WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has approved a new national security memorandum intended to provide a roadmap for the new Trump administration as it seeks to counter growing cooperation between China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, the White House said Wednesday.
Biden administration officials began developing the guidelines this summer. It was designed as a document that could help the next administration develop from day one its approach to how it will deal with the increasingly close relationships among the United States’ most prominent adversaries and competitors, two senior administration officials said.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity under White House ground rules, said the secret memorandum would not be made public because of the sensitivity of some of the findings.
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The document contains four broad recommendations: improving cooperation among U.S. governments, accelerating information sharing with allies on the four adversaries, tailoring the U.S. government’s use of sanctions and other economic tools for maximum effectiveness, and strengthening preparedness to manage concurrent crises involving the U.S. government. opponents.
The US has been concerned about cooperation between the four countries for years. Coordination between the countries has accelerated in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The officials noted that as Russia has become more isolated by much of the world, Moscow has turned to Iran for drones and missiles. From North Korea, the Russians have received artillery, missiles and even thousands of troops who have traveled to help the Russians repel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region. China, meanwhile, has backed Russia with dual-use components that help keep its military industrial base afloat.
In return, Russia has sent fighter jets to Iran and helped Tehran as it tries to boost its missile defense and space technology.
North Korea has received much-needed fuel and financing from Russia to help build its manufacturing and military capabilities. The officials added that Russia has “de facto accepted North Korea as a nuclear weapons state.”
China, meanwhile, is benefiting from Russian know-how, with the two countries working together to deepen their military-technical cooperation. The two countries also conduct joint patrols in the Arctic.
Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have starkly different worldviews, but officials in both the incoming and outgoing administrations said they have tried to coordinate on national security issues during the transition.
