John Kerry

At this crucial moment, after too many years of drift in the place where al Qaeda plotted 9/11, we need to get our policy right.

Today, that goal demands a more robust commitment of coalition troops and reconstruction aid.

Make no mistake. Iraq today still presents extraordinary challenges.

It is the Iraqis who will ultimately determine their own future.

I'm concerned that it could undermine some of the positive aspects of redeployment.

It has been an enormous honor for me to have a small role in establishing the Global Food Security Act of 2009.

The recommendations discussed will have significant and lasting impact on our international partners.

This is an opportunity to reintroduce America as a leader in the world and a force for positive change.

The most critical requirement for a renewed U.S. effort in the fight against global poverty is leadership

I am especially grateful to Senator Lugar for his bold proposal, called HECTARE.

We must put in place the tools today to help prevent future food crises down the road.

The cost of not doing anything, of sitting on the sidelines, is unacceptable.

This is a moral issue that strikes at the heart of our conscience.

I intend to look closely at introducing authorization legislation to ensure that we have a strong, effective aid program.

We have to resist the urge to abdicate our responsibility as an economic and moral leader.

Hunger and malnutrition remain the No. 1 risk to health worldwide.

It has been a goal of our country, and of other countries, to try to alleviate this crisis and the suffering that it causes.

The crisis should have a major impact on Russia's external behavior and, therefore, U.S. interests.

We also have genuine concerns about Russia's troubling backsliding on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

Our challenge is to ensure that, to the extent possible, we enlist Russia to act, not just as a great power individually, but as a global partner with us and with our European allies.

Russia is, and will remain, one of the most significant foreign policy challenges for the Obama administration for years to come.

Constructive relations and greater mutual confidence with Russia are undoubtedly a challenge, but the mutual benefits of doing this are clear, and they are compelling.

Our interest in expanded cooperation with Russia is real, and it calls for sustained diplomacy to create a more productive relationship.

Russia, in my judgment, was wrong to manipulate the flow of energy to Ukraine for political purposes, and we should support Ukraine's democratically elected government.

Last, we should not forgo a core American foreign policy objective with regards to Russia--promoting democracy, good governance, transparency, and the rule of law.