Thread by @jseldin

Happening now: "The president deals w/the world as it is-we deal w/dictators & authoritarian regimes as they are, not as we hope them to be" US Nat'l Security Adviser @robertcobrien tells @HudsonInstitute

"We don't turn a blind eye to their conduct expecting somehow that they'll change" per @robertcobrien

"He's done the hard work of strengthening our alliances & in doing so has put substance over style, & he's been criticized for that" he adds

"We think that his actions have demonstrated that the US will no longer be a party to arrangements, organizations, int'l conventions, treaties where our sovereignty is not respected" per @robertcobrien

".. led to demonstrable results that have made the American ppl safer"

"Today, we're down to 4,500 troops in #Afghanistan" per @robertcobrien "There are 6,100 coalition troops, most of them from @NATO"

"So, for the 1st time in the #Afghan conflict we have more of our partners bearing the burden...and the same thing is happening in #Iraq"

"America's days of leading from behind, or the days of strategic patience, are over" per @WHNSC's @robertcobrien

"President Trump's bold leadership style is going to be key as we build a new int'l consensus against #China" he adds

US-#China: "I don't think necessarily is going to be a cold war" per @robertcobrien "We want great relations with China. The Chinese ppl are wonderful ppl"

"Hundreds of thousands of them have studied here. We have many Americans of Chinese descent" per @robertcobrien "#China has traditionally been an American ally"

"The problem that we have is...the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to spread their tentacles not just across #China but across the world & to control us the way they control their own ppl" per @robertcobrien

"Great countries don't build themselves on theft" per NSA @robertcobrien on #China

"We've got to put an end to that"

US post #INF Treaty

"We're developing #hypersonic weapons, we're developing ballistic missile delivery systems that will keep America safe" per @robertcobrien

"That will deter #China. And we'll deploy the same missiles if necessary in #Europe to deter the #Russia|ns"

"It's classic peace thru strength" adds @robertcobrien

"It will also put us in the posture to have real arms control in the future"

"The New START Treaty is not a great deal. It is was a treaty that President Trump would never have negotiated" per @robertcobrien, saying while it limits US, #Russia strategic delivery systems & warheads "there's no limit to other missile systems or warheads"

"We've made an offer to the #Russians... there's been progress on this front" per @robertcobrien

#ISIS #alQaida in #Africa

"Ultimately, the Africans are going to have to fight this fight themselves" per @robertcobrien "We're going to be there to support them& to help"

"This is an area of burden sharing where we think our European allies can come to the fight in a big way"

"It's going to have to be an African, European response supported by the US" per @robertcobrien on #Africa-#terrorism