GOOD EVENING, I'M JOHN YANG.

WHITE HOUSE ENVOYS MET AGAIN WITH UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS IN MIAMI TODAY TO DISCUSS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S PROPOSED PATH TO PEACE IN UKRAINE.

IT WAS THEIR SEVENTH MEETING OVER TWO WEEKS, INCLUDING A SESSION THIS PAST SUNDAY THAT INCLUDED SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAID THEY'VE AGREED ON A KEY ITEM.

A PEACEKEEPING ARRANGEMENT FOR POST-WAR UKRAINE.

THE ADMINISTRATION'S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY, RELEASED THIS WEEK, SAYS ENDING THE WAR IS A "CORE" U.S.

INTEREST "IN ORDER TO STABILIZE EUROPEAN ECONOMIES, PREVENT UNINTENDED ESCALATION OR EXPANSION OF THE WAR, AND REESTABLISH STRATEGIC STABILITY WITH RUSSIA."

THE CONGRESSIONALLY MANDATED DOCUMENT REFLECTS A SHIFT FROM THE STANCE OF PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS, INCLUDING MR.

TRUMP'S FIRST TERM.

EARLIER I SPOKE WITH MATTHEW KROENIG, VICE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR DIRECTOR OF THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL'S SCOWCROFT CENTER FOR STRATEGY AND SECURITY.

HE HELPED WRITE SIMILAR STRATEGY STATEMENTS UNDER PRESIDENTS GEORGE W. BUSH AND OBAMA AND IN THE FIRST TRUMP TERM.

MATTHEW: OVERALL, IT WAS A GOOD DOCUMENT WITH STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES.

STRENGTHS, A GOOD STRATEGY SHOULD TELL YOU WHAT IS NEW AND DIFFERENT.

THIS ONE DID THAT WITH A FOCUS ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

IT ALSO HAD SOME NEW IDEAS FOR NEW CHALLENGES, HOW THE U.S.

CAN MAINTAIN TECHNOLOGICAL LEADERSHIP, SO I THINK THOSE WERE THE STRENGTHS.

ON THE WEAKNESSES, IT DOWNPLAYED DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS, WHICH I THINK IS A MISTAKE.

WAS PROBABLY TOO CRITICAL OF EUROPEAN ALLIES, AND I THINK DOWNPLAYED THE CHALLENGES WE FACE FROM RIVALS LIKE CHINA.

JOHN: AT THE REAGAN NATIONAL DEFENSE FORM YOU ARE AT RIGHT NOW, I EXPECT THERE ARE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EUROPE.

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THEM OR OTHERS AT THE FORUM ABOUT THE DOCUMENT?

MATTHEW: MIXED OPINIONS ON THE DOCUMENT.

ONE EUROPEAN AMBASSADOR I SPOKE TO LAST NIGHT SAID THIS SEEMS TO BE A CONSISTENT MESSAGE NOW FOLLOWING JD VANCE'S SPEECH AT THE SECURITY CONFERENCE.

IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE IF YOU ARE A EUROPEAN OFFICIAL NOT TO QUESTION AMERICA'S COMMITMENT TO EUROPE AND THINK ABOUT HOW EUROPE MAY NEED TO GO A DIFFERENT WAY.

JOHN: IT SAYS EUROPE FACES THE PROCESS OF CIVILIZATIONAL ERASURE BECAUSE OF SUPPRESSION OF POLITICAL OPPOSITION.

WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT?

MATTHEW: I DO THINK THAT IS SOMETHING OF AN EXTENSION OF DOMESTIC POLITICS FOR THE SO-CALLED NEW RIGHT IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

I THINK THEY SEE THEIR ENEMIES'S LIBERALS AND PROGRESSIVES.

THAT IS IN THE U.S., BUT ALSO IN EUROPE.

I THINK TAKING SOME OF THEIR DOMESTIC POLITICAL POSITIONS AND EXPORTING THOSE TO EUROPE IS WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THOSE PASSAGES.

JOHN: YOU MENTIONED THE ABSENCE OF TALKING ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS.

IN THEIR PLACE, IT SEEMS TO BE THE EMPHASIS ON ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS AROUND THE WORLD.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?

MATTHEW: ALLIES AND PARTNERS IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE HAVE OFTEN FELT LIKE THEY ARE OVERLOOKED, THAT THE U.S.

HAS PAID MORE ATTENTION TO EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND ASIA.

I THINK THEY SEE THIS NEW FOCUS ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE AS OVERALL A GOOD THING.

THERE IS TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIPS, SO I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.

IT IS ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THE STRATEGY AND WILL BE WELCOMED BY THE COUNTRIES THAT ARE THE RECIPIENTS.

JOHN: THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT ONLY DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS, IT IS ALSO DIFFERENT FROM MR.

'S FIRST ADMINISTRATION.

IN THAT DOCUMENT, THE WORLD WAS FRAMED AS COMPETITION BETWEEN THOSE WHO FAVOR MORE OPPRESSIVE SYSTEMS AND THOSE WHO FAVOR FREE SOCIETIES.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT CHANGE?

MATTHEW: THAT IS A BIG CHANGE, THE 2017 NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY, THE MAIN TAKE AWAY WAS COMPETITION TAKE AWAY FROM CHINA.

THIS DOWNPLAYS OUR RIVALS.

RUSSIA AND CHINA ARE PRESENTED AS NOT POSING MUCH OF A CHALLENGE.

I THINK THE DIFFERENCE IS THE DIFFERENCE IN PERSONNEL, AND TRUMP WAS NEW TO WASHINGTON, SO HE WAS STAFFED BY TRADITIONAL REAGANITE REPUBLICANS.

THIS ADMINISTRATION, HE DOES HAVE TRADITIONAL REPUBLICANS BUT HE ALSO HAS MORE IN THE SO-CALLED RESTRAINT AND POPULIST CAMP, SO I SEE THE FINGERPRINTS ON THIS DOCUMENT.

JOHN: WHAT DO YOU SEE IS THE PRACTICAL IMPACT OF THE DOCUMENT?

SOMETHING CONGRESS MANDATES THAT HAS TO BE PRODUCED, BUT WHAT IS THE PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE?

MATTHEW: IT DOES HAVE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS.

OUR ALLIES AND ADVERSARIES ARE CAREFULLY READING THE DOCUMENT.

I TALKED ABOUT WITH SEVERAL ALLIES OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS, BUT THEN IT ALSO PROVIDES DIRECTION TO THE VAST AND NATIONAL SECURITY BUREAUCRACIES WITH MID AND LOWER LEVEL OFFICIALS AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, SO THIS DOCUMENT DOES PROVIDE AN AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT OF THE PRESIDENT'S PRIORITIES.

JOHN: HOW DO YOU THINK THIS IS BEING READ IN BEIJING OR MOSCOW?

MATTHEW: WELL, I THINK THE ANSWER MAY BE DIFFERENT.

IT DOES TALK A LOT ABOUT MAINTAINING DETERRENCE AND KEEPS OUR TRADITIONAL POLICY WITH REGARD TO TAIWAN, TALKS ABOUT RUNNING THE ECONOMIC AND TECHNOLOGY COMPETITIONS WITH CHINA.

THE RUSSIA CHALLENGE IS PRESENTED ALMOST AS SQUABBLING BETWEEN EUROPE AND RUSSIA, AND IT POSITIONS THE U.S.

AS A MEDIATOR, TRYING TO RESTORE STABILITY.

I SUSPECT PUTIN WILL SEE THAT AS A FORWARD FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL STRATEGIES THAT CORRECTLY PORTRAY PRESSURE MORE AS A THREAT TO THEM THAN THE UNITED STATES.

JOHN: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MATTHEW: