"You mean Ron DeSantis?" Brennan interjected.

"Right. But I will – but I will say this. It is really important that whoever runs for president of the United States understands the essence of this conflict, the fact that we are defending not just Ukrainian independence, but we're defecting a rule – we are defending a rules-based system that says, might doesn't make right, you can't just extinguish your neighbor," Rice said. "And, oh, by the way, for those who would say, oh, we ought to be concentrating on the Indo-Pacific because China is really our adversary, Xi Jinping is telling you what he thinks about that, because he is not only watching what is going on in Ukraine. According to our intelligence, apparently, he's even considering getting in on the side of the Russians."

Brennan wondered "why do you think he would make that judgment?" and "why is it in his interest to extend the war?"

Rice explained that "we have – we have – yes, so, I think we have to recognize that the Chinese-Russian relationship is perhaps more strategic than many of us had thought, that it really is a relationship that is aimed at the heart of US power in the world."

Rice opined that "these two are not divisible. So, if you want to say, let's just concentrate on the Indo-Pacific, that's not going to work. And oh, by the way, many of our allies, Australia, Japan, fundamentally understand that. So, I would say to those who are going to run for office, be careful what you say. And I would just make one other point."

Critically, Rice further added that "if the American people see a world in which Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have won this engagement, this first volley, if you will, in the larger strategic picture, and they see that Ukrainian independence has been extinguished, and they know that the United States could have done something about it, I don't think that's going to be a very good message for a future president to have to deliver."

Everybody should "just remember dates, 1914, 1941, 2001," Rice suggested, because "these conflicts always come home."

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