With his strategy to “weaken” Russia, the U.S. president could also be turning the Ukraine struggle into a worldwide one. Similarly, our alliance with South Korea has become stronger and more operationally integrated, and we continue to develop our mixed capabilities to discourage and respond to North Korean provocations. We have agreed on a plan to make sure successful transition of operational control throughout wartime and anticipate successful passage of the Korea-U.S. And our alliance has gone world, via our work together in the G-20 and the Nuclear Security Summit and through our frequent efforts in Haiti and Afghanistan. President Obama has led a multifaceted and persistent effort to embrace absolutely our irreplaceable role in the Pacific, spanning the complete U.S. government.
