Alexander Vindman Quotes

Afghanistan is going to be here a long time, and what's critical is that Afghanistan's relationship with its neighbors are, to the maximum extent they can be, constructive and operationally useful.

And Israel, being a tiny, small country, of course has interest to strengthen - we have interest to strengthen our relations with other countries, mostly countries that were hostile for many, many years.

The reason that Americans have not been able to see the great strategic benefit that could accrue from a closer relationship with Iran is emotion.

Between major countries, there certainly always are some common ground and points of tension.

Our ability to effectively engage China and the Arab world rests on shared economic and political interests and mutual understanding.

America's relations with complex Middle Eastern states such as Egypt are often difficult.

The goal of Australian foreign policy should be to promote the maximum harmony between the U.S. and China.

A nation cannot choose its neighbors.

I sometimes feel jealous of countries like the U.S. and Great Britain that have two neighbors. ... When you have two neighbors, you have two problems. When you have eight neighbors, you have eight problems.

We [Iran and the United States] have a common destiny in this region [The Middle East].

I think the Sino-American relationship is the most important geo-strategic question facing us.

Russia is a European country, and so we'd better, if we want a powerful Europe, negotiate with Russia.

The global importance of the Middle East is that it keeps the Far East and the Near East from encroaching on each other.

My father was a Foreign Service officer, a diplomat and an Arabist who spent virtually all his career in the Near East, as it was called in the State Department. So I spent most of my childhood among the Israelis and the Arabs of Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

We have an interest in excellent relations because we are neighbours as Europeans with Russia. We are allies with the United States in the NATO framework.

When I was in college, I became interested in various aspects of foreign policy and international relations. Even as a kid, I was interested in what I call, loosely speaking, forbidden knowledge.

If you want to treat China as an enemy, you have a much better chance of making them an enemy than if you treat them as a potential friend.

In international relations, in foreign policy, a great deal has to do with historical circumstances, a great deal has to do with the sense and perception of people.

No Western government has ever played the long-term in terms of foreign policy.

Foreign policy is all about a universe of bad decisions, imperfect decisions; every situation is different. The dynamics, the atmospherics, the people, the pressures, the geopolitical realities shift.

Turkey can be a bridge to regimes and actions the United States can't reach. Turkey can talk to people the United States can't talk to.

We have come a long way in terms of foreign policy.

The U.S.-China relationship, of course, has elements of both cooperation and competition.

I think if I had to do it over again, I'd do it the same way. I would just put more resources into getting the public diplomacy part much stronger than we were able to.

India is a global power and an important partner with whom we are building an intense, broad and enduring relationship.