On Sunday's Face the Nation on CBS, host Bob Schieffer asked former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates if he considers Russia a serious threat to U.S. national security. Gates's answer took Schieffer by surprise as he explained:

I think the greatest national security threat to this country at this point is the two square miles that encompasses the capitol building and the White House.

If we can't get some of our problems solved here at home, if we can't get our finances in a more ordered fashion, if we can't begin to tackle some of the internal issues that we have, if we can't get some compromises on the Hill to move the country forward, then I think these foreign threats recede significantly as far as being a risk to the well-being and future of this country.

On the program, Gates also said that the U.S. has "very few tactical options" in Ukraine. He also advises, "If Putin is playing a long-game, that's what we need to do." Gates's concern is not about Russia President Vladimir Putin sending in troops, he is worried about the Baltic states and making sure they have an "economic safety net" so that they do not have to yield to Russia.