geopolitics [Theme] Page 2

When I look at Russia, first and foremost, we need to be able to deter nuclear war. That is, we must have a nuclear deterrent. Second, we must be able to deter conventional conflict. This requires two things. We need to develop our defense capabilities. And we go to Congress and explain what opportunities we have and what we need to be sure that we will be able to contain Russia. And we also need partners and allies, so maintaining the efficiency and strength of relations in NATO is crucial for deterrence of the Russian Federation. On the other hand, Russia competes in what I call "hostile competition". He has a military aspect, but it falls short of armed conflict. It connects Russia cyber weapons, information operations, non-classical operations to continually promote their interests. We need to be competitive in this region. There are two things that make the U.S. unique and allow us to say that we have a strategic advantage. The first of which belongs to the strategic area. This network of partners and allies that we have created in the world after the Second world war. Just think for a second. Who is the ally of Russia? Who is an ally of China? Who is an ally of North Korea? Here I can write for now 50-60 names of countries - us allies and partners. This is what makes us strong. When Russia looks at us today, she sees not only our military capabilities, she sees the economic, political and military weight of NATO. She will not unleash the conflict with us, using the classic weapons, and if so, know where it will end. This is an important tool that we have. The great Communicator - Ronald Reagan-was able to articulate that in simple words:" Peace through strength".