters in which artificial islands were constructed were under international territory, despite being claimed and recognized under the sovereignty of several other nations, including Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines.

The Kirkman administration formally refused recognition of China's territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea in 2020 and pledged full support in defending the sovereignty of Taiwan against Chinese aggression from an economic standpoint. Kirkman said he would refuse to approve direct American intervention in a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan unless national security or domestic interests were at risk.

Kirkman ordered the United States to immediately withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council after China was reelected, accusing their government of being the "single biggest human rights abusers in the world." The United Kingdom, France, and Germany subsequently followed. Kirkman then strongly criticized United Nations officials for allowing China's reelection, claiming the organization was remaining silent on an ethnic genocide and shielding an authoritarian regime. Days after Kirkman's order, top UN officials condemned the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang but did not recognized it as a genocide. Kirkman bashed top officials and threatened he would personally boycott the upcoming general assembly by refusing to attend or deliver an address.

In February 2021, during the annual State of the Union address, Kirkman announced that the United States would fully boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics unless the International Olympic Committee (IOC) relocated the competitions to another nation. Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy all announced the following week that they would follow the United States by fully boycotting, stating that a diplomatic boycott did not go far enough. With most Western nations announcing they would not send athletes or representatives to the games, the IOC announced the Winter Olympics would be relocated to Geneva, Switzerland. China strongly condemned the IOC's decision and sharply criticized Kirkman as making a "political decision" before subsequently announcing a diplomatic boycott. Russian president Viktor Petrov offered support for China and also announced a diplomatic boycott.