LARGE MILITARY FORCE AND THE
ABILITY TO CREATE A LOT OF
MISCHIEF AROUND THE WORLD.
>> LETS BRING IN FORMER DEFENSE
SECRETARY LEON PANETTA.
IT IS SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH
US, MR. SECRETARY.
IM SURE YOU HEARD STEVE
RATNERS REVIEW OF OUR MILITARY
MITE VERSUS RUSSIAS AND THE
REST OF THE WORLD.
IM CURIOUS HOW YOU ASSESS THE
THREAT FROM RUSSIA.
>> I THINK THE MAIN THREAT FROM
RUSSIA IS THAT WERE IN A NEW
CHAPTER OF THE COLD WAR AND
PUTIN HAS READ WEAKNESS ON THE
PART OF THE UNITED STATES AND
HAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THAT
GOING INTO THE UKRAINE, INTO
SYRIA, LIBYA, AND INTERFERING
WITH OUR ELECTION INSTITUTIONS
HERE.
THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT RUSSIA
HAS BEEN AGGRESSIVE IN THIS
PERIOD OF TIME AND THE UNITED
STATES REALLY HAS NOT STOOD UP
TO RUSSIA DURING THAT PERIOD AS
WELL.
AND I THINK THAT IS THE
DIFFERENCE WITH THIS MEETING
BETWEEN PUTIN AND JOE BIDEN
TODAY.
>> SECRETARY PANETTA, YOUVE
BEEN CLEAR ONE OF THE PRINCIPLE
EMPHASIS SHOULD BE ON THE CYBER
ATTACKS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF
RUSSIA.
YOU SAID PRESIDENT BIDEN NEEDS
TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO PUTIN YOU
WILL PAY A PRICE, PERIOD.
WHAT IS THAT PRICE, IN YOUR
VIEW?
>> I THINK THE CYBER ATTACKS,
THE RANSOMWARE THAT HAVE GONE
AFTER OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, THE
PIPELINE, THE MEAT DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEMS, REALLY IMPACTS ON OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY.
AND THE POINT THAT JOE BUY DEPP
HAS
BIDEN HAS TO MAKE IS THE UNITED
STATES WILL NOT TOLERATE RUSSIA
OR ANYBODY ELSE ATTACKING OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS COUNTRY
AND THAT THIS HAS TO STOP AND IF
IT DOESNT, THAT THEY WILL PAY A
PRICE.
WHAT KIND OF OFFENSIVE
CAPABILITIES WE HAVE IN OUR
CYBER ARENA.
I DO THINK ITS VERY IMPORTANT
TO MAKE CLEAR TO THE RUSSIANS
THAT WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING
IN TERMS OF CYBER ATTACKS ON OUR
COUNTRY IS NOT TOLERABLE, WILL
NOT BE ACCEPTED, AND WE WILL
RESPOND IF THEY CONTINUE.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU DO WITH AN
ADVERSARY LIKE VLADIMIR PUTIN
WHO DOESNT SEEM TO CARE WHEN HE
HEARS RHETORIC ABOUT PAYING A
PRICE?
HE SAYS, OKAY, YOURE GOING TO
SLAP MORE SANCTIONS ON ME?
I CAN LIVE WITH THAT.
HOW DO YOU MAKE CLEAR THE PRICE
IS NEW, THE PRICE IS DIFFERENT,
AND IT WILL ACTUALLY COST HIM
THIS TIME?
>> WELL, THATS THE MAIN POINT.
FOR TOO LONG THE UNITED STATES
HAS NOT STOOD UP TO PUTIN AND
MADE CLEAR WHERE THE RED LINES
ARE AND WHAT LINES SHOULD NOT BE
CROSSED IN THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
RUSSIA.
IF JOE BIDEN IS SUCCESSFUL IN
MAKING CLEAR WHERE THOSE RED
LINES ARE, THEN I THINK THERES
AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO SEE IF
THERE ARE AREAS WHERE BOTH
RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES CAN
WORK TOGETHER.
BUT IT HAS TO BE FROM A POSITION
OF STRENGTH.
THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN DEAL WITH
PUTIN IS FROM A POSITION OF
STRENGTH.
IF YOU DONT MAKE CLEAR THAT
THERE ARE AREAS WE ARE NOT GOING
TO TOLERATE IN THE FUTURE IN
TERMS OF OUR RELATIONSHIP AND WE
WILL RESPOND IF NECESSARY THEN
EUROPE RATING FROM A POSITION OF
WEAKNESS.
I DONT THINK THATS WHAT JOE
BIDEN IS DOING.
THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY IS
DOING WELL, WERE DEALING WITH
COVID BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY,
HES REAFFIRMED ALL OF OUR
ALLIANCES, THE G7, NATO, AND
STRENGTHENED OUR ALLIANCES IN
EUROPE WHICH IS PROBABLY THE
MOST IMPORTANT THING THE UNITED
STATES COULD DO IN TERMS OF
SAYING TO RUSSIA, LOOK, THIS IS
NOT JUST THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE UNITED STATES PLUS
OUR STRONGEST ALLIES SAYING TO
RUSSIA DO NOT CONTINUE TO TRY TO