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In her first extended public remarks about the recent deadly attacks in Paris, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that Americans "can't close our eyes" to the "dangerous strain of extremism within the Muslim world."

Speaking at a luncheon in Winnipeg, Canada, Clinton said that Western democracies are engaged in a "contest of ideas and values" that she characterized as a "generational challenge."

"The slaughter of satire writers and Jews and police officers sharpened the true contours of this struggle," she said.

"Were not contesting against the vast majority of Muslims," who are "peaceful and tolerant people," Clinton added. "But we cant close our eyes to the fact that at this time in our world history, there is a distorted and dangerous strain of extremism within the Muslim world that continues to spread.

Radical Islamistsare "few in number" but have "the capacity to cause huge damage," Clinton said, adding that "we are confronting an ideology of hate" that is "based on a claim to absolute truth and total intolerance for the beliefs and rights of their fellow human beings.

In her remarks, Clinton, who is widely expected to make an announcement this spring that she is running for president, also talked of the need to reverse the trend of rising income inequality in the U.S. and other developed nations. She noted that Canada had adopted policies that have slowed the growth of inequality in that country.

The proposals that President Obama outlined in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night were an "important start for a critical debate," she said.

In a question-and-answer session after the speech, which was sponsored by the Imperial Bank of Canada, Clinton declined to offer an opinion on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would run from Canada's tar sands deposits to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The pipeline is under review by the State Department, and Clinton said that commenting on it while it is "in our process" would be inappropriate.

She offered strong support forObama in his confrontation with Congress over further sanctions against Iran.

The U.S. and five other world powers have been negotiating with Iran over the future of itsnuclear program, attempting to head off the possibility that Tehran is developing atomic weapons.

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Hillary Clinton warns U.S. 'can't close our eyes' to Muslim extremism

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If 2016 doesn't work out for Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state could find a new line of work on the theatrical stage.

During an event in Canada this afternoon, Clinton broke out into an impromptu impersonation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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While trying to explain the difference between how the United States elects politicians and how other countries do (wink, wink Russia), Clinton put on a Russian accent and performed a mock conversation she imagines Putin had with himself when deciding he wanted to be president.

The two political figures have never been shy about expressing their dislike for each other.

In June, Putin told French TV Clinton has never been too graceful with her comments, but that its best not to argue with a woman. And in April, Clinton described Putins behavior and personality to those she would encounter on an elementary school playground.

Clinton's event in Canada today was her first public appearance of 2015. Although she is widely expected to announce a run for president sometime this spring, Clinton did not address her own political aspirations.

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Hillary Clinton Impersonates Vladimir Putin

Alesia Fieldberg, CTV Winnipeg Published Wednesday, January 21, 2015 9:43AM CST Last Updated Wednesday, January 21, 2015 6:55PM CST

Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke to Winnipeggers Wednesday afternoon, addressing a crowd of close to 2,000 guests at a Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the convention centre.

Tickets cost $275 each.

Clinton served as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State from 2009-2013.

Previously during her time as First Lady and New York State Senator, she was a champion of human rights.

Clinton said Wednesday its very much in the West's interest to help Ukraine.

She feels it's clear the Russian army is supporting Russian separatists.

She suggests economic help, offering training and equipment to help them defend borders.

But Russians still need to have a seat at the democratic table.

Clinton was also asked how shed run things in the U.S.

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Hillary Clinton addresses crowd of nearly 1,800 in Winnipeg

Potential 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Wednesday backed President Barack Obama's opposition to additional congressional sanctions on Iran, saying that sanctions would create an "excuse" for Iran, Russia and China to back out of ongoing talks.

"If we're the reason -- through our Congress -- that in effect gives Iran and others the excuse not to continue the negotiations, that would be, in my view, a very serious strategic error," Clinton said during an appearance in Winnipeg sponsored by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

The former Secretary of State said that "insofar as we know," Iran has put its nuclear program on hold during the negotiations, creating a "status quo" that remains in the interest of the United States.

"Why do we want to be the catalyst for the collapse of negotiations until we really know whether there's something we can get out of them that will make the world safer [and] avoid an arms race in the Middle East?" she said.

Clinton added that "obviously, all bets are off" if Iran is found to be cheating or restarting its nuclear program.

"But right now, the status quo that we're in is in my view in our interests and therefore I don't want to do anything that disrupts the status quo until we have a better idea as to whether there's something we can get out of it," she added.

In his State of the Union address last night, Obama promised to veto any new sanctions against Iran passed by the United States Congress, where leaders like House Speaker John Boehner argue that they are necessary to ensure the safety of the U.S. and Israel.

"There are no guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all options on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran," Obama said. "But new sanctions passed by this Congress, at this moment in time, will all but guarantee that diplomacy failsalienating America from its allies; and ensuring that Iran starts up its nuclear program again."

In a direct challenge to the Obama adminsitration, Boehner on Wednesday announced that he has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress to speak about Iran.

Boehner told reporters Wednesday that he did not consult the White House before extending the invitation.

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Hillary Clinton: More Sanctions on Iran Would be 'Serious Strategic Error'

WASHINGTON -- It is a truth universally acknowledged that while the Republicans have too many candidates for 2016, the Democrats have too few. If Hillary Clinton doesn't run or her presidential campaign implodes, the thinking goes, her party has no bench, no backup, no Plan B.

The list of Democrats who have publicly suggested they might run is indeed skimpy.But its misleading to compare the depth of the two parties simply by counting the number of self-declared possible candidates. Every Republican who ever looked in the mirror and saw a president is hinting at a run, hoping to generate press, test the reaction and even begin to build momentum. For GOP-ers, there's no downside to being talked about as a potential candidate. But not many A-list Democrats are mounting the same kind of PR campaign.

Several Democratic strategists, pollsters and party insiders interviewed for this article were eager to refute the idea that the party has no bench, and to suggest names of pols who could be viable 2016 candidates. But they didnt want their own names attached to this article and refused to be quoted on the record. No one wants to be seen as encouraging someone to run against Clinton.

That same fear appears to be keeping potential candidates quiet as well. Very few in Democratic circles are willing to alienate the Clintons. The couple has built a massive political operation. They command the loyalty of hundreds of donors and bundlers. An endorsement from the Clinton family can tip the scales for a candidate. And the Clintons are known to hold grudges. Bill Clinton remainedangry for years that Ted Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy backed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in 2008.

The Democrats do have real challenges in 2016 -- and perhaps even further ahead. They lost a number of governor races in 2010 and 2014 that are typically jumping-off points for presidential candidates. The party's losses went all the way down to the local level, depleting the ranks for candidate development for years to come. That so many who could run are -- so far -- sitting this one out means that potential 2020 or 2024 candidates and staffers arent getting the experience they need to build strong campaigns in the future.

Still, the party's ranks aren't as thin as it seems at first look.

There are three Democrats publicly toying with a run: Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb. Only Webb, who is more moderate than Clinton, has launched an exploratory committee. OMalley hired staff for his PAC at the end of the year, but has delayed making an actual announcement. And Sanders hasnt made clear whether hes actually running or just enjoying the attention that comes with suggesting he might.

All three have liabilities. Sanders is a self-described socialist, so there's essentially no chance that he could win a national election, or even the primary. Webb served only one term in the Senate and retired from office in 2012. Against a field of current Republican officeholders (or a two-term governor like Jeb Bush), he could look inexperienced. And OMalley, who served two terms as governor and proved he could fund-raise as the head of the Democratic Governors Association, would face criticism for the problems in his state -- like the unemployment rate -- as he leaves office.

But the Democrats have a long time to find a Clinton alternative, if they need one. With all the bustle right now of Republicans getting ready to run, it may seem as though February is the deadline to start a campaign. In fact, Mitt Romney didnt announce his 2012 exploratory committee until April of 2011. That October, donors and GOP insiders were still trying to get New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to jump in.

It's easier for a candidate with high name recognition to start late. Vice President Joe Biden, who has already run two presidential campaigns, has made clear that as long as Clinton is running, hes out of the game. But if circumstances changed, he would be able to quickly pull together a team, and he's already known by the voters, especially in early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire. But Biden is vulnerable: He's prone to gaffes, 72 years old, and tied even more closely than Hillary Clinton to the polarizing Obama administration.

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Election 2016: Hillary Clinton Isn't The Democrats' Only Candidate