President Donald Trump praised Western civilization and Western values during an address in Warsaw, Poland on Thursday, and called America’s allies to unite in the war against the radical Islamic terrorism.
During his second foreign trip since his inauguration in January, President Trump addressed a cheering crowd in the Polish capital, lauding the achievements of Western civilization and calling for its defense from “terrorism and extremism”.
“We write symphonies. We pursue innovation. We celebrate our ancient heroes, embrace our timeless traditions and customs, and always seek to explore and discover brand-new frontiers.
“We reward brilliance, we strive for excellence, and cherish inspiring works of art that honor God. We treasure the rule of law and protect the right to free speech and free expression. We empower women as pillars of our society and of our success. We put faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, at the center of our lives.
“And we debate everything. We challenge everything. We seek to know everything, so that we can better know ourselves.
“And above all, we value the dignity of every human life, protect the rights of every person and share the hope of every soul to live in freedom.”
The president also warned of new threats to the West, both on and off the battlefield.
“We are fighting hard against radical Islamic terrorism,” said Trump. “And we will prevail. We cannot accept those who reject our values and who use hatred to justify violence against the innocent.
“Today, the West is also confronted by the powers that seek to test our will, undermine our confidence and challenge our interests. To meet new forms of aggression, including propaganda, financial crimes and cyber warfare, we must adapt our alliance to compete effectively in new ways and on all new battlefields.”
While the speech largely focused on foreign policy issues and global security – touching upon Russian military activity in Ukraine and its support for the Syrian regime – Trump also warned of the threat facing Western nations from within, calling big government a danger to the “vitality and wealth” of the West.
“This danger is… the steady creep of government bureaucracy that drains the vitality and wealth of the people. The West became great, not because of paperwork and regulations, but because people were allowed to chase their dreams and pursue their destinies.”
Later on Thursday, President Trump is slated to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, ahead of the G-20 summit on Friday. Trump is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the summit.