The United States continues to believe that even as the most powerful nation on earth, forging shared global rules, accepting certain constraints and supporting the success of others ultimately makes the American people more prosperous, peaceful, and secure. America's commitment to “preserving and strengthening this order has never been greater,” declared Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a speech at Johns Hopkins University.
But our competitors including Russia and the People’s Republic of China have a fundamentally different vision, noted Secretary Blinken:
“They see a world defined by a single imperative. Regime preservation and enrichment. A world where authoritarians are free to control, coerce and crush their people, their neighbors and anyone else standing in the way of this all-consuming goal.”
The best way to counter this vision is to “revitalizing our greatest strategic asset, America's alliances and partnerships,” said Secretary Blinken.
“We're working with purpose and urgency to deepen, broaden and align our friends in new ways so that we can meet the three defining tests of this emerging era: a fierce and lasting strategic competition, global challenges that pose existential threats to lives and livelihoods everywhere, and the urgent need to rebalance our technological future and our economic future, so our interdependence is a source of strength, not vulnerability.”
With regard to revitalizing strategic alliances, the United States has worked to boost NATO’s capabilities and relevance and America's own commitment to it. “Today, the alliance is bigger, stronger, more united than ever,” declared Secretary Blinken. Finland has joined and Sweden soon will even as NATO's doors remain open.
A second American strategy is to weave “together our alliances and partnerships in individual and mutually reinforcing ways across issues and across continents,” said Secretary Blinken. Ukraine is a case in point:
“More than 50 countries are cooperating to support Ukraine's defense and build a Ukrainian military strong enough to deter and beat back future attacks. We've aligned scores of countries in imposing an unprecedented set of sanctions, export controls and other economic costs on Russia.”
And finally, the United States is building new coalitions to address issues like global infrastructure, food insecurity and artificial intelligence.
Working through strategic alliances, the United States is committed to laying the foundation for a freer and more open, and prosperous era for the American people and for people around the world.
