Political Quotes

“the matter of NATO expansion is perhaps the single most important foreign policy or defense issue to come before Congress this year. Because of the complexity of the issues involved, the importance of this decision, and its implications for our relationship with Russia, I have not rushed to judgment on this subject. Today, however, I would like to explain why after careful consideration, I have decided to support NATO expansion. The past half-century has shown the cardinal importance of American engagement in European affairs. Throughout the Cold War, our involvement in Europe, principally through NATO, helped provide a crucial framework of peace and stability in which the countries of Europe have been able to develop--giving them breathing room in which to leave behind wartime devastation and grow into prosperous trading partners and allies. Today, of course, the Cold War has ended. The importance of U.S. involvement in Europe, however, has not.”