"Both Moscow and Beijing have tried to exploit the pandemic to their own advantage, seek- ing to fragment our alliances and to undermine our influence abroad. They maintain that the U.S. response to COVID has not only been ineffective but that it manifests the systemic failure of Western democracies, in general, and the U.S., in particular. Their efforts have not been successful. Most U.S. allies have rejected the false premises, reflected in Russian and Chinese propaganda.

Diplomatic opportunities abound for countering the political, economic, and military challenges posed by Russia and China. We should seize upon them."