The threats we face today as Americans respect no nation’s borders.  Think of them:  terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, drug trafficking, ethnic and religious hatred, aggression by rogue states, environmental degradation.  If we fail to address these threats today, we will suffer the consequences in all our tomorrows.

Of course, we can’t be everywhere.  Of course, we can’t do everything.  But where our interests and our values are at stake, and where we can make a difference, America must lead.  We must not be isolationist.

We must not be the world’s policeman.  But we can and should be the world’s very best peacemaker.  By keeping our military strong, by using diplomacy where we can and force where we must, by working with others to share the risk and the cost of our efforts, America is making a difference for people here and around the world.  For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age, there is not a single Russian missile pointed at America’s children.

North Korea

North Korea has now frozen its dangerous nuclear weapons program.  In Haiti, the dictators are gone, democracy has a new day, the flow of desperate refugees to our shores has subsided.  Through tougher trade deals for America—­over 80 of them—­we have opened markets abroad, and now exports are at an all-time high, growing faster than imports and creating good American jobs.

Northern Ireland

We stood with those taking risks for peace:  In Northern Ireland, where Catholic and Protestant children now tell their parents, violence must never return.  In the Middle East, where Arabs and Jews who once seemed destined to fight forever now share knowledge and resources, and even dreams.

Bosnia

And we stood up for peace in Bosnia.  Remember the skeletal prisoners, the mass graves, the campaign to rape and torture, the endless lines of refugees, the threat of a spreading war.  All these threats, all these horrors have now begun to give way to the promise of peace.  Now, our troops and a strong NATO, together with our new partners from Central Europe and elsewhere, are helping that peace to take hold.

As all of you know, I was just there with a bipartisan congressional group, and I was so proud not only of what our troops were doing, but of the pride they evidenced in what they were doing.  They knew what America’s mission in this world is, and they were proud to be carrying it out.

Through these efforts, we have enhanced the security of the American people.  But make no mistake about it:  important challenges remain.

Russia

The start II Treaty with Russia will cut our nuclear stockpiles by another 25 percent.  I urge the Senate to ratify it—­now.  We must end the race to create new nuclear weapons by signing a truly comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty—­this year.