“With the scenery and backdrop of graduates in uniform at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the commander-in-chief laid out a roadmap for American engagement at a time when polls suggest that a war-weary American public would rather just stay focused at home,” Defense One reports.  

“Five and a half years into his presidency, Barack Obama has just given international engagement advocates their best case yet for global action by pushing back on the notion of America in retreat from the world. Most importantly, the president steered a path that is interventionist without solely relying on the use of force or American boots on the ground—countering critics who say the country is disengaged or that the United States can’t afford to get involved overseas.”  

“For those looking for an overarching frame, Obama laid out a multi-faceted toolbox of approaches to a dangerous and chaotic world in which options exist for something in-between troops on the ground and doing nothing. For those looking for specific policies, the president can point to a range of non-military solutions to hot spots: sanctions on Russia for its behavior in Ukraine, diplomacy despite Russia to get chemical weapons out of Syria, drones to hunt down terrorists in Africa and the Middle East, international organizations to solve thorny issues like climate change and trade. Moreover, he argued for giving the nuclear negotiations with Iran time to work before concluding the deal is unworkable.”  

James Oliphant : “President Obama’s foreign policy has been savaged for lacking consistency and showing few if any real results, the kind that can be credited with either improving U.S. security or contributing to stability around the world. The reboot he outlined Wednesday probably won’t either.”