Harris says West Point graduates entering ‘increasingly unsettled world’

Vice President Harris told graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point that they are entering an “increasingly unsettled world” in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and with continued threats around the world. 

Harris said in her commencement address to the West Point graduates that the world has changed significantly since they began as students at the academy. She noted that the pandemic caused the deaths of millions and “upended” life for many more, the U.S. ended its longest war in Afghanistan and Russia launched the first major European ground war since World War II with its invasion of Ukraine. 

“Looking forward to the future, it is clear you graduate into an increasingly unsettled world where longstanding principles are at risk,” Harris said. 

She said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an “attack on the lives and freedom” of the Ukrainian people and on international rules that have “served as the foundation of international security and prosperity” for decades. 

She also mentioned that China has been modernizing its military while it threatens freedom of the waters in the Indo-Pacific region and violates rules of international commerce. 

China has increasingly stepped up its threats and military operations in the South China Sea and near Taiwan, which is a self-governing democratic island that China claims as part of its own. The U.S. has also accused China of violating international trade practices. 

Harris said autocracies have also become bolder, terrorism remains a threat and climate change is affecting more people’s lives, which she said is all “a threat to global stability and security.” 

“In the face of all these challenges, America plays a singular role of leadership,” she said. 

She said global prosperity depends on U.S. leadership, and U.S. strength is “indispensable” to the world, inspiring other countries with its democracy and driving growth in the global economy. 

She added that the U.S. military is the strongest in the world and maintains global and U.S. security. 

“And it is this pillar of our strength where you, cadets, have dedicated yourself to lead,” Harris said.