I'm not going to win any points for saying this but the Biden Admin international team has been doing exceptional work from the outset. They have restored international standing, strengthened alliances, rejoined multilateral institutions, elevated US diplomacy.
The list of accomplishments is long: the leadership in this conflict is historic and will be studied & emulated for generations. But they rejoined the Paris Accord, rejoined the World Health Organization, led the global fight against the pandemic, and ended America's longest war.
Yes...the courageous decision to get out of Afghanistan was the right decision and while the exit from that country could certainly have been handled better, the net benefits were great (including giving us the bandwidth and resources to face key challenges of today).
They also, in Afghanistan, worked exceptionally closely and well with the international community and oversaw an extraordinary airlift of more than 120,000 people out of the country--the biggest such operation in modern memory.
They are now also overseeing a similarly daunting and impressive logistic heavy lift bringing weapons and aid to Ukraine. The new strategy for the Indo Pacific region is forward looking and vitally important. They have showed strength against enemies and rivals.
They have also employed long overlooked techniques to repair alliances. These include: listening, recognizing our limitations, leading not from behind or through bullying but alongside critical partners, respect, and compassion.
@POTUS and @VP have demonstrated real political courage both in the pullout from Afghanistan (doing the right thing despite pundit outcry) and now, in this crisis. Who among our recent leaders would have risked spiking gasoline prices in an election year?
But sanctioning Russian energy products was the right thing to do even if it will create hardships for every American. Leading a bipartisan effort to provide unprecedented support for Ukraine is another such accomplishment.
They have also grown and learned from what mistakes they have made in the past. @SecBlinken has already established himself at the first rank of US Secretaries of State in the modern era. His team at State is doing extraordinary work.
The team of @SecDef and the brave men and women of DoD have continued to perform at the highest level, leading and inspiring the world. The sanctions regime from @SecYellen and the economic team has been extraordinary.
The intel community has distinguished itself and the use of intel has been innovative and effective. The national security process has, based on all my conversations with leaders in the administration, worked extraordinarily well and @JakeSullivan46 has, like Blinken...
...made it clear he is at the first rank of national security advisors, a worthy heir to the late Gen. Brent Scowcroft, who echoes Brent's style and effectiveness in myriad ways. We are in the early stages of a crisis. Much can happen. Mistakes can yet be made.
But, at an extraordinarily demanding moment, one that we can now see is a turning point in history, the end of the post-Cold War era, we have been extremely fortunate. We are stronger. Our alliances are stronger. Our leaders are respected. We should be grateful.
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