WEBVTT 00:02.666 --> 00:04.074 - Welcome to LiveatState, 00:04.074 --> 00:05.850 the State Department's interactive 00:05.850 --> 00:08.110 virtual press briefing platform. 00:08.110 --> 00:11.070 I am delighted to welcome participants joining us today 00:11.070 --> 00:13.730 from around Europe and across the globe. 00:13.730 --> 00:16.570 Today we'll be speaking with Ambassador Kurt Volker, 00:16.570 --> 00:19.830 US Special Representative for Ukraine negotiations, 00:19.830 --> 00:21.400 about the conflict in Ukraine 00:21.400 --> 00:24.100 and the status of negotiations five years on 00:24.100 --> 00:27.410 from Russia's claimed annexation of Crimea. 00:27.410 --> 00:29.270 Before I turn it over to Ambassador Volker 00:29.270 --> 00:30.800 for some opening remarks, 00:30.800 --> 00:32.380 I would like to make a few comments 00:32.380 --> 00:34.510 on procedures for questions. 00:34.510 --> 00:36.660 You can start submitting your questions now 00:36.660 --> 00:39.500 in the questions tab at the top of your screen. 00:39.500 --> 00:42.000 Please feel free to leave questions in English, 00:42.000 --> 00:44.330 Russian or French and our moderators 00:44.330 --> 00:46.580 will translate as necessary. 00:46.580 --> 00:48.640 If you see someone else ask a question 00:48.640 --> 00:51.760 that you would also like us to answer, you can upvote it 00:51.760 --> 00:53.220 by clicking on the like button 00:53.220 --> 00:55.200 to the right of that question. 00:55.200 --> 00:57.310 We will try to answer as many as we can 00:57.310 --> 00:58.580 but our time is limited. 00:58.580 --> 01:00.760 So please vote to indicate the questions 01:00.760 --> 01:03.060 you'd most like us to cover. 01:03.060 --> 01:04.760 If you would like to receive a transcript 01:04.760 --> 01:07.860 of today's briefing and links to broadcast quality audio 01:07.860 --> 01:10.880 and video files, please fill out a short survey 01:10.880 --> 01:14.370 by clicking on the polls tab at the top of the event page. 01:14.370 --> 01:16.470 So with that, let's get started. 01:16.470 --> 01:18.540 Ambassador Volker, thank you for joining us today 01:18.540 --> 01:20.550 and I'll turn it over to you for some opening remarks. 01:20.550 --> 01:21.920 Great, well, thank you very much. 01:21.920 --> 01:23.400 I'm delighted to be here. 01:23.400 --> 01:25.470 As you noted in your introduction, 01:25.470 --> 01:27.780 today marks the fifth anniversary 01:27.780 --> 01:30.733 of Russia's claimed annexation of Crimea. 01:31.666 --> 01:35.170 This is a claim that the United States does not recognize. 01:35.170 --> 01:37.210 The European Union tweeted out again today 01:37.210 --> 01:40.280 that they do not recognize this, nor NATO, 01:40.280 --> 01:41.270 nor any other countries. 01:41.270 --> 01:45.740 This is an illegal occupation and a illegal seizure 01:45.740 --> 01:49.580 of territory and we fundamentally stand behind Ukraine 01:49.580 --> 01:53.660 in insisting that its territorial integrity be restored. 01:53.660 --> 01:56.400 In the five years that Russia has occupied Crimea, 01:56.400 --> 01:59.050 there has been a substantial clampdown 01:59.050 --> 02:01.310 on political rights and freedoms. 02:01.310 --> 02:05.240 There has been deportations, there have been arrests 02:05.240 --> 02:06.640 and political prisoners. 02:06.640 --> 02:08.540 There have been human rights abuses 02:08.540 --> 02:12.300 and there have been a movement of population into Crimea 02:12.300 --> 02:15.660 in what appears to be an effort to Russify it 02:15.660 --> 02:19.100 and increase the affinity that some in the population 02:19.100 --> 02:22.840 have for President Putin and for Moscow. 02:22.840 --> 02:26.163 So it is a tragic situation, it is an ongoing situation. 02:27.070 --> 02:29.720 Here, I just brought along a copy, as I said, 02:29.720 --> 02:32.160 the United States does not recognize this, 02:32.160 --> 02:35.720 on July 25th of last year, I'll just hold it up, 02:35.720 --> 02:39.080 Secretary of State Pompeo issued this declaration 02:39.080 --> 02:40.870 in which he said that the United States 02:40.870 --> 02:43.720 rejects Russia's attempted annexation of Crimea 02:43.720 --> 02:46.240 and pledges to maintain this policy 02:46.240 --> 02:49.230 until Ukraine's territorial integrity is restored. 02:49.230 --> 02:51.550 And that is an important component of our policy 02:51.550 --> 02:53.620 in addressing Ukraine overall. 02:53.620 --> 02:54.890 I would add one other point, 02:54.890 --> 02:57.420 that as much as we are concerned 02:57.420 --> 02:59.940 about Russia's continuing occupation of Crimea, 02:59.940 --> 03:02.710 we are also concerned about the occupation and the fighting 03:02.710 --> 03:04.940 in eastern Ukraine in the Donbas. 03:04.940 --> 03:09.260 And Russia has continued that presence recently 03:09.260 --> 03:12.440 in the Kerch Straits, or outside the Kerch Straits. 03:12.440 --> 03:14.110 It attacked the Ukrainian navy, 03:14.110 --> 03:15.850 imprisoned several sailors. 03:15.850 --> 03:19.180 We call on Russia to release those sailors immediately 03:19.180 --> 03:22.440 and we would urge Russia to resume again in good faith 03:22.440 --> 03:25.570 in negotiating an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine 03:25.570 --> 03:28.230 to see the restoration of that territory to Ukraine, 03:28.230 --> 03:30.200 as called for in the Minsk agreements. 03:30.200 --> 03:33.420 So with that, I'll turn it back to questions. 03:33.420 --> 03:34.570 - Great. 03:34.570 --> 03:38.150 Our first question comes from Konstantin Vasilkevitch 03:38.150 --> 03:41.340 at the 2000 weekly newspaper in Ukraine. 03:41.340 --> 03:44.150 He says, we are deeply concerned with the fate 03:44.150 --> 03:47.020 of Ukrainian sailors detained last November. 03:47.020 --> 03:48.830 Please let us know, do you see any light 03:48.830 --> 03:49.860 at the end of the tunnel? 03:49.860 --> 03:52.300 Their relatives are waiting for any good news. 03:52.300 --> 03:55.060 - Well, I fully share that concern. 03:55.060 --> 03:58.420 The attack on the vessels and the seizure of the vessels 03:58.420 --> 04:00.300 and the imprisonment of the sailors 04:00.300 --> 04:04.010 is entirely outside any international law. 04:04.010 --> 04:06.470 We've called on Russia to release these sailors immediately 04:06.470 --> 04:07.660 from the beginning. 04:07.660 --> 04:11.820 They have refused to do so, and indeed in conversations 04:11.820 --> 04:13.710 with European allies as well as with us, 04:13.710 --> 04:16.830 the Russians have indicated that they will not do so 04:16.830 --> 04:18.920 because they don't want to do this 04:18.920 --> 04:21.430 during the Ukrainian presidential election period. 04:21.430 --> 04:23.830 It's a very cynical decision, it seems to me, 04:23.830 --> 04:27.420 to hold them as a hostage, if you will, 04:27.420 --> 04:30.020 because of a presidential election. 04:30.020 --> 04:32.170 They should be released immediately. 04:32.170 --> 04:35.570 Likewise, the Russians should be giving as much access 04:35.570 --> 04:37.560 to these prisoners as possible until the time 04:37.560 --> 04:39.180 that they're released, both from the Red Cross 04:39.180 --> 04:40.830 and from the Ukrainian consulate. 04:42.130 --> 04:44.420 - Next question, submitted in advance 04:44.420 --> 04:48.480 by Vladimir Ermakov from Interfax in Russia. 04:48.480 --> 04:50.650 He asks, The EU have recently 04:50.650 --> 04:52.980 put new sanctions against Russia. 04:52.980 --> 04:55.750 Are you expecting more such efforts from the Europeans? 04:55.750 --> 04:58.500 - Yes and let me say that, 04:58.500 --> 05:01.450 not only did the European Union do this on Friday, 05:01.450 --> 05:03.400 so did the United States and Canada. 05:03.400 --> 05:07.760 And it was a concerted move by all of us to demonstrate 05:07.760 --> 05:09.770 that we are deeply concerned 05:09.770 --> 05:12.360 about Russia's continuing annexation, 05:12.360 --> 05:15.930 continuing occupation and claimed annexation of Crimea 05:15.930 --> 05:19.660 and also about the extension of that to include a claim 05:19.660 --> 05:23.310 to have unilateral control over the Kerch Straits 05:23.310 --> 05:26.440 and access to the Sea of Azov, and as we just talked 05:26.440 --> 05:27.620 about in the previous question, 05:27.620 --> 05:32.620 it's attack and arrests of the Ukrainian sailors. 05:32.670 --> 05:35.060 So it was a concerted effort by the US., 05:35.060 --> 05:36.563 European Union, and Canada. 05:37.750 --> 05:40.870 What I would expect is that we will continue to see 05:40.870 --> 05:43.290 what we have seen for the past few years. 05:43.290 --> 05:47.100 There are periodic ratcheting up of sanctions 05:47.100 --> 05:49.780 if the situation continues as it is. 05:49.780 --> 05:52.970 We don't want to give anyone a sense of complacency 05:52.970 --> 05:56.890 that we are accepting or satisfied with the status quo. 05:56.890 --> 05:59.450 We fully believe it needs to change. 05:59.450 --> 06:02.350 We would, of course, be looking at the opposite, 06:02.350 --> 06:03.370 of removing sanctions, 06:03.370 --> 06:05.840 if Russia were to restore the territory 06:05.840 --> 06:07.560 to Ukrainian control. 06:07.560 --> 06:09.960 And if Russia was negotiating in good faith 06:09.960 --> 06:11.950 in eastern Ukraine, 06:11.950 --> 06:14.690 we would be able to see the Minsk agreements implemented, 06:14.690 --> 06:15.900 and at the conclusion of that, 06:15.900 --> 06:18.010 those Minsk-related sanctions 06:18.010 --> 06:19.810 would also be able to be lifted. 06:19.810 --> 06:22.610 But until then, I think you will see a continued push 06:22.610 --> 06:24.460 from the European Union, the United States, 06:24.460 --> 06:27.660 others, to continue to ratchet up sanctions as a means 06:27.660 --> 06:30.223 of trying to get Russia to engage seriously. 06:31.500 --> 06:34.370 - Our next question comes from Alina Grebneva 06:34.370 --> 06:36.860 at (speaks in foreign language) TV in Russia. 06:36.860 --> 06:40.030 She asks, do you think domestic and foreign policy 06:40.030 --> 06:41.370 in Ukraine will change 06:41.370 --> 06:43.850 after the presidential elections in 2019?" 06:43.850 --> 06:45.520 - Well, what's the most interesting thing that's happened 06:45.520 --> 06:49.100 in Ukraine in the last four years is that the society 06:49.100 --> 06:54.100 has really found a much stronger sense of national identity. 06:54.410 --> 06:57.730 It is more pro-Ukrainian and more anti-Russian, 06:57.730 --> 07:00.060 more pro-European, more pro-NATO, 07:00.060 --> 07:03.130 a stronger sense of national and cultural identity 07:03.130 --> 07:04.730 than ever existed before. 07:04.730 --> 07:06.700 And you can understand that when you're attacked 07:06.700 --> 07:09.900 by a neighbor and you have to defend yourself, 07:09.900 --> 07:12.390 your young people are having to fight on the front line 07:12.390 --> 07:14.900 and they're dying, some of them, 07:14.900 --> 07:18.780 some of them are wounded, it has that effect on society. 07:18.780 --> 07:19.910 So we've seen a few things. 07:19.910 --> 07:21.590 We've seen, for instance, 07:21.590 --> 07:25.500 that whereas there had been very little support, 07:25.500 --> 07:29.030 modest support for NATO membership in the past, 07:29.030 --> 07:32.870 say, five years ago, recently the Ukrainian Duma voted 07:32.870 --> 07:35.710 by two-thirds to seek NATO membership. 07:35.710 --> 07:38.860 And that's just a change because of this dynamic. 07:38.860 --> 07:42.590 Likewise, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church insisted 07:42.590 --> 07:46.570 on having autocephaly, recognition of it's status 07:46.570 --> 07:48.630 as an independent Orthodox Church, 07:48.630 --> 07:52.480 and that only took place because of the anger 07:52.480 --> 07:55.220 and frustration and concern that people 07:55.220 --> 07:57.890 in Ukraine have about being subordinated 07:57.890 --> 07:59.550 to a Russian Orthodox Church. 07:59.550 --> 08:02.420 So this has been a fundamental shift in society. 08:02.420 --> 08:06.840 I bring all this up because the society then sets the limits 08:06.840 --> 08:09.540 on what any Ukrainian government can do, 08:09.540 --> 08:10.620 no matter who's elected 08:10.620 --> 08:13.090 and they're facing a democratic election, 08:13.090 --> 08:14.540 first round on March 31st, 08:14.540 --> 08:16.420 second round in the middle of April, 08:16.420 --> 08:18.390 where we don't know who the winner will be. 08:18.390 --> 08:22.120 It is a truly open contest and in that, 08:22.120 --> 08:26.470 whoever does win will be faced with these attitudes 08:26.470 --> 08:28.450 in society and it does constrain them 08:28.450 --> 08:30.230 in what they will be able to do. 08:30.230 --> 08:33.210 I would expect any Ukrainian government to continue 08:33.210 --> 08:35.970 on a path of strengthening democratic institutions, 08:35.970 --> 08:39.090 strengthening reform, fighting corruption 08:39.090 --> 08:42.990 and insisting, defending it's territory and insisting 08:42.990 --> 08:45.690 on the return of occupied territories 08:45.690 --> 08:46.940 to Ukrainian sovereignty. 08:48.320 --> 08:51.630 - Next question comes from Ian Bateson at The Atlantic. 08:51.630 --> 08:55.730 He asks, today and yesterday, while touring Donbas, 08:55.730 --> 08:59.070 Yulia Tymoshenko has blamed the West for the failure 08:59.070 --> 09:00.700 to establish peace. 09:00.700 --> 09:02.890 She also said that Ambassador Volker 09:02.890 --> 09:05.090 is negotiating without Ukraine. 09:05.090 --> 09:06.040 What do you comment? 09:06.040 --> 09:07.910 - Well, that's not true, to begin with. 09:07.910 --> 09:11.750 I haven't had any negotiations or meeting 09:11.750 --> 09:14.940 with Russian counterparts without closely coordinating 09:14.940 --> 09:17.750 with Ukraine first and returning 09:17.750 --> 09:19.980 and briefing back afterwards as well 09:19.980 --> 09:21.970 and I've also done that in very close coordination 09:21.970 --> 09:23.380 with France and Germany. 09:23.380 --> 09:24.570 And the reason is clear. 09:24.570 --> 09:26.150 It's very important that Russia see 09:26.150 --> 09:29.730 that there is a united message from the United States, 09:29.730 --> 09:31.440 Ukraine, France, Germany, 09:31.440 --> 09:34.240 in addressing the conflict in the east. 09:34.240 --> 09:36.140 So first off, the notion 09:36.140 --> 09:39.140 that we're negotiating over Ukraine's heads is simply wrong. 09:40.100 --> 09:44.190 Second, I don't think you can blame the west 09:44.190 --> 09:46.490 for the lack of peace or the lack of progress. 09:46.490 --> 09:49.060 I think the only person or only entity 09:49.060 --> 09:51.010 that you can blame is Russia. 09:51.010 --> 09:55.040 Russia continues to have control of the military operation, 09:55.040 --> 09:56.520 absolute command and control 09:56.520 --> 09:58.430 through regular Russian officers. 09:58.430 --> 10:01.090 It finances the contract soldiers 10:01.090 --> 10:03.400 who then staff out the military operation. 10:03.400 --> 10:05.470 It provides the intelligence services. 10:05.470 --> 10:10.430 It funds, it created, selects, and funds the leadership 10:10.430 --> 10:13.350 of the civil administrations that they've created, 10:13.350 --> 10:15.390 these so-called People's Republics, 10:15.390 --> 10:18.030 and yet Russia denies that it is doing these things 10:18.030 --> 10:20.340 and insists that Ukraine negotiate 10:20.340 --> 10:24.540 with those entities directly, which would be legitimizing 10:24.540 --> 10:27.430 that type of invasion and occupation. 10:27.430 --> 10:29.080 So Ukraine has not done that, 10:29.080 --> 10:32.313 I think quite understandably, but I think the only, 10:33.850 --> 10:36.950 the only entity you can blame here is Russia for failing 10:36.950 --> 10:39.820 to engage seriously about establishing peace, 10:39.820 --> 10:41.620 implementing the Minsk agreements, 10:41.620 --> 10:43.713 seeing the territory restored to Ukraine. 10:44.660 --> 10:48.120 As Ian may know, the US, 10:48.120 --> 10:50.590 along with others, put forward a proposal 10:50.590 --> 10:54.480 to have a UN-mandated peacekeeping force in eastern Ukraine 10:54.480 --> 10:57.550 which would be a way of establishing genuine peace 10:57.550 --> 11:00.530 and security with the withdrawal of Russian forces 11:00.530 --> 11:02.430 before Ukrainian would come back, 11:02.430 --> 11:04.380 and, in that space and time, 11:04.380 --> 11:07.770 created under a UN mandate, to have local elections 11:07.770 --> 11:09.210 and to see all the political steps 11:09.210 --> 11:11.750 of Minsk implemented as well. 11:11.750 --> 11:13.210 Russia has refused that. 11:13.210 --> 11:15.110 Ukraine fully supports that proposal. 11:15.110 --> 11:17.100 France and Germany do as well. 11:17.100 --> 11:18.620 Russia has rejected that. 11:18.620 --> 11:21.097 And again, we do want to work with Russia on this 11:21.097 --> 11:23.543 and we do so in close coordination with Ukraine. 11:24.600 --> 11:27.823 - Our next question comes from Klubradio in Hungary. 11:28.820 --> 11:32.020 The Ukraine embassy organized a conference in Budapest 11:32.020 --> 11:33.330 for the fifth anniversary 11:33.330 --> 11:35.630 of the claimed annexation of Crimea. 11:35.630 --> 11:38.070 They hoped that in retaking the peninsula, 11:38.070 --> 11:39.230 they hoped to retake the peninsula 11:39.230 --> 11:42.620 and expressed their disappointment with NATO and the EU, 11:42.620 --> 11:44.183 asking for more support. 11:45.214 --> 11:49.370 How can they offer more support 11:49.370 --> 11:51.420 and what role could Hungary play? 11:51.420 --> 11:54.270 - Well, Hungary, of course, is an important neighbor 11:54.270 --> 11:57.340 of Ukraine, and I think Ukraine, 11:57.340 --> 12:00.580 as Hungarians would appreciate given their own history, 12:00.580 --> 12:04.660 is facing very serious challenges of occupation 12:04.660 --> 12:08.670 of its territory by Russian forces in Crimea 12:08.670 --> 12:10.620 and in Eastern Ukraine. 12:10.620 --> 12:14.070 And I think Ukraine's full political, 12:14.070 --> 12:16.980 I'm sorry, Hungary's full political support 12:16.980 --> 12:20.390 for Ukraine facing this external aggression 12:20.390 --> 12:22.640 is extremely important. 12:22.640 --> 12:27.640 I think Hungary needs to be vocal and demonstrate 12:28.000 --> 12:30.850 that kind of support for Ukraine. 12:30.850 --> 12:34.520 There is no military solution in the sense 12:34.520 --> 12:38.370 of Ukraine taking Crimea back by force. 12:38.370 --> 12:41.740 That would be, militarily, a disaster. 12:41.740 --> 12:44.117 It would lead to the loss of thousands 12:44.117 --> 12:45.320 and thousands of lives. 12:45.320 --> 12:47.480 It's not something anyone should be contemplating. 12:47.480 --> 12:50.000 So there's no taking it back by force. 12:50.000 --> 12:52.590 But establishing, both legally as a principle 12:52.590 --> 12:54.380 that it belongs to Ukraine, 12:54.380 --> 12:56.990 establishing the outreach to the population 12:56.990 --> 13:00.500 and sustaining the unique Crimean culture, 13:00.500 --> 13:02.050 being a home to Crimean Tatars, 13:03.040 --> 13:06.230 creating an environment in which Crimea is remembered 13:06.230 --> 13:08.990 and celebrated is, I think, vitally important 13:08.990 --> 13:11.350 to sustaining the memory of Crimea 13:11.350 --> 13:14.540 and eventually seeing it restored to Ukrainian territory. 13:14.540 --> 13:17.440 And I think Hungary, which, again, is a country 13:17.440 --> 13:20.930 which is defined by its language, by its culture, 13:20.930 --> 13:25.930 by its history over 1,000 years in the Carpathian Basin, 13:26.510 --> 13:28.520 amid a sea of Slavs and others, 13:28.520 --> 13:32.060 I think that Hungary would well understand 13:32.060 --> 13:34.250 the cultural dimension to this as well. 13:34.250 --> 13:36.640 And then finally, I would just say that I know there 13:36.640 --> 13:39.850 is an issue between Hungary and Ukraine 13:39.850 --> 13:43.700 over national minority rights in Transcarpathia 13:43.700 --> 13:46.320 with the ethnic Hungarian community wanting 13:46.320 --> 13:49.600 to have education in Hungarian language. 13:49.600 --> 13:52.220 Ukrainians have passed a language law that says 13:52.220 --> 13:54.920 that people also need to learn Ukrainian in high school 13:54.920 --> 13:57.180 and use that for certain subjects. 13:57.180 --> 13:59.300 I would really hope that Hungary and Ukraine 13:59.300 --> 14:02.540 could sit down together and iron out the mechanics 14:02.540 --> 14:03.900 of how to do this. 14:03.900 --> 14:05.980 There are reasonable positions on both sides. 14:05.980 --> 14:07.780 It has gotten frozen right now. 14:07.780 --> 14:11.560 And the fact that it's frozen has prevented Ukraine 14:11.560 --> 14:14.660 from having ministerial level meetings at NATO 14:14.660 --> 14:16.370 which is very unfortunate because, 14:16.370 --> 14:18.620 in a situation where they're being attacked like this, 14:18.620 --> 14:20.770 they need that external support. 14:20.770 --> 14:23.370 So I would hope that Ukraine and Hungary can sit down 14:23.370 --> 14:26.110 and work that out and put Hungary in the position 14:26.110 --> 14:29.653 of giving absolute full support to Ukraine. 14:30.810 --> 14:33.930 - Our next question is from Latvian television. 14:33.930 --> 14:35.720 Mr. Volker, you have said that Russia 14:35.720 --> 14:40.050 is willing to manage Mr. Poroshenko to lose the elections. 14:40.050 --> 14:42.560 Do you see any other candidate that Russia is supporting 14:42.560 --> 14:45.260 and would the US support Mr. Poroshenko? 14:45.260 --> 14:48.000 - Well, we don't take a position in the election. 14:48.000 --> 14:49.330 This is a democracy. 14:49.330 --> 14:50.870 We have candidates running. 14:50.870 --> 14:53.580 It's an open contest, so who knows who's going to win? 14:53.580 --> 14:55.390 We support principles. 14:55.390 --> 14:58.140 We support principles of strong democratic institutions, 14:58.140 --> 15:01.412 of reform, of anti-corruption and security 15:01.412 --> 15:03.980 and Ukraine's restoration of its sovereignty 15:03.980 --> 15:05.510 and territorial integrity. 15:05.510 --> 15:07.960 So that's what we stand for and we articulate that 15:07.960 --> 15:09.850 to all of the candidates. 15:09.850 --> 15:12.250 I think it is true, in fact, it's not only true, 15:12.250 --> 15:14.490 it's something that Russia itself has said, 15:14.490 --> 15:16.630 that they want to see Poroshenko defeated, 15:16.630 --> 15:18.313 and that's simply a fact. 15:19.390 --> 15:22.390 I think that there has just been a development 15:22.390 --> 15:25.240 of personal animosity between President Putin 15:25.240 --> 15:26.730 and President Poroshenko, 15:26.730 --> 15:28.830 and so he's just looking for a change. 15:28.830 --> 15:30.550 I'm not sure, however, 15:30.550 --> 15:33.760 that Russia identifies any particular candidate in saying, 15:33.760 --> 15:35.990 this is our candidate that will win 15:35.990 --> 15:37.440 and we get something from that 15:37.440 --> 15:40.680 and that's because of what we talked about before. 15:40.680 --> 15:45.610 Ukrainian society has become so cohesive in a sense 15:45.610 --> 15:47.750 of national identity and demands 15:47.750 --> 15:50.850 of what its government will do, I'm not sure any candidate, 15:50.850 --> 15:52.630 no matter who wins, would be in a position 15:52.630 --> 15:56.683 to really give presence to Russia as a result. 15:57.980 --> 16:00.160 - Next question comes from Mikhail Turgiev 16:00.160 --> 16:02.430 at RIA Novosti in Russia. 16:02.430 --> 16:04.840 Does the US have plans to deliver other weapons 16:04.840 --> 16:08.430 to Ukraine rather than what it had already been, 16:08.430 --> 16:09.610 it had already promised? 16:09.610 --> 16:10.960 If yes, what kind of weapons 16:10.960 --> 16:12.010 could those be? - Right. 16:12.010 --> 16:15.020 So as you remember, during the Obama administration, 16:15.020 --> 16:15.985 there was a ban on the sale 16:15.985 --> 16:19.020 of lethal defensive arms to Ukraine. 16:19.020 --> 16:21.930 Almost unique, the US has defense relationships 16:21.930 --> 16:23.350 and arms sales relationships 16:23.350 --> 16:25.050 with countries all over the world, 16:26.450 --> 16:29.370 including, still, with Saudi Arabia today, as an example, 16:29.370 --> 16:31.020 but many, many others. 16:31.020 --> 16:32.740 And Ukraine was singled out, 16:32.740 --> 16:34.340 even though it was being attacked and needed 16:34.340 --> 16:36.850 to defend itself, was being singled out as a country 16:36.850 --> 16:38.810 that we were not supporting. 16:38.810 --> 16:41.460 We've ended that in the Trump administration. 16:41.460 --> 16:44.710 We've decided to treat Ukraine like any other normal country 16:44.710 --> 16:46.920 that has normal defensive needs 16:46.920 --> 16:49.340 and we've been willing to both provide assistance 16:49.340 --> 16:52.300 and we will also be willing to provide arms sales 16:52.300 --> 16:56.550 to Ukraine to help them develop a strong, capable, 16:56.550 --> 16:58.283 sustainable defense capability. 16:59.400 --> 17:02.050 As is known, part of that assistance 17:02.050 --> 17:04.180 was to provide anti-tank systems, 17:04.180 --> 17:07.370 so that, if tanks were to progress further 17:07.370 --> 17:09.000 into Ukrainian territory, 17:09.000 --> 17:12.450 Ukraine would have a better ability to defend itself. 17:12.450 --> 17:14.340 Ukraine has indicated an interest 17:14.340 --> 17:17.420 in acquiring more of that, that's possible. 17:17.420 --> 17:19.760 We also need to be looking at things like air defense 17:19.760 --> 17:21.160 and coastal defense. 17:21.160 --> 17:23.250 Anti-sniper systems is something the US 17:23.250 --> 17:24.816 has already provided. 17:24.816 --> 17:29.816 It's whatever is reasonable and necessary for Ukraine 17:30.120 --> 17:34.220 to have a modern capability to defend itself 17:34.220 --> 17:37.570 and prevent further aggression against its territory. 17:37.570 --> 17:39.930 - Next question is from Orestis Velmachos 17:39.930 --> 17:41.780 from the Press Project. 17:41.780 --> 17:43.270 Given that the three front-runners 17:43.270 --> 17:44.630 in the presidential election 17:44.630 --> 17:47.800 have stated they wish the integration of their country 17:47.800 --> 17:50.250 into NATO, do you think that this is something 17:50.250 --> 17:52.130 that can happen in the near future? 17:52.130 --> 17:55.540 And if so, do you expect a strong reaction from Russia? 17:55.540 --> 17:56.373 - Well, first off, 17:56.373 --> 17:59.160 NATO has consistently maintained its commitment 17:59.160 --> 18:02.240 from the Bucharest Summit in 2008 onwards 18:02.240 --> 18:05.600 that it sees Ukraine as a potential member. 18:05.600 --> 18:07.370 It is a European democracy, 18:07.370 --> 18:10.040 it has a right to security like any other country, 18:10.040 --> 18:12.670 but that doesn't mean it is imminent, and of course, 18:12.670 --> 18:15.220 more than 10 years has gone by since then. 18:15.220 --> 18:17.070 And that is because countries need to meet all 18:17.070 --> 18:18.683 of the standards for NATO, 18:19.660 --> 18:22.730 democracy, civil control of the military, reform, 18:22.730 --> 18:25.820 anti-corruption, contribution to collective, 18:25.820 --> 18:29.820 to common security, reform of the military establishment, 18:29.820 --> 18:32.220 reform of the defense sector, generally. 18:32.220 --> 18:33.370 So there's a lot to do. 18:35.700 --> 18:37.440 It's up to, in some ways, 18:37.440 --> 18:42.010 how quickly Ukraine can progress on all of these issues. 18:42.010 --> 18:45.990 It is also up to NATO, making decisions by consensus, 18:45.990 --> 18:48.600 as to when they feel an appropriate time would be 18:48.600 --> 18:51.330 to actually extend a formal invitation. 18:51.330 --> 18:53.750 I can't predict when that would happen. 18:53.750 --> 18:57.230 What is important is that NATO has declared its willingness 18:57.230 --> 19:00.760 in principle and that Ukraine keep progressing 19:00.760 --> 19:02.910 in meeting those standards along the way, 19:02.910 --> 19:06.470 and then when the time is right, it would be possible to do. 19:06.470 --> 19:08.463 - And do you expect a reaction from Russia? 19:09.830 --> 19:10.793 - I would hope not. 19:12.080 --> 19:17.080 Russia has accepted and I think, actually, has benefited 19:17.590 --> 19:21.370 from the NATO membership of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 19:21.370 --> 19:23.970 former parts that Russia had incorporated 19:23.970 --> 19:24.860 into the Soviet Union. 19:24.860 --> 19:26.810 We never recognized that, of course, 19:26.810 --> 19:29.630 but they had been incorporated into the Soviet Union. 19:29.630 --> 19:30.940 They're now independent states, 19:30.940 --> 19:32.550 they're part of the European Union, part of NATO, 19:32.550 --> 19:34.570 and they've been excellent neighbors for Russia 19:34.570 --> 19:37.910 and there's peace, there's no violence, there's trade, 19:37.910 --> 19:39.330 there's economic development. 19:39.330 --> 19:42.460 So I would hope that Russia would look at all its neighbors 19:42.460 --> 19:46.190 and instead of feeling that it needs to limit their choices 19:46.190 --> 19:49.380 and prevent them from realizing their aspirations, 19:49.380 --> 19:51.420 to instead see that successful neighbors 19:51.420 --> 19:53.070 help make Russia successful, too. 19:54.170 --> 19:56.380 - Next question comes from Harold Hyman 19:56.380 --> 19:58.820 from CNews in France. 19:58.820 --> 20:01.500 Is the rift between the patriarchate of Moscow 20:01.500 --> 20:04.110 and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church playing a role 20:04.110 --> 20:05.520 in the conflict? 20:05.520 --> 20:06.530 - In the conflict, no. 20:06.530 --> 20:07.850 It's the other way around. 20:07.850 --> 20:09.340 - I'm sorry, I misread that. 20:09.340 --> 20:10.810 Is it playing a role in the campaign? 20:10.810 --> 20:12.730 - Ah, in the political campaign. 20:12.730 --> 20:16.150 So we'll start with the conflict. 20:16.150 --> 20:18.940 Russia's attacks on Ukraine, 20:18.940 --> 20:21.760 its seizure of territory, its killing Ukrainians, 20:21.760 --> 20:24.990 that's what caused the sense in Ukraine 20:24.990 --> 20:27.180 that we cannot be under the Russian Orthodox Church, 20:27.180 --> 20:30.713 we need recognition of our own independent orthodox church. 20:31.740 --> 20:36.127 That was accomplished last year and the beginning, 20:36.127 --> 20:39.870 the very beginning of this year, right after the holidays. 20:39.870 --> 20:42.740 And that is something where, indeed, 20:42.740 --> 20:44.660 President Poroshenko was using that as part 20:44.660 --> 20:46.270 of his campaign slogan 20:46.270 --> 20:47.750 but I think it's a much broader issue 20:47.750 --> 20:48.910 than a political campaign. 20:48.910 --> 20:52.480 It's something that is reflective of the demand of society 20:52.480 --> 20:55.350 for recognition of its independence and sovereignty. 20:55.350 --> 20:58.360 And I don't think, I would be surprised, 20:58.360 --> 21:01.450 but I don't think Ukrainians attach that to just one person. 21:01.450 --> 21:03.290 I think they attach that to the development 21:03.290 --> 21:04.690 of their society as a whole. 21:05.710 --> 21:08.430 - Second question from Ian Bateson at the Atlantic, 21:08.430 --> 21:11.900 why should people outside of Ukraine care about Minsk? 21:11.900 --> 21:14.040 - Well, this is tremendously important 21:14.040 --> 21:14.873 and thanks for the question because, 21:14.873 --> 21:19.869 beginning with the Helsinki agreements in 1975 and onward, 21:21.470 --> 21:25.240 we faced both tremendous security challenges in Europe, 21:25.240 --> 21:28.290 the US has treaty obligations to its NATO allies. 21:28.290 --> 21:30.970 At that time, we faced a massive military standoff 21:30.970 --> 21:33.653 in conventional forces and in nuclear forces, 21:34.720 --> 21:36.929 right on the wall in Berlin as well, 21:36.929 --> 21:37.940 and it was very tense. 21:37.940 --> 21:42.730 And what we needed to do was to increase the conditions 21:42.730 --> 21:47.730 for stability and security in Europe, reducing armaments 21:48.020 --> 21:49.470 and creating opportunities 21:49.470 --> 21:52.050 for peaceful economic development. 21:52.050 --> 21:54.210 That remains true to this day. 21:54.210 --> 21:56.790 We need those same principles respected. 21:56.790 --> 22:01.250 In Helsinki and in every major document ever since then, 22:01.250 --> 22:04.110 we've said that countries need to refrain from the threat 22:04.110 --> 22:07.340 or use of force, that they need to respect the decisions 22:07.340 --> 22:10.340 of countries for their own political orientation, 22:10.340 --> 22:15.120 there should be no change of borders by force in Europe. 22:15.120 --> 22:18.810 This is the so-called Decalogue from the Helsinki principles 22:18.810 --> 22:20.790 and they remain valid to this day. 22:20.790 --> 22:24.270 And if we fail to uphold those principles, 22:24.270 --> 22:26.690 a country can invade and attack another, 22:26.690 --> 22:29.960 steal its territory, keep killing people there, 22:29.960 --> 22:31.330 if it can happen in one place, 22:31.330 --> 22:33.440 it can happen in other places. 22:33.440 --> 22:34.410 In fact, we've seen that. 22:34.410 --> 22:37.890 It happened in Georgia, it is happening in Ukraine. 22:37.890 --> 22:40.588 Russia still occupies part of Moldova. 22:40.588 --> 22:45.588 So this is a matter that concerns Europe as a whole. 22:45.890 --> 22:49.000 We have to uphold the principles of territorial integrity 22:49.000 --> 22:52.280 and peace and security because, if we don't, 22:52.280 --> 22:55.180 it can eventually envelop lots of other countries as well. 22:56.340 --> 22:59.200 - Next question from Randy Rickman at the Leader-Telegram. 22:59.200 --> 23:00.140 What is the best way 23:00.140 --> 23:03.210 to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine? 23:03.210 --> 23:05.870 - Well, the Ukrainian Government is not a, 23:05.870 --> 23:10.260 it's not a poor country, it's not an incapable government. 23:10.260 --> 23:11.820 They need to take the lead 23:11.820 --> 23:15.370 and there are areas where humanitarian assistance 23:15.370 --> 23:17.840 is greatly needed, particularly in the conflict areas 23:17.840 --> 23:21.160 where Russia has invaded and there is a line of fire 23:21.160 --> 23:23.780 going on and people are facing mortar 23:23.780 --> 23:25.400 and snipers and so forth 23:25.400 --> 23:28.740 and, in the occupied areas, it creates hardship 23:28.740 --> 23:31.823 for the population in terms of access to basic services. 23:32.920 --> 23:35.850 These are things that the Ukrainian Government should be, 23:35.850 --> 23:39.340 in the first instance, trying to do itself, 23:39.340 --> 23:41.820 to reach out to the affected populations and provide 23:41.820 --> 23:43.300 as much support as possible. 23:43.300 --> 23:45.900 They do some, they need to do more. 23:45.900 --> 23:47.740 And then they can also be leaders 23:47.740 --> 23:50.320 in the international effort through the UN, 23:50.320 --> 23:52.320 UN has a fund for this, 23:52.320 --> 23:56.000 to help others contribute to humanitarian relief 23:56.000 --> 23:57.083 in Ukraine as well. 23:57.970 --> 24:00.470 - Next question from Roman Olearchyk 24:00.470 --> 24:01.833 at The Financial Times. 24:02.730 --> 24:05.000 How do you assess Yulia Tymoshenko's plan, 24:05.000 --> 24:07.860 should she be elected president, to seek more participation 24:07.860 --> 24:10.973 in the peace process from Budapest memorandum countries? 24:12.990 --> 24:14.990 - You know, I think we can look at it 24:14.990 --> 24:17.720 from any number of formats. 24:17.720 --> 24:20.330 We started with the Minsk agreements, which were Russia, 24:20.330 --> 24:24.330 Ukraine, and the OSCE, and then we have the Normandy format, 24:24.330 --> 24:28.280 France, Germany, Ukraine, and Russia. 24:28.280 --> 24:30.100 Budapest would bring in the United States, 24:30.100 --> 24:31.980 bring in a few others. 24:31.980 --> 24:34.270 The substantive issue is still the same. 24:34.270 --> 24:35.890 The substantive issue is that Russia 24:35.890 --> 24:38.530 is not acknowledging its responsibilities. 24:38.530 --> 24:40.410 When people talk about the Budapest memorandum, 24:40.410 --> 24:43.170 they often point out, oh, the US and the UK 24:43.170 --> 24:44.670 have not fulfilled their obligations 24:44.670 --> 24:46.780 to protect Ukrainian territory. 24:46.780 --> 24:48.510 That's not quite the way it reads. 24:48.510 --> 24:50.080 It's that we all agree 24:50.080 --> 24:53.620 to guarantee the territorial integrity of Ukraine 24:53.620 --> 24:56.480 and Russia is the only country that has violated that. 24:56.480 --> 24:59.290 Russia's the country that has invaded and taken territory 24:59.290 --> 25:02.780 from Ukraine and that dynamic plays out no matter 25:02.780 --> 25:05.860 what the format is, whether it would be a Budapest format, 25:05.860 --> 25:09.160 or whether it is Minsk or whether it is Normandy. 25:09.160 --> 25:10.770 It's only getting Russia to the table. 25:10.770 --> 25:15.580 And I think it's not a, what we have is not a lack 25:15.580 --> 25:16.870 of an appropriate format, 25:16.870 --> 25:19.890 what we have is a lack of political will from Russia. 25:19.890 --> 25:20.723 - So I think we have time 25:20.723 --> 25:21.970 for two more questions. - Okay. 25:21.970 --> 25:24.090 - Next is from The Kyiv Post. 25:24.090 --> 25:26.530 Mr. Volker, can you confirm that the US 25:26.530 --> 25:27.840 is willing to provide Ukraine 25:27.840 --> 25:30.340 with two more Island-class patrol boats 25:30.340 --> 25:32.510 in addition to those already formally assigned 25:32.510 --> 25:33.790 to Ukraine in September? 25:33.790 --> 25:37.130 - Yeah, I'd have to check on what exactly we're speaking 25:37.130 --> 25:39.600 about here, so I don't want to get ahead of myself. 25:39.600 --> 25:41.070 The broader principle is, 25:41.070 --> 25:44.210 the US remains committed to providing assistance 25:44.210 --> 25:46.080 to Ukraine and for its military, 25:46.080 --> 25:49.210 including its navy, and that we are also open 25:49.210 --> 25:52.300 to foreign military sales to Ukraine 25:52.300 --> 25:55.020 if the Ukrainian Government pursues that 25:55.020 --> 25:56.270 which they've indicated they will. 25:56.270 --> 26:00.410 So we have a broad, open support for Ukraine's strengthening 26:00.410 --> 26:02.490 of its defense capability. 26:02.490 --> 26:04.670 - Okay, and our last question, 26:04.670 --> 26:06.650 rounding it out nicely, same journalist 26:06.650 --> 26:08.830 as our first question, Konstantin Vasilkevitch 26:08.830 --> 26:11.180 from 2000 weekly newspaper in Ukraine. 26:11.180 --> 26:13.070 He asks, in two weeks, 26:13.070 --> 26:15.670 Ukrainians will go to polling stations. 26:15.670 --> 26:19.240 Do you have any reassuring words or maybe some advice 26:19.240 --> 26:21.310 for the voters, how to make a correct choice, 26:21.310 --> 26:23.050 how to select a proper candidate? 26:23.050 --> 26:25.850 What should the criteria be for their priorities 26:25.850 --> 26:26.683 when they're voting? 26:26.683 --> 26:29.370 - Well, I think first off, it would be presumptuous 26:29.370 --> 26:32.313 of anybody to tell Ukrainian citizens how to vote. 26:33.320 --> 26:35.640 It's their country, they should make their choices, 26:35.640 --> 26:37.330 they should vote their conscience 26:37.330 --> 26:40.380 about what they want to see for their country. 26:40.380 --> 26:41.930 The one thing I guess I would say, 26:41.930 --> 26:46.270 in addition to that, is Ukraine has enormous potential. 26:46.270 --> 26:50.290 It is a large country with a wealth of resources, 26:50.290 --> 26:52.170 with a talented population. 26:52.170 --> 26:55.530 It can be one of the greatest countries in Europe 26:55.530 --> 26:57.470 and Ukrainians should have confidence in that 26:57.470 --> 27:00.850 and they should expect that their political leaders, 27:00.850 --> 27:03.560 whoever they may be, will help in building 27:03.560 --> 27:06.180 that kind of Ukraine because it's something 27:06.180 --> 27:08.930 that can be done and that the Ukrainian people deserve. 27:09.790 --> 27:12.230 - Alright, any final words before we wrap up? 27:12.230 --> 27:13.063 - No, thank you. 27:13.063 --> 27:14.010 I appreciate being here. 27:14.010 --> 27:18.120 It's a sad day to commemorate Russia's continued occupation 27:18.120 --> 27:20.320 and claimed annexation of Crimea, 27:20.320 --> 27:22.110 and, of course, we do call for the release 27:22.110 --> 27:24.090 of all the political prisoners and the sailors 27:24.090 --> 27:26.080 and others who've been taken by Russia. 27:26.080 --> 27:30.310 And I do hope that we can get to a point where, 27:30.310 --> 27:31.410 together with Russia, 27:31.410 --> 27:34.150 we can negotiate an end to these conflicts. 27:34.150 --> 27:34.990 - Well, thank you. 27:34.990 --> 27:37.320 Unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today. 27:37.320 --> 27:40.410 So thanks to all of our participants for the questions. 27:40.410 --> 27:43.170 Thank you again, Ambassador Volker, for joining us. 27:43.170 --> 27:45.440 To those who participated in today's conference, 27:45.440 --> 27:48.350 if you would like to clip audio or video 27:48.350 --> 27:51.220 from today's program, we will send you links 27:51.220 --> 27:54.060 to broadcast-quality files shortly. 27:54.060 --> 27:55.980 We will also provide a transcript 27:55.980 --> 27:58.250 as soon as it is available. 27:58.250 --> 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