Linda Thomas-Greenfield: “Not paying our bills really does diminish our power, and it diminishes our leadership.”

We know the outcomes of these sham referenda were predetermined in Moscow. They, in no way, represent a legitimate expression of the will of the Ukrainian people. The will of the Ukrainian people is clear every day as they fight valiantly…

The truth is that this war was one man`s choice, and one man alone -- President Putin. It was his choice to force hundreds of thousands of people to stuff their lives into backpacks and flee the country.

The alliance is strong. NATO is stronger than it`s ever been, and the European alliance and partnership with the United States is stronger than it`s ever been.

We are stronger than we ever were before in terms of the European Union, NATO. All of this was not part of Putin`s plan. I think he thought that we would start to fray around the edges very, very quickly.