In a first for With Honor, we were proud to sponsor the Halifax International Security Forum (HFX), a critical venue for examining the policies shaping allied deterrence, defense modernization, and strategic cooperation among democracies amid ever-increasing authoritarian regimes. The theme of this year’s Forum was “Democracy,” and the panelists and participants discussed democracy’s strengths and the increasing threats to democracies around the globe.
"At a moment when alliances are being questioned, it’s important for American leaders to show up to this Forum and forums like this around the world."
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen Ranking Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
The U.S. sent a bipartisan Congressional Delegation (CODEL) and reemphasized our commitment to our democratic allies and partners. The CODEL was led by Senator Shaheen (D-NH) and she was joined by Senators Rounds (R-SD), Coons (D-DE), Cramer (R-ND), King (I-ME), Tillis (R-NC), Welch (D-VT), and Hoeven (R-ND). Senator Shaheen emphasized the importance of HFX: “At a moment when alliances are being questioned, it’s important for American leaders to show up to this Forum and forums like this around the world.”
Front row: U.S. Senators Chris Coons, Mike Rounds, and Angus King; Senators Peter Welch and Thom Tillis directly behind them to the right.
There was no shortage of news coming out of Halifax, and we were excited to be in the middle of it all. During the Forum, news broke regarding a proposed peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine war. The bipartisan Senators spoke directly with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Senator Rounds discussed the call with reporters at HFX and described the proposed peace plan: “It is not our recommendation. It is not our peace plan. It is a proposal that was received, and as an intermediary, we have made arrangements to share it — and we did not release it. It was leaked.”
In the midst of active negotiations over the future of Ukraine, it’s more important than ever to be in the room with like-minded democracies committed to collective security and the defense of sovereign nations. The bipartisan U.S. Congressional Delegation’s attendance sent a strong message and reaffirmed the U.S.’s commitment to our democratic allies and partners. The conversations in Halifax underscore why principled, mission-driven veteran leadership is essential to navigating this moment. We look forward to carrying that momentum into the months ahead as Congress still must pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and annual appropriations bills.
With Honor’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Sean McClintock, leads a conversation on the global rules-based order.
The theme of the Forum was “democracy” and support for Ukraine was central to the discussion as our allies and partners around the globe do not want to see a democratic Ukraine fall to an authoritarian Russia. Ms. Lesia Orobets, Founder, Price of Freedom, Ukraine stressed that democracies fight differently than autocracies because they are fighting for something and not for someone: “Yes, we are weaker as democracies because we have to find a common will to act, but the only thing we have stronger is that free people fight better. We have motivation, we have resourcefulness and we know why.”
"Yes, we are weaker as democracies because we have to find a common will to act, but the only thing we have stronger is that free people fight better."
Lesia Orobets Founder, Price of Freedom and former Member of the Ukrainian Parliament
Senator Coons spoke passionately regarding democracy and how vital it is for citizens to actively participate in their country: “Democracy is a verb, not a noun. It is something we have to do, and we have to practice. And when we do that, then we help inspire the rest of the world to recognize that our prosperity is rooted in our freedom. Freedom which is guaranteed and secured by our democracy.”
Much of the Forum was focused on defense, defense spending, and modernization, but the panelists also stressed the importance of soft power and foreign aid: “One of the things that autocracies simply cannot buy, no matter how much they try, is soft power.” stated Ravi Agrawal, Editor-in-Chief, Foreign Policy Magazine. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) stressed the importance of U.S. aid to Africa: “Aid to friends, would-be friends, and possible friends is a bargain compared to munitions. I just think we need to be more directly engaged in Nigeria.”
"Aid to friends, would-be friends, and possible friends is a bargain compared to munitions."
U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer Member, Senate Armed Services Committee
With Honor is proud to have sponsored HFX this year and we look forward to returning next year. In 2025, With Honor participated in the Munich Security Conference, London Defence Conference, and Halifax International Security Forum. All three of these international security conferences continue to have strong bipartisan support and send a strong message to our adversaries that despite our political differences, the U.S. and our allies and partners are committed to democracy and will fight to preserve our freedoms.
Senator Chris Coons and With Honor’s Vice President of Government Affairs Sean McClintock.
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