Jake Sullivan

And we applied that lesson in other places, like in Ukraine, where in the run-up to the Russian invasion, we shut down our embassy. We got all diplomats out of harm's way. And so a lot of the things that we did to prepare for the Russian invasion were direct lessons that we learned from Afghanistan.

And we applied that lesson in other places, like in Ukraine, where in the run-up to the Russian invasion, we shut down our embassy. We got all diplomats out of harm's way. And so a lot of the things that we did to prepare for the Russian invasion were direct lessons that we learned from Afghanistan.

Well, the way that I look at this is that we are in a moment of transition in world affairs. That is the culmination of a lot of factors leading to this point. The post-Cold War era is over. The period of American primacy from the 90s and early 2000s, that has come to an end. That came to an end before President Biden came into office.

Well, the way that I look at this is that we are in a moment of transition in world affairs. That is the culmination of a lot of factors leading to this point. The post-Cold War era is over. The period of American primacy from the 90s and early 2000s, that has come to an end. That came to an end before President Biden came into office.

So our time in the seat, our four years, has really been about... a competition for what comes next. What does that look like? So I do not deny that there has been turbulence, and I have the years off my life to basically affirm that there has been turbulence over these last four years. And yes, when you end a 20-year war,

So our time in the seat, our four years, has really been about... a competition for what comes next. What does that look like? So I do not deny that there has been turbulence, and I have the years off my life to basically affirm that there has been turbulence over these last four years. And yes, when you end a 20-year war,

with all of the decisions that had been taken leading up to the point when it was handed off to us, with the Taliban in its strongest position, the United States at its lowest troop level since 2001, and a Doha agreement that had us have to leave by May 1st of 2021. Yes, it was not going to be easy leaving that war. It was not. But for me, when history looks back at this period,

with all of the decisions that had been taken leading up to the point when it was handed off to us, with the Taliban in its strongest position, the United States at its lowest troop level since 2001, and a Doha agreement that had us have to leave by May 1st of 2021. Yes, it was not going to be easy leaving that war. It was not. But for me, when history looks back at this period,

where necessarily there is going to be change and upheaval in the world. The question is, did we navigate through it in a way where we gave a stronger hand to the administration who's coming in than the one that we received? And I think that the verdict of history will be that we very much did. Our alliances are stronger. Our enemies are weaker. The United States itself is not at war.

where necessarily there is going to be change and upheaval in the world. The question is, did we navigate through it in a way where we gave a stronger hand to the administration who's coming in than the one that we received? And I think that the verdict of history will be that we very much did. Our alliances are stronger. Our enemies are weaker. The United States itself is not at war.

And the basic foundations of American strength, our economy, our infrastructure, our innovation base, our defense industrial base are considerably more powerful and more robust than they were when we took office. And as President Trump comes into office, we have teed up for him, in my view, opportunities because the United States is in a position of considerable strength.

And the basic foundations of American strength, our economy, our infrastructure, our innovation base, our defense industrial base are considerably more powerful and more robust than they were when we took office. And as President Trump comes into office, we have teed up for him, in my view, opportunities because the United States is in a position of considerable strength.

I think President Trump was right, and I actually said so at the time, even before we came into office. I said he was right about the basic proposition that the United States was in an intense long-term competition with China.

I think President Trump was right, and I actually said so at the time, even before we came into office. I said he was right about the basic proposition that the United States was in an intense long-term competition with China.

That the era that they kind of called engagement, this idea from the 90s and 2000s that if you brought China into the international economic order, into the international system, they would somehow liberalize, transform, become a more responsible actor, that that idea had not borne out. The evidence on that was pretty clear by the end of the Obama administration.

That the era that they kind of called engagement, this idea from the 90s and 2000s that if you brought China into the international economic order, into the international system, they would somehow liberalize, transform, become a more responsible actor, that that idea had not borne out. The evidence on that was pretty clear by the end of the Obama administration.

And so I think President Trump was correct in saying that China is seeking to gain advantage in the international system at the expense of the United States, and the United States needs to step up to push back because our interests and our values are at stake. I think he was right about that.

And so I think President Trump was correct in saying that China is seeking to gain advantage in the international system at the expense of the United States, and the United States needs to step up to push back because our interests and our values are at stake. I think he was right about that.

I think his execution of that was wanting in a lot of ways, but the most fundamental way was that he did not recognize the central importance of having strong allies and partners aligned with us in carrying out the competition with China.

I think his execution of that was wanting in a lot of ways, but the most fundamental way was that he did not recognize the central importance of having strong allies and partners aligned with us in carrying out the competition with China.