These are a few of the possible futures for Russia. There may be others as well. None of us knows which of these futures will really come true, or even which is most likely. We need to step back, therefore, from this unfolding spectacle and draw a couple of judgments. The first judgment is that, while we support Russian democratization, economic reform, political freedom, and prosperity for the Russian people, our main concern is to protect the American nation.
Security is our highest objective.
Our policies are aimed at preventing harmful effects to the American public from this ongoing revolution, covering an entire continent which still has a fearsome arsenal on its territory. Above all, no matter whether the nations of the former Soviet Union are democratic, no matter whether they are wealthy, we want to ensure that the United States and our interests are safe. We are fortunate that so far this rivalry has not been rekindled. During our operation in Haiti, for example, the Russians presented us with no problems in the United Nations, as one might have expected in years past. That is one great benefit of the current moment in the U.S.-Russian relationship, but it is not one that we should take for granted that we will enjoy in the future.