The State of the World, According to McMaster

UNITED STATES

“As our foreign policies swung from over-optimism to resignation, identity politics interacted with new forms of populism. That interaction divided us and diminished confidence in our democratic principles, institutions, and processes. We might apply empathy to ourselves as well as to the other and, as we discuss the challenges we face, seek a common understanding, and work together to secure freedom and prosperity for future generations.”

Battlegrounds, Sept. 2020

RUSSIA

“I don’t think a nuclear weapon is usable [in Ukraine]. I think that we ought to take it seriously—we have to—but we ought to not allow this to cow us in terms of the support for the Ukrainians.”

CBS News, Oct. 2022

UKRAINE

“As ugly as democracy is, democracies are actually pretty darn resilient and you see that with Ukrainians. I hope Ukrainians inspire confidence in all of us across the free world.”

CBS News, Feb. 2022

IRAN

“What has been different about [the wave of civil unrest after the death of Mahsa Amini] is that it is being sustained over multiple days, it’s national and it’s widespread. So far, the IRGC and the Basij...have been unable to stop it...I think stability in Iran is a myth and I think [the new wave of civil unrest] could be the beginning of the end.”

Hoover Institution, Sept. 2022

AFGHANISTAN

"We talked ourselves into defeat in Afghanistan. We had a sustainable commitment and we were engaged in a righteous and worthwhile mission…a mission that was grounded in our interests and in the interests of all humanity...We are facing the growth, now, of a multigenerational problem of jihadist terrorism, and disengaging from it is not the answer because it seeds the initiative and resources to our determined, brutal, murderous enemies.”

Wilson Center, Aug. 2021

CHINA

“[Our previous approach] was still based on this assumption that we were going to change China — that our international approach would essentially moderate China’s behavior and the Chinese Communist Party would eventually see the tremendous benefit of playing by the rules. I think we have to take a different approach at this point. I think we have to recognize that the party is what the party is — especially under Xi Jinping, who has extended his rule already once and will do so again, almost certainly...I think it’s really important for us to recognize the need for multilateral cooperation.”

NPR, April 2021

NORTH KOREA

“If North Korea’s ultimate goal is a ‘final victory,’ defined by a unified Korea, acknowledging North Korea as a limited nuclear power and pursuing a strategy of containment is not acceptable. It seems clear that U.S. strategy should be to sustain international support behind a strategy of maximum pressure to test the thesis that Kim Jong Un can be convinced that his regime is safer without nuclear weapons than it is with them.”

Hoover Institution, March 2021