Publication

This analysis looks back at President Barack Obama’s foreign policy and contends that it has been marked by three pillars – 1) "military reticence" and greater burden-sharing on the part of allies and partners; 2) an emphasis on dialog with past enemies such as Cuba and Iran; and 3) a shifting of America's focus away from Europe towards Asia and a to lesser extent the Middle East. Despite these preferences, however, from 2011 onwards the Arab Winter and the Ukraine crisis have prevented Obama from fully pursuing his preferred grand strategy.