--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are willing to uphold principles that…" description: "\"We are willing to uphold principles that have resulted in unprecedented prosperity and security throughout Europe and around the world. With the threat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/596/barack-obama-17_angela_we-are-willing-to-uphold-principles-that_1485801.jpg" --- # We are willing to uphold principles that have resulted in… ![“We are willing to uphold principles that have resulted in unprecedented prosperity and security throughout Europe and around the world. With the threat of climate change only becoming more urgent, Angela [Merkel] and I focused on the need for American and E.U. leadership to advance global…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/596/barack-obama-17_angela_we-are-willing-to-uphold-principles-that_1485801.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/596/barack-obama-17_angela_we-are-willing-to-uphold-principles-that_1485801.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/596/barack-obama-17_angela_we-are-willing-to-uphold-principles-that_1485801.jpg) > “We are willing to uphold principles that have resulted in unprecedented prosperity and security throughout Europe and around the world. With the threat of climate change only becoming more urgent, Angela \[Merkel\] and I focused on the need for American and E.U. leadership to advance global cooperation.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A call for joint US‑EU leadership to address climate change, stressing shared prosperity and security. **In simple terms:** Advocating collaborative climate leadership between America and Europe. Key Takeaway Support international cooperation on climate. Themes politics climate change leadership international relations security Mood hopeful determined urgent Type political speech policy advocacy When to use this quote - UN climate conferences - bilateral summits - policy drafting - public advocacy Key Concepts global governance environmental policy economic stability diplomacy Questions to Reflect On - How can nations reconcile economic growth with climate goals? - What mechanisms ensure equitable responsibility? A Different Perspective May underestimate political obstacles and differing national interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-leadership/) [Angela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angela/) [Around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) [Becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) [Becoming more](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming-more/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change/) [Cooperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cooperation/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [Global Cooperation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/global-cooperation-1062399/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Merkel Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merkel-focused-298121/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperity/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [Unprecedented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unprecedented/) [Uphold Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uphold-principles-3053170/) [Urgent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/urgent/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/) [Willing Uphold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing-uphold-1427507/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Angela Merkel has been focused on the right things. She has focused on the interests of her citizens - and not just in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/angela-merkel-has-been-focused-on-the-right-things-she-has-focused-on/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [We need a president who is willing to uphold the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/we-need-a-president-who-is-willing-to-uphold-the-law/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Our strategic dialogue with China can both protect American interests and uphold our principles, provided we are honest about our differences on human rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/our-strategic-dialogue-with-china-can-both-protect-american-interests/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-troubled-and-afflicted-mankind-looks-to-us-pleading-for-us-to-keep/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [This is American leadership at its best. We stand with people who fight for their own freedom, and we rally other nations on behalf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/this-is-american-leadership-at-its-best-we-stand-with-people-who/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [To all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/to-all-those-watching-tonight-from-beyond-our-shores-from-parliaments/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [American leadership is not simply a matter of going it alone and bearing all of the burden ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/american-leadership-is-not-simply-a-matter-of-going-it-alone-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [In Iraq and Syria, American leadership - including our military power - is stopping ISIL's advance, instead of getting dragged into another ground war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-iraq-and-syria-american-leadership-including-our-military-power-is/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Part of American leadership is making sure that we're doing nation building here at home. That will help us maintain the kind of American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/part-of-american-leadership-is-making-sure-that-we-re-doing-nation/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All the major problems of the world today are global in essence, and they cannot be solved unless through some kind of global cooperation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/all-the-major-problems-of-the-world-today-are-global-in-essence-and/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [All the things that we've done as a species have had a limited scope. We're talking about melting the ice caps, raising the level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/all-the-things-that-we-ve-done-as-a-species-have-had-a-limited-scope/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [Global cooperation - dealing with other countries, getting along with other countries - is good. It's very important. But there is no such thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/global-cooperation-dealing-with-other-countries-getting-along-with/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [What began in deadly competition has helped us to see that global cooperation is the essential precondition for our survival. Travel is broadening. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/what-began-in-deadly-competition-has-helped-us-to-see-that-global/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The Paris climate agreement may be a harbinger of the spirit and mindset needed to sustain genuine global cooperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/the-paris-climate-agreement-may-be-a-harbinger-of-the-spirit-and/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [“Whatever the reason we first mustered the \_Apollo\_ program, however mired it was in Cold War nationalism and the instruments of death, the inescapable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/whatever-the-reason-we-first-mustered-the-apollo-program-however/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More American leadership quotes > [Challenging American leadership is not at stake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/challenging-american-leadership-is-not-at-stake/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [Everywhere that I go in the world, people desperately look to American leadership in all of their world's most difficult problems. You can look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/everywhere-that-i-go-in-the-world-people-desperately-look-to-american/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [The small and bullying leader of Russia is now dictating terms to the United States, to the point where all the United States of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-small-and-bullying-leader-of-russia-is-now-dictating-terms-to-the/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Part of American leadership is making sure that we're doing nation building here at home. That will help us maintain the kind of American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/part-of-american-leadership-is-making-sure-that-we-re-doing-nation/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [When Iran continues to get away with bad behavior, what do our allies who are Iran's enemies think about us? It is why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/when-iran-continues-to-get-away-with-bad-behavior-what-do-our-allies/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [I want American Dream growth - lots of new businesses, well-paying jobs, and American leadership in new industries, like clean energy and biotechnology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-want-american-dream-growth-lots-of-new-businesses-well-paying-jobs/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The lesson must be learned that American leadership matters, and weak leaders leave our friends and allies more vulnerable against violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/the-lesson-must-be-learned-that-american-leadership-matters-and-weak/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) > [Our survival, the future of our civilization, possibly the existence of mankind, depends on American leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/our-survival-the-future-of-our-civilization-possibly-the-existence-of/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [Putin's Russia is our adversary and moral opposite. It is committed to the destruction of the post-war, rule-based world order built on American leadership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/putin-s-russia-is-our-adversary-and-moral-opposite-it-is-committed-to/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Without American leadership at the U.N., countries just continue to talk and socialize and spend taxpayer dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grenell/without-american-leadership-at-the-u-n-countries-just-continue-to/) [Richard Grenell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grenell/) > [At a time of change and challenge at home and abroad, these investments will enhance the security of Americans, assure the future American leadership,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/at-a-time-of-change-and-challenge-at-home-and-abroad-these/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [When the world lacks muscular and wise American leadership, it devolves into total chaos, which, in turn, produces unspeakable evils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-crowley/when-the-world-lacks-muscular-and-wise-american-leadership-it/) [Monica Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-crowley/) > [ America's exceptionalism, American leadership, the American model, the American values are not \[first with Donald Trump\] - they're something that end at the border. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/america-s-exceptionalism-american-leadership-the-american-model-the/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [Shouldn't the American leadership be addressing what is happening in America, with its domestic policies on racism, discrimination, illegal monitoring, solitary confinement, torture, Guantanamo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/shouldn-t-the-american-leadership-be-addressing-what-is-happening-in/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [When Vladimir Putin runs up against American power and American criticism and American leadership that reminds him of what Russia isn't, when he runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/when-vladimir-putin-runs-up-against-american-power-and-american/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) [Browse all 47 American leadership quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-leadership/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are willing to uphold principles that have resulted in unprecedented prosperity and security throughout Europe and around the world. 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