The audience. Questions on arrival and select add few at random which i will put to the secretary. By the way, your predecessors and most recently john kerry have addressed us on prior occasions but the times in which they served seemed less perilous than the present. Today as you and i were discussing, our country and the world face an existential threat from north Koreas Nuclear program, many governments in the middle east are struggling for stability despite the enormous reduction in the capacity of terror groups like isis, plots, and horrific violence against civilians, mostly muslims continue, and there is clear evidence of russia meddling in democratic elections in the u. S. And europe, just to name a few of the issues on your plate. Its clear that old answers dont work. Thats why many here applaud the fact that you have an unusual resume for a secretary of state. Educated as an engineer, your journey over four decades to become ceo of the worlds sixth and most the worlds sixth most valuable country is nothing less than astonishing. But hey, you were an eagle scout, one who later headed the boy scouts. Before joining the Trump Administration, you traveled widely and met regularly with Global Leaders and displayed curiosity about the world, which is of course why you received our award. As you know conducting Foreign Policy is hard, nuance, ability, trust and respect with those with whom you interact. You should know for the last five years worldclass scholars and Program Directors have helped congressional skaf on bipartisan basis, analyze toughest Foreign Policy challenges from china to putins russia to assads syria to maduros venezuela. Laying for Foreign Policy as we build relationships across the aisle. Just maybe some of our alums from our program will run for congress themselves or work for you in the state department. Let me recognize a few of our guests and then turn the podium to you. Starting with changes to the International TradeCenter Management association for hosting this event. Thank you, reagan building. 900 people wanted to fit into this 600 person auditorium, so i apologize to those who came a bit late and couldnt be accommodated. Some of our white house appointed trustees are here clul including them, a duggin, Natalie Reyes and our beloved former chairman ambassador joe guildenhorn and his amazing wife alma is here. Welcome to our supporters and ambassadors from belgium, greece, hungary, league of arab states, luxembourg, nepal, republic of slovenia and spain. Welcome, too, to senator ron johnson who has escaped for an hour from the tax wars on capitol hill and to former senator johnston. By the way, one staffer from senator johnss offions office attended our Foreign Policy program. Finally let me acknowledge our own relationship and acknowledge staff, my old buddy, margaret, your chief of staff, and newly minted and highly reviewed assistant secretary for europe we s wes mitchell. Now welcome 69th secretary of state mr. Secretary, the floor is yours. [ applause ] well, good morning. Thank you, jane, for a very kind introduction. Also thanks to the Wilson Center for this opportunity to address you today. The Wilson Center made many important contributions to Public Policy over the years and therefore very fitting venue for our discussion today on europe, 100 years ago United States entered world war i under leadership of president wilson. While we tend to associate wilson with spearheading americas first major involvement in european affairs, i think is worth remembering our commitment to europe was earlier championed by a predecessor of his, Theodore Roosevelt. When roosevelt died in 1919, just as wilson was striving for peace in europe, european leaders joined American People in an outpouring of grief and praise. British Prime Minister david george remembered him as an inspiring figure far beyond the countrys shores. Another british politician said he had been the greatest of all americans in a moment of dire stress. A french senator said apostle of cause of right on the other side of the atlantic. President roosevelt was beloved in europe because of his vigorous commitment to the continent in the years before and during world war i. While president wilson steadfastly adhered to neutrality policy, roosevelt felt responsibility to come to europes defense. It was reported he even once asked president wilson for permission to personally lead Army Division into europe. He had even written to British Army Officer saying if we had done what we ought to have done after the sinking of the ship i and my four boys would be getting ready to serve with you. What motivated Theodore Roosevelts objection and news rality and argue the defense of europe. We can see the answer in something roosevelt told u. S. Congress in 1904 and i quote, a great free people owes it to either self and to all mankind not to sink into helplessness before the powers of evil. Roosevelt knew that the defense of freedom demanded action from free nations confident in their strength and protective of their sovereignty. Roosevelt also knew that the United States and europe then, as we are now, are bound by shared principles. Our nations live to selfevident truth on which western civilization is built, liberty, equality, and human dignity. These foundational principles are protected by the construct of our institutions dedicated to the rule of law, separation of powers and representative government. Our principles are also protected by external threats from collective determination, action and sacrifice in the face of security challenges. World war i was the first great test in the 20th century of whether the United States would pay the high cost of liberty. Theodore roosevelt never participated in that war but did pay the high cost. His son clinton, fighter pilot, was killed in the skies over france. In past decades, our way of life, and by extension our core western principles have been tested by totalitarian threat of naziism, soviet power and communist ideology, by ethnic and sectarian conflicts and by internal political pressures. Together the u. S. And europe have passed these tests. We know the United States and europe are again tested today and we will be tested again. Under President Trump the United States remains committed to our enduring relationship with europe. Our security commitments to european allies are ironclad. If we are to sustain shared commitments that ensure stability in the region, the Trump Administration views it as necessary for our allies to be strong, sovereign, prosperous, and committed to the defense of shared western ideals. Over the past 10 months we have embarked on new Strategic Policy that bolsters european and american security. Namely a recommitment to europe in the failed russia reset. A new effort to adapt security institutions to combating emerging threats like terrorism, Cyber Attacks, and nuclear proliferation, and an expectation that european nations accept they are more secure when they contribute more toward their own defense. These new policy directions will better position the United States and europe to confront the challenges that threaten our prosperity. The actors that seek to sew chaos and instill doubt in our laws and institutions. The enemies that threaten our security and oppose our way of life. This is a message i will repeat in my meetings with nato and osce leaders and bilateral meetings in a trip to europe next week. The preservation of our liberty begins with guaranteeing that our people can live in safety. To that end, the United States places the highest importance on security relationships with european allies, including nato. Alliances are meaningless if their members are unwilling or unable to honor their commitments. Earlier this year President Trump reaffirmed the United States commitment to article 5 of the nato treaty because it is the best mechanism we have to deter aggression. As the text of article 5 reads, the parties agree an armed attack against one or more of them in europe or north america shall be considered an attack against them all. Any attack by any actor on a nato member state will trigger article 5 and the United States will be the first to honor the commitment we have made. We will never forget how nato members can quickly stand with us after the september 11th attack and we will do the same for them if they are attacked while the west continues to seek a new relationship with post soviet russia, thus far it has proved elusive. Both attempts by the Prior Administration to reset the russia and u. S. Europe relationships have been followed by russia invading its neighbor georgia in 2008 and ukraine in 2014. Russia continues aggressive behavior toward other regional neighbors by interfering in election processes and promoting nondism ideals. We together with our friends in europe recognize active threat of recently resurgent russia. That is why the United States has strengthened its deterrence and defense commitments in europe to the european deterr t deterrents initiative or edi. Earlier this year the administration requested 4. 8 billion in its budge towards. This increase of 1. 4 billion over the Previous Year will enhance the u. S. Militarys deterrence, defense capabilities and improve readiness of forces in europe. The edi facilitates training and exercises with our european allies and partners to better integrate our militaries and provide security for europe. It will bolster the capacity of army, navy, air force and marine corps to deploy assets and support nato joint exercises. In view of russias military exercises conducted near borders of Baltic States in september, our ability to respond to attack in concert with our allies is more important than ever. The edi also includes 150 million to help ukraine build its capacity for defending its territorial integrity. The United States recognizes that the war in ukraine, in which people are still dying every day, must come to an end. We have repeatedly urged russia to begin the path to peace by honoring its commitments under the minsk agreements. Any resolution of the war that doesnt entail fully independent, somp and territorial whole ukraine is unacceptable. Russia chose to violate the sovereignty of the largest country in europe. The United States and europe have stood shoulder to shoulder since 2014 in confronting this russian aggression with a coordinated sanctions policy. Our transatlantic unity is meant to convey to the russian government that we will not stand for this flagrant violation of international norms. We hope russia will take steps to restore ukraines full sovereignty and territorial integrity and fully implement its minsk commitments allowing us, then, to begin the process of restoring normal relations. But let me be clear, minskrelated sanctions will remain in place until russia reverses the action that is triggered them. Were committed to the success of an independent and whole ukraine. However, ukraines future depends also on winning its internal struggle to implement broad range of economic, justice security, and social sector reforms. We encourage ukraine to continue building capable, trustworthy institutions that will reduce and eventually eliminate corruption, strengthen their judicial system and deliver Economic Prosperity to their citizens. Ukraine crisis also made clear how Energy Supplies can be wielded as a political weapon, enhancing European Energy security by ensuring access to affordable, reliable, diverse and secure supplies of energy thats fundamental to National Security objectives. The United States is liberalizing rules governing the export of liquefied natural gas and u. S. Produced crude and eager to work with european allies to ensure development of needed infrastructure like import terminals and interconnecting pipelines to promote the diversity of supply to europe. In july President Trump announced that the 3c summit that the United States will provide Technical Support for croatias kirk island project. The United States will continue to support european Infrastructure Projects such as l g receiving facilities in poland and interconnector greece, bulgaria pipeline to ensure no country from outside europes energy union can use its resources or position in the Global Energy market it extort other nations. We continue to view the development of pipelines like nor stream 2 and multiline stream is unwise as they only increase market dominance from single supplier to europe. The United States recognizes the fragility of the balkans and will continue to work with partners in the eu to bring stability, prosperity and democracy to the region. The people of the balkan countries to them we say abandon your old animosities, so that peace may become permanent. You have a chance to direct the new course of history. Blood lines should no longer be battle lines. The United States and the world long to see a new generations of serbs, croatians, albanians, bosnians, kosovar and others who will forgive the past, even if they can never forget it. A testament to americas shared values with europe is cooperation on issues beyond the borders of europe which affect us all. The United States and our european allies have partnered to hold Bashar Al Assad accountable for sanctions for crimes against his own people. Since the beginning of the syrian crisis, eu and Member States have pledged over 9. 5 billion euros in humanitarian stabilization, resilience assistance. Those efforts are continuing as the Global Coalition to defeat isis stabilizes liberated areas. As the last pockets of isis are defeated in syria, International Focus turns to resolving the syrian civil conflict, our European Partners must continue to be strong advocates for the u. N. Led agageneva process unti resolution 2254. That alone can be the basis for rebuilding the country and implementing a political solution that leaves no role for assad regime or his family in syrias government. Our European Partners have also been strong supporters of our diplomatic and Economic Pressure Campaign against north korea. In addition to enthusiastically supporting u. N. Security council resolutions, countries have taken unilateral steps to maximize pressure on the regime in pyongyang. Portugal froze all diplomatic relations with dprk in july. Spain and italy have expelled north korean ambassadors. Latvia has fined banks who have violated the sanctions. Our european allies know north korea is a threat to all responsible nations and requires a coordinated response. We commend our alease for increasing pressure on the regime in pyongyang in order to achieve the complete, permanent, and verifiable denuclearization of the korean peninsula. The partnership that the United States and european nations have forged are critical are a critical basis for confronting the threats of today and tomorrow both in europe and outside of europe. The United States and europe face many challenges and threats that unlike in the past are simultaneously dispersed among many geographic front lines and across multiple do mains, whether nonstate terrorist actors, threats of a more conventional nature, cyber threats, or nuclear threats. Because we know we are stronger in confronting these challenges when we are working together, we will pursue even greater cooperation from and with the nations of europe, our best partners. History has shown that when we are united, we succeed in the face of shared challenges. As i remarked earlier, one of these challenges is russia. Europe and the United States seek a normalized relationship with russia. However, russia has shown it seeks to define new post soviet global balance of power, one in which russia, by virtue of its nuclear arsenal, seeks to impose its will on others by force or partnering with regions who show a disregard for their own citizens. This is the case with Bashar Al Assads continuous use of tem cal weapons against his own people. The dissolution in the soviet union liberalized Russian Society and created new trade opportunities that benefit russians, europeans, and americans. But russia has often employ