Outgoing Biden National Security Advisor Says US Is ‘Better Off,’ Defends Botched Afghanistan Withdrawal

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan asserted Sunday on CNN that America is “better off” internationally than it was four years ago, defending the administration’s disastrous withdrawal that killed 13 U.S. service members.

Under President Joe Biden’s administration, the country has faced a number of foreign policy challenges, including funding Ukraine and Israel for their ongoing wars. On “State of the Union,” host Jake Tapper questioned Sullivan on whether Biden would be leaving a “safer” America due to his leadership.

“Well, I’d start by saying our alliances are stronger than we found them four years ago. They’re stronger than they’ve been in decades. NATO is more powerful, purposeful and bigger,” Sullivan said.

“Our alliances in the Asia Pacific are at all time highs and our adversaries and competitors are weaker across the board,” Sullivan added. “Russia’s weaker. Iran’s weaker. China’s weaker. All the while we kept America out of war. So I think the American people are safer and the country is better off than we were four years ago.”

While the Ukraine-Russia war began in February 2014, Russia did not invade Ukraine until February 2022. Since the start of the invasion, the U.S. has committed an estimated $56.3 billion in “security assistance to Ukraine through both presidential drawdown authority and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative,” according to the Department of Defense (DOD) as of September 2024.

The U.S. has also supported Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas. Since then, the United States has provided an estimated $12.5 billion in direct military aid to Israel through legislation,