The U.S. Is for Democracy Again. But for How Long?

America is back. At least, that’s what Joe Biden has been telling world leaders. As congratulatory calls have poured in for the president-elect following his victory last week, the conversation has begun moving away from what Donald Trump’s legacy has been toward what Biden’s could be. In particular, after four years of the United States taking a step back from its role as a defender of democracy and human rights in favor of cultivating relationships with leaders who have little regard for either, could a Biden administration see the country begin promoting those liberal values again?

For perhaps no other country is the answer against senior Belarusian officials. But since then, the U.S. response to the prodemocracy movement has been largely muted—something Biden has pledged on to change.