The world as it is

Last week's attempted coup by strident supporters of President Donald Trump sullied America's image in the world, and it also drowned out other significant news regarding American foreign policy during the Biden administration.

At the end of November, President-elect Joe Biden showed that personal familiarity and experience were at a premium in his administration as he rolled out a foreign policy and national security team including Antony Blinken as secretary of state, Alejandro Mayorkas as secretary of homeland security, Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as US ambassador to the United Nations, Jake Sullivan as national security adviser, and John Kerry as special presidential envoy for climate.

This week, this cast was expanded to include even more familiar faces. Three appointees are of particular interest to the Hellenic...