In a keynote speech given during the annual Reagan National Defense Forum in Southern California, Carter sounded off the immense threat that Russia and China’s ambitions bring to the international order. He stressed that Russia’s actions at sea, in the air, in space and in cyberspace have been very challenging for U.S. to contain. Most disturbing is Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling that raises questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s commitment to strategic stability and his respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons; and whether they respect the profound caution nuclear-age leaders showed with regard to the brandishing of nuclear weapons (Is there such a thing as nuclear space war?).