Biden approves secret national security memo before Trump returns to White House – AP

The Associated Press (AP) has reported that current US President Joe Biden has approved a new secret national security memorandum before Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Source: European Pravda, citing an article by the AP

Details: The memo is reported to be a roadmap for the incoming administration in its efforts to counter the cooperation between China, Iran, North Korea and Russia.

According to the AP, Biden administration officials began drafting the recommendations this summer.

Two senior administration officials said the document was designed to help the next administration develop its approach from day one in responding to the deterioration of relations with key US adversaries and competitors.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that the classified memo would not be made public due to the sensitivity of some of its findings.

The document outlines four key recommendations: enhancing interagency collaboration within the US government, expediting information sharing with allies regarding four primary adversaries, fine-tuning the application of sanctions and economic tools for optimal impact, and bolstering preparedness for addressing multiple crises involving adversaries concurrently.

The AP noted that although Biden and Trump have starkly different worldviews, officials from both administrations say they have sought to coordinate their actions on national security matters during the transition of power.

One official said Biden's memo "isn’t trying to box [the Trump administration] in or tilt them toward one policy option or another".

They added that the document is designed to assist the incoming administration in building "capacity" as it develops policies on some of the most challenging foreign policy issues it will encounter.

Background:

• In November, Joe Biden hosted Donald Trump at the White House to discuss the transition of power.
• The White House later said the meeting had lasted almost two hours and focused on the transition of power and current issues in American politics.

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