Start with Vladimir Putin going to Tehran. What is the strategic significance of that potentially.
Well the main message is that Putin is not going to give up on Ukraine and he's going to reach out to whatever allies he may
have to try to get help in that effort. And I just think it sends a very important signal to the United States and our
allies that we cannot afford to give up either. It's very important that Putin and Russia not have their way in Ukraine
and the United States and our allies and Ukraine itself are standing in the way of that happening. And that's important.
We've got to continue on the effort to make sure that Russia does not succeed. We've heard about these armed drones
supposedly that Iran will be supplying to Russia. Is that important. In and of itself or is it more of a symbol.
Well yes it's an important weapon. Make no mistake about it drones are
are very effective as an as a weapon. And we've seen the Ukrainians use drones. And I'm sure that the Russians have used
drones as well. And so these additional drones are going to give Russia some capability. But that's why it's important for the
United States and our allies to continue to provide arms to continue to provide both the medium and long range weaponry so
that we can hit Russian targets wherever they are that that remains the main.
Strategy if we're going to be able to push Russia back. There's the argument that you describe that we're supplying to
Ukrainians. There's also the sanctions that we imposed. And by the way in a form Russia is imposing sanctions right back there
threatening as you know natural gas supplies to Western Europe. And of course there's been an embargo on grain. How effective
are the Russian counter measures. Well you know Russia's learned a lot about sanctions over the
years and they found ways to try to get around some of them. These are tough. These are tough sanctions and they have
impacted on the Russian economy. There's no question about it. And it's not so easy for Putin to be able to get around some of
these sanctions in the process but they're going to try to continue to do that. There's no question about the United States
and our allies have to continue to tighten up on sanctions with regards to Russia. We are we are in this. We have made it very
clear that where we are going to confront Russia and apply not only sanctions but arms and reinforcement of our NATO allies as
a main message to Russia that they are not going to have their way. We can not afford to back away from all those efforts. Mr.
Secretary whenever you have allies at the effects of these may be disproportion on some versus others. And specifically when it
comes to natural gas from Russia that won't affect United States very much but it may well affect Western Europe and particularly
Germany. Other things that we can do to try to hold the alliance together when Germany for example is getting hurt worse than we
are. I think we've got to look at
a whole series of options to try to provide gas as a backup to the possibility that the Russians may very well cut off that
supply. I mean they've shut down the pipeline for maintenance but there is some concern that they may they may totally shut it
down. We have got to be prepared for that. The United States and our allies have to be developing backup plans to be able to
supply Europe with needed gasoline supplies. That that is critical. We are in a war whether we like it or not. We are in a
war. And we are going to have to take steps to basically counter whatever Russia's tries to do. No question that that war started
by Russia without any doubt has really thrust Western Europe back into the center of the agenda. At the same time China
remains very very important to the United States over the long term and the medium term for that matter. Our colleague John
Micklethwait the editor in chief here actually had a chance to talk with Henry Kissinger someone you know well about his new
book that's just come out. And he asked you about U.S. relations with China. And part of what Henry had to say is we don't want a
hedge of money there. At the same time we can't have too much confrontation. This is a little bit of what Henry told John.
It is of course important. To prevent Chinese or any other countries Germany.
But that is a permanent internment that it is not something that can be
achieved by. Endless confrontations.
So you heard more about in endless confrontations between the ISE states and China. Are we engaged in endless competition. I
we've gone too far in the confrontation. Is there another way. Well I I would hope that we could achieve an important balance
with China by number one making very clear that there are lines that China
cannot cross and that the United States will do everything necessary working with our allies to prevent them from from
further aggression in the South China Sea in Taiwan and in other areas. But at the same time once we've defined where those lines
are. I think there's an opportunity here to engage in diplomacy and dialogue with China. I think that is important. But you have
to do it from a position of strength. You cannot do it from a position of weakness. And that that's the difference here. If
the United States and our allies make clear where the lines are then I think it can open up opportunities for dialogue. Is there
a path and you can see from all your vast experience to avoid this being a zero sum game. Because I think sometimes President
Xi thinks that the United States basically has as its strategy in China to hold it back to hold China back. So a lot of who the
United States thinks that for China to win the United States has to lose. Is there a way that both sides can win.
But I believe that it's that can be the case. China has a strong economy.
We're part of a global world. I think that this world has plenty of room for competition between China and the United States and
others as well. That is really the kind of globalism we ought to be seeking which is one of having strong competition with China
and others. As far as trade is concerned and yet maintaining a relationship and having a constant dialogue. Look there are
going to be areas we don't agree with. There are going to be areas we're going to have to confront China. But at the same
time there are areas where we can work together. And I think we want to be trying to explore those opportunities as well in
order to make this all work. Mr. Secretary whether it's respect to Europe and Russia with respect to China we have going to have
to look at a permanently elevated level of defense spending. Again you've got to do this from a position of strength and
obviously maintaining a strong military is critical to our ability to say to the world that the United States remains the
strongest military power on the face of the earth. At the same time you have to have strong diplomacy. It isn't just military
power that's going to do it. You've got to be able to have strong diplomacy operating with strong military power to kind of
be able to work with the rest of the world in order to achieve hopefully peace and prosperity. Look I don't think we have to be
in constant confrontation with everybody in the world. That's that's simply not going to work. And it's intense. No it's no
answer to living in the 21st century. But ultimately what we do have to do is to be strong and then build relationships with our
allies around the world and then use those alliances in order to work with our adversaries. That has to be the key to the 21st
century.