5 foreign policy situations the White House didn't expect, from Israel, to Cuba and Ethiopia

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden took office promising to craft a “foreign policy for the middle class” that prioritizes the interests of everyday Americans while championing global engagement. Achieving that neat vision has been difficult in a world filled with unexpected challenges.

“The Biden foreign policy agenda will place America back at the head of the table, working with our allies and partners — to mobilize global action on global threats, especially those unique to our century," he promised during a speech in July 2019.

As a senator, Biden chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and has surrounded himself with seasoned foreign policy aides. He often frames his entire policy agenda through the lens of "democracy versus autocracy."

Biden initially focused on several global issues he and his advisers most anticipated tackling, including the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and competition with China. That large agenda was complicated by unexpected global events in a shifting world.

The administration has already had to address major protests and civil unrest in multiple countries, a difficult reentry into nuclear talks with Iran, a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan and broad skepticism over American leadership after the Trump era. Major conflicts abroad have also frequently affected domestic politics, at times dividing Biden's allies and emboldening his critics.

Here are five events the administration attend to, perhaps unexpectedly:

Cuba

In mid-July, thousands of Cubans took to the streets across the country to protest the poor economic conditions and authoritarian repression in the country that has worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. The protests rocked both Cuban and American politics, drawing the White House's immediate attention.

In April, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Cuba policy was "not a top priority" for the administration. That stance became untenable when the island experienced the most significant anti-government protests since the Cuban revolution.

The White House has since taken steps to support the protesters, including by imposing sanctions on top Cuban officials, enacting measures to ensure remittances are not seized by the Cuban government and cooperating with private companies to provide internet to the country amid online blackouts.

The Cuban government has since launched a brutal crackdown on protests and imprisoned thousands.

“We hear the cries of freedom coming from the island,” Biden said during a July 30 meeting with Cuban-American leaders in the White House after announcing a new round of sanctions. “We’re holding the regime accountable," he promised.

Some Cuban-American politicians have argued the administration must go further in putting pressure on the Cuban government. Democratic lawmakers called on Biden to visit South Florida, a diverse and politically important region, and give a more forceful speech supporting the Cuban people.

"I think what is most important to the Cuban people is understanding that the United States stands with them and their call for freedom from both the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected — subjected by Cuba’s authoritarian regime," Psaki said July 14.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is experiencing one of the most deadly conflicts, and most severe refugee crises in the world today. The conflict began when the Tigray People's Liberation Front, a regional political party that ruled the country for decades, came into conflict with the country's current prime minister, Abiy Ahmed.

Human Rights Watch, a research and advocacy group, has described scenes of mass killings, communications blackouts, famine and the pillaging of schools, factories and hospitals. In a statement, Biden specifically condemned the use of "widespread sexual violence" as a weapon of war.

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration is "horrified by what we've seen as ongoing human rights abuses in Ethiopia."

The administration has declined to implement sanctions, instead stressing diplomacy between the parties. The administration called for a ceasefire in May, but the sides haven't listened to outside pressure.

In February: 'Gravely concerned': Secretary of State Blinken condemns reported abuse in Ethiopia's Tigray region

"The Ethiopian Government and the TPLF need to begin ceasefire negotiations immediately and without preconditions," State Department spokesperson Ned Price reiterated Aug. 5. "This should lead to a broader dialogue to find a durable political solution to this conflict."

Samantha Power, who Biden appointed as administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, traveled to the country in early August to urge both sides to allow aid groups and independent media to conduct their work informing the public and helping civilians.

"Ethiopia, when I was U.N. ambassador, was an anchor of stability," Power told NPR, describing it as "crushing" to see the country now descend into violence.

Haiti

On July 7, an armed battalion of mercenaries entered the presidential palace in the dead of night and killed Haitian President Jovenel Moïse while he was sleeping. The brazen attack threw an already unstable nation into turmoil.

At the time, Biden called the situation "very worrisome" and urged calm as the U.S. and other regional observers gathered more information. The details of the attack opened an international inquiry that involved the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation, who visited the island and met with Haitian leaders.

"We believe our focus should be assisting the Haitian Government with navigating the investigation into the assassination of President Moïse, determining who is culpable, and supporting the Haitian government as it seeks justice in this case," State Department press secretary Ned Price said during a July 12 briefing.

Haiti's interim president, Claude Joseph, called on the U.S. to send military troops into the country to help quell violence and disorder on the streets. The Biden administration declined their request, underscoring the administration's hesitancy to involve itself in foreign affairs, especially in countries with a long history of U.S. military intervention.

More: Violence overshadows memorial Mass for assassinated Haitian president

Israel

In May, a legal conflict over property rights in a Jerusalem neighborhood sparked some of the most intense fighting between Hamas militants and Israeli security forces in years.

Biden, a longtime supporter of Israel who had a decades-long relationship with then-Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, was put in a bind by the conflict. The conflict also reverberated through the U.S. with many in the Democratic Party forcefully supporting Palestinian rights.

More: Israel, Hamas agree to cease-fire after hundreds killed in Gaza

After pressure from Capitol Hill Democrats, Biden called for a ceasefire in the conflict. A longtime and integral U.S. ally in the Middle East, Israel has grown increasingly independent of American aid just as some lawmakers look to use it as leverage in negotiating peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In June, a broad coalition government ousted Netanyahu from power, raising new questions for U.S.-Israeli relations.

Myanmar

Once seen as a democratic success story in the 2010s, Myanmar experienced a quick and severe coup in the early days of the Biden administration.

In March, the country's military overthrew the civilian government. Aung San Suu Kyi, the popular human rights activist who had been detained by the military for decades, was put under house arrest, as was the democratically elected president.

In November, the civilian government overwhelmingly won elections that were deemed free and fair by outside watchdogs.

"The military must relinquish the power it seized and demonstrate respect for the will of the people of Burma as expressed in their Nov. 8 election," Biden said during a Feb. 10 speech.

In response to the coup, the administration sent sanctions against top government officials, their family members and major companies with ties to the military. U.S. diplomats also sought to mount a united front against the country by rallying regional allies, though few forcefully joined the call.

Meanwhile, protestors continued to fill the streets across the country for months amid a military crackdown. The democratic opposition has vowed it will continue to oppose the reimposition of military rule, though the situation has only deteriorated in recent months.

Reports of disappearances and human rights violations continue to emerge in the country.

An explanation: What's happening in Myanmar? Military coup and protests explained visually

After the coup: Gunshots. A man's scream. Since Myanmar coup, young men are disappearing

Follow Matthew Brown online @mrbrownsir.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel, Haiti, Cuba: 5 unexpected foreign policy situations for Biden