NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Forty-two years ago, Ronald Reagan stood in a ballroom in Orlando, Florida, calling for countries to unite against an evil empire and encouraging them to “not remove themselves from the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.”
Much has changed in four decades – yet the threat to freedom-loving countries has only grown.
We still exist in a world of good versus evil – freedom-loving countries like ours that support democracy, human rights, and economic freedom against countries like Russia, Communist China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, and others who control and abuse the will and God-given rights of their citizens.
On May 9th, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping will stand together in Red Square, celebrating Russia’s military and commemorating its victory in World War II. Pay attention to those who attend, as no country that supports democracy, freedom, or free trade should stand with Putin and Xi.
On my recent trip to Finland, Estonia, and Denmark, I met with our allies on the front lines defending us against Russian aggression, and I saw the benefit of President Trump pushing our NATO allies to step up and contribute more to their own defenses. These three countries are leaders in responding to President Trump’s calls, meeting and surpassing NATO minimum defense standards. Even Germany has activated its military by sending troops to help protect the border in Lithuania, though it has only just met its 2% GDP goal for the first time in almost 35 years. Unfortunately, they are not alone in this. While the U.S. is willing and able to protect our allies, we cannot do so if they are not willing and able to defend themselves.
This showdown of good versus evil will not be decided solely through traditional military actions but through economic battles as well. We must enforce strategic sanctions and work to end policies that supply our enemies with the money and economic power to fund their atrocities. We must make our enemies global pariahs and cripple their economies, otherwise the United States and our allies will not be safe.
The United States will always stand on the side of freedom and democracy; it is not only a noble fight, but an essential one. And we will always stand against those who wish us destroyed. I, for one, will be watching as every nation makes clear which side they’re on come May 9th in Red Square.
The post SEN RICK SCOTT: Red Square goes global as the world’s worst regimes gather on May 9 appeared first on Fox News.
