Ben Cardin

To get a change in behavior in North Korea, it is going to require greater support from China.

A denuclearized Korean Peninsula is absolutely essential, and we must do everything we can to make that a reality.

We cannot do this alone, that we have to work with China, we have to work with Japan.

North Korea is critically important to our policies in Asia and our global policy.

Without that, I am afraid the stability in the country will not be there.

I think Ukraine could be a case in point of how the international community, working with the Government of Ukraine, which I think is sincere in trying to root out corruption, can address this issue.

The impunity rate cannot be reduced, it is not going to make much difference these reforms.

Both need to be dealt with for Ukraine to be successful.

What I got from my visits is that the people of Ukraine want a government that is honest, that gives them a fair shake, and that represents all the people.

If they cannot deal with this issue, their future is not going to be very bright.

Developing achievable goals on reducing the impunity rates on the expectations of an independent judiciary, of independent prosecutors, of funding these offices, of implementing the anticorruption laws, transparency, those types of issues…

America's investment in Ukraine is about far more than protecting the choice of a single European country.

Ukraine has a dual challenge. It has the external interference by Russia, which has affected not only its territorial integrity, but also its ability to advance a strong, independent state.

It is about protecting the rules-based system across Europe and around the world.

But as you are looking at Project Aim 2020 and rebalancing, which in many cases is code for downsizing, do you have a concern that young people may not see the future of the agency and that you may not be able to recruit?

The mission of the agency is critically important to this country.

I will just add if you look at the TPP sections on good governance and human rights, you see that we are developing some international standards that are not our standards but are minimum standards.

It seems to me and knowing their DNA, they are not going to voluntarily agree to allow for a free press and dissent, et cetera.

I could not agree with you more.

I think that is not a bad model.

It is a nuclear weapons state. For me, the answer to that is absolutely not, and it had better be absolutely not.

Do not make it violent. Disagreement is fine.

I do not think that the status quo, and a status quo which we tolerate through strategic patience, is really a viable alternative.

It is hard for me to understand how they think because of the nature of their leadership.

If that is the case, if it is regime survival, one could also argue then advancements on human rights, particularly freedom of expression, knowing this government, is going to be extremely difficult because I think they look at that as a…