On the recordMarch 1, 2017
I am here to discuss, along with the Senator from Delaware, the issue of Russia. I know it has been at the forefront of much of the debate that is ongoing in this country. I wanted to begin by commending the Vice President and Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of State for the strong message of support for NATO. That includes the President last night and their strong support, by the way, for the Transatlantic Alliance that these individuals outlined during their respective visits to the Munich Security Conference and meetings with allies in February. At that Munich Security Conference on February 18, the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, said: ``I hope [he means the world] will choose a democratic world order, a post-West one, in which each country is defined by its sovereignty.'' I think that based on recent history, it is clear that when a Russian leader says ``post-West,'' we should interpret that as a phrase to mean post-America. So I would ask the Senator with regard to this, what are his views with regard to Vladimir Putin's desire to establish spheres of influence in Europe and the Middle East, create divisions with our allies. How should we view the Russian world view as it compares to the national interests of the United States?
Source
govinfo.gov




