WEBVTT

00:04.840 --> 00:08.390
Good afternoon . Very sorry for the

00:08.390 --> 00:10.557
delay . But as you can see , we have a

00:10.557 --> 00:13.840
special guest joining us today for the

00:13.840 --> 00:16.062
second time at least in in this current

00:16.062 --> 00:18.173
iteration . She is no stranger to all

00:18.173 --> 00:20.062
of you . Uh victoria Nuland , the

00:20.062 --> 00:22.173
undersecretary of State for Political

00:22.173 --> 00:24.507
affairs will offer some opening remarks ,

00:24.507 --> 00:26.562
take some questions and then we will

00:26.562 --> 00:28.618
proceed with our regularly scheduled

00:28.618 --> 00:30.840
programming . So undersecretary Newland

00:49.050 --> 00:49.460
and

01:10.180 --> 01:13.960
okay , good afternoon ,

01:15.040 --> 01:17.540
very sorry for the delay . But as you

01:17.540 --> 01:20.270
can see we have a special guest joining

01:20.270 --> 01:23.040
us today for the second time at least

01:23.040 --> 01:25.151
in in this current iteration . She is

01:25.151 --> 01:27.373
no stranger to all of you . Uh victoria

01:27.373 --> 01:29.429
Nuland , the undersecretary of State

01:29.429 --> 01:31.540
for Political Affairs will offer some

01:31.540 --> 01:33.651
opening remarks , take some questions

01:33.651 --> 01:35.540
and then we will proceed with our

01:35.540 --> 01:37.596
regularly scheduled programming . So

01:37.596 --> 01:39.651
under Secretary Nuland over to you .

01:46.540 --> 01:48.707
Good afternoon everybody . Sorry to be

01:48.707 --> 01:50.818
a little late . It's great to be back

01:50.818 --> 01:53.380
in this room and working for ned uh

01:53.390 --> 01:55.900
this is as you all know , a very

01:55.910 --> 01:59.090
important week . We have three sets of

01:59.090 --> 02:01.800
diplomatic talks ongoing , the US

02:01.800 --> 02:04.140
Russia strategic stability dialogue

02:04.140 --> 02:06.980
yesterday , the NATO Russia Council

02:07.010 --> 02:09.410
meeting tomorrow , both of which are

02:09.410 --> 02:11.630
led for us by Deputy Secretary Sherman

02:12.040 --> 02:14.096
and the Permanent Council meeting of

02:14.096 --> 02:15.984
the Organization for Security and

02:15.984 --> 02:19.880
Cooperation in europe on thursday . All

02:19.880 --> 02:22.680
of this in an effort to resolve through

02:22.680 --> 02:25.570
diplomacy . The crisis that Russia has

02:25.570 --> 02:28.230
created for Ukraine for european

02:28.230 --> 02:32.090
security and for global stability . So

02:32.090 --> 02:34.312
before I go into some of the diplomatic

02:34.312 --> 02:36.900
substance , let's remember how we got

02:36.900 --> 02:40.720
here . It is Russia that created

02:40.730 --> 02:43.830
this crisis out of whole cloth . It is

02:43.830 --> 02:46.880
Russia that has amassed 100,000 troops

02:46.890 --> 02:49.930
on Ukraine's borders . It is Russia

02:49.940 --> 02:52.710
that has prepared internal sabotage ,

02:52.760 --> 02:56.440
destabilization and false flag options

02:56.560 --> 02:59.630
for U for Ukraine . And it is Russia

02:59.630 --> 03:02.360
that has spewed disinformation and lies

03:02.370 --> 03:04.940
about Ukraine about the United States

03:04.950 --> 03:08.680
and about NATO to justify its own

03:08.690 --> 03:12.510
actions at a time when Covid is running

03:12.510 --> 03:15.130
rampant again across Russia as it is in

03:15.130 --> 03:17.460
other places and where only half the

03:17.460 --> 03:20.180
population is vaccinated . The Kremlin

03:20.180 --> 03:22.540
has to justify to the Russian people

03:22.550 --> 03:26.160
why it is stoking a potentially very

03:26.160 --> 03:28.860
bloody and costly conflict for Russia .

03:29.340 --> 03:31.580
Rather than focusing on its own

03:31.580 --> 03:34.610
citizens health and on Russia's own

03:34.610 --> 03:37.270
significant challenges in building back

03:37.280 --> 03:40.710
better . No one needs a conflict now ,

03:40.920 --> 03:44.460
least of all Russia , as the secretary

03:44.460 --> 03:46.571
did last week , let me set the record

03:46.571 --> 03:48.793
straight on a couple of other points as

03:48.793 --> 03:51.920
well . First , Ukraine is not the

03:51.920 --> 03:54.560
aggressor in this situation . It is

03:54.560 --> 03:57.520
Russia that invaded Ukraine in 2014

03:57.750 --> 04:00.450
that forcibly occupied Crimea and that

04:00.450 --> 04:03.050
continues to wage war on Ukrainian

04:03.050 --> 04:05.910
territory . Ukraine has made clear that

04:05.910 --> 04:08.340
it has no intention of threatening

04:08.350 --> 04:11.800
Russia in any way . It only wants a

04:11.800 --> 04:14.840
peaceful democratic european future for

04:14.840 --> 04:17.210
its people and the United States

04:17.210 --> 04:19.321
remains unwavering in our support for

04:19.321 --> 04:21.377
Ukraine's independence , sovereignty

04:21.377 --> 04:24.940
and territorial integrity . Second NATO

04:24.940 --> 04:27.860
poses no threat to Russia either .

04:28.220 --> 04:31.240
Unless of course Russia chose to pose a

04:31.240 --> 04:34.380
threat to NATO NATO is a defensive

04:34.390 --> 04:36.670
alliance whose sole purpose is to

04:36.670 --> 04:40.580
protect its members . Decisions

04:40.580 --> 04:42.580
regarding NATO membership are up to

04:42.580 --> 04:44.960
each individual applicant country and

04:44.960 --> 04:48.900
the 30 NATO allies . No one else has a

04:48.900 --> 04:51.450
voice or a veto in those decisions .

04:52.540 --> 04:55.620
Third , diplomacy is the best option to

04:55.620 --> 04:58.100
restore stability and security for

04:58.100 --> 05:00.640
Ukraine for europe and for Russia

05:00.640 --> 05:04.270
itself and forth . The

05:04.270 --> 05:06.048
United States will not make any

05:06.048 --> 05:08.570
decisions about europe without europe .

05:08.580 --> 05:11.410
About Ukraine without Ukraine or about

05:11.410 --> 05:14.250
NATO without NATO . In that context ,

05:14.250 --> 05:15.917
we're consulting , consulting

05:15.917 --> 05:17.694
intensively with our allies and

05:17.694 --> 05:19.750
partners . The White House put out a

05:19.750 --> 05:21.972
fact sheet on some of these engagements

05:21.972 --> 05:24.690
uh today , as you saw President Biden

05:24.690 --> 05:27.080
has spoken to 16 european leaders ,

05:27.360 --> 05:29.416
Secretary Blinken has done more than

05:29.416 --> 05:31.304
two dozen calls and meetings with

05:31.304 --> 05:33.471
foreign leaders and ministers . Deputy

05:33.471 --> 05:35.416
Secretary Sherman has met with the

05:35.416 --> 05:37.582
North atlantic council and the Eu just

05:37.582 --> 05:40.010
today made dozens of calls , as have I

05:40.010 --> 05:42.650
as has Assistant Secretary Don , freed

05:42.650 --> 05:44.817
and other members of the international

05:44.817 --> 05:46.872
of the interagency community . Mhm .

05:47.510 --> 05:51.090
Now onto the diplomacy in the strategic

05:51.090 --> 05:52.812
stability dialogue with Russia

05:52.812 --> 05:55.190
yesterday , as Deputy Secretary Sherman

05:55.190 --> 05:58.260
made clear in her own press engagement

05:58.260 --> 06:00.820
yesterday , we have demonstrated our

06:00.820 --> 06:02.860
commitment to diplomacy by putting

06:02.860 --> 06:04.950
preliminary ideas on the table ,

06:05.340 --> 06:07.250
including with regard to military

06:07.250 --> 06:10.190
transparency , risk reduction measures

06:10.200 --> 06:12.670
and exercises . And as you know , the

06:12.670 --> 06:14.837
United States has long been interested

06:14.837 --> 06:16.837
in discussing arms control with the

06:16.837 --> 06:19.240
Russians , including both strategic and

06:19.250 --> 06:21.500
nonstrategic nuclear weapons . And we

06:21.500 --> 06:23.556
reiterated those interests in having

06:23.556 --> 06:25.611
deeper discussions on these topics .

06:25.611 --> 06:27.370
When we met with Russia Russia

06:27.370 --> 06:30.350
yesterday in Geneva , we've also made

06:30.350 --> 06:32.580
clear that genuine progress can only

06:32.580 --> 06:34.690
take place in a climate of de

06:34.690 --> 06:37.980
escalation , not escalation and on the

06:37.980 --> 06:41.250
basis of true reciprocity that requires

06:41.250 --> 06:43.330
Russia to stay at the table and take

06:43.330 --> 06:46.510
concrete steps to reduce tensions . So ,

06:46.520 --> 06:48.450
as the Deputy secretary said said

06:48.450 --> 06:51.810
yesterday in Geneva , Russia now has a

06:51.810 --> 06:54.400
stark choice to make whether to take

06:54.400 --> 06:56.511
the path of diplomacy and dialogue or

06:56.511 --> 06:59.350
instead seek confrontation and the

06:59.350 --> 07:01.350
massive consequences that that will

07:01.350 --> 07:03.890
bring If the Russian government further

07:03.890 --> 07:06.600
invades , Ukraine further destabilizes

07:06.600 --> 07:08.822
Ukraine . We are ready and aligned with

07:08.822 --> 07:11.044
our allies and our partners , to impose

07:11.044 --> 07:13.570
severe costs . We will respond with

07:13.570 --> 07:16.130
massive economic measures including

07:16.130 --> 07:18.186
those that have not been used before

07:18.540 --> 07:21.700
and will inflict very significant costs

07:21.710 --> 07:24.050
on Russia's economy and its financial

07:24.050 --> 07:27.210
system . But let me emphasize again ,

07:27.220 --> 07:30.500
our preference is diplomacy , as the

07:30.500 --> 07:32.222
secretary has said on numerous

07:32.222 --> 07:34.820
occasions , we've done this before . I

07:34.820 --> 07:36.876
have personally been engaged in this

07:36.876 --> 07:38.987
before . Even in some of the times of

07:38.987 --> 07:41.153
greatest tension , the United States ,

07:41.153 --> 07:44.180
our allies and our partners have worked

07:44.180 --> 07:46.180
with Russia to reach understandings

07:46.180 --> 07:48.330
together , we've negotiated multiple

07:48.330 --> 07:50.163
instruments that have formed the

07:50.163 --> 07:52.400
bedrock of peace and security including

07:52.400 --> 07:54.830
the Helsinki accords , the I . N . F

07:54.830 --> 07:56.497
treaty and other arms control

07:56.497 --> 07:58.860
agreements . We're working together now

07:58.910 --> 08:00.632
to try to bring Iran back into

08:00.632 --> 08:02.854
compliance with the J . C . P . O . A .

08:02.854 --> 08:05.480
And of course we created the osc

08:05.480 --> 08:07.536
together where we will be meeting on

08:07.536 --> 08:10.360
thursday again , we did these things on

08:10.360 --> 08:12.690
the basis of reciprocity and through

08:12.690 --> 08:15.950
painstaking , careful diplomacy in full

08:15.950 --> 08:18.240
consultation and coordination with our

08:18.240 --> 08:20.330
allies and with every country whose

08:20.340 --> 08:22.790
interests were affected , this is the

08:22.790 --> 08:24.790
way forward . This is what needs to

08:24.790 --> 08:26.790
happen now . I'm happy to take your

08:26.790 --> 08:29.950
questions . That was thanks . Hi Toria ,

08:29.960 --> 08:33.510
welcome back to the briefing room . Um

08:33.520 --> 08:36.250
so I have a question about this , you

08:36.250 --> 08:38.320
know the mantra we've heard over and

08:38.320 --> 08:40.431
over again masked with consequences ,

08:40.431 --> 08:42.598
severe cost , this kind of thing . But

08:42.598 --> 08:44.653
I'm just wondering um you know , how

08:44.653 --> 08:47.060
solid , how confident are you in this

08:47.070 --> 08:50.950
in these solid solidification and

08:50.960 --> 08:53.800
in in the solid nous , the in the

08:53.800 --> 08:57.710
solidity of the Western of

08:57.710 --> 08:59.940
Western unity on this , particularly

08:59.950 --> 09:03.020
given the fact that you and Amos

09:03.020 --> 09:05.242
Hochstein were up on the hill yesterday

09:05.242 --> 09:07.570
essentially begging Democratic senators

09:07.570 --> 09:10.130
not to go along with North Stream two

09:10.130 --> 09:12.130
sanctions because you think that it

09:12.130 --> 09:14.250
will , you know , it will

09:15.840 --> 09:18.660
shelves that it will reduce the german

09:19.140 --> 09:22.040
um Germany's

09:22.270 --> 09:26.160
desire to do anything . So

09:27.140 --> 09:30.900
how solid is this alliance of for

09:30.910 --> 09:33.230
for for massive consequences and severe

09:33.230 --> 09:36.460
costs . Matt , we are very confident in

09:36.460 --> 09:38.349
the consultations that we've been

09:38.349 --> 09:40.460
having with our allies and partners .

09:40.460 --> 09:42.730
We've been working at this for some 2.5

09:42.730 --> 09:44.780
months at every level from the

09:44.780 --> 09:47.720
President on town . Uh we have as I

09:47.720 --> 09:49.720
discussed in very broad strokes and

09:49.720 --> 09:52.053
will only discuss them in broad strokes .

09:52.053 --> 09:54.770
A common understanding of the kind of

09:54.780 --> 09:56.947
intensive financial measures will need

09:56.947 --> 10:00.050
to take and also now in the context of

10:00.060 --> 10:02.710
export restrictions that will have a

10:02.720 --> 10:05.370
painful impact on Russia now , as we've

10:05.370 --> 10:07.890
done in the past , the US may take one

10:07.890 --> 10:10.190
set of measures and europe and other

10:10.190 --> 10:12.850
allies may take parallel steps that are

10:12.850 --> 10:15.760
not exactly the same , but also painful

10:15.980 --> 10:17.980
to Russia because we have different

10:17.980 --> 10:21.240
economic exposure , but we are very

10:21.240 --> 10:23.351
confident that we are coming together

10:23.351 --> 10:25.540
around a very painful package , but we

10:25.540 --> 10:27.540
don't want to have to use it as you

10:27.540 --> 10:29.596
know , so you're okay with with with

10:29.596 --> 10:32.150
putting sanctions on N S N S to a G

10:33.340 --> 10:36.990
what we have said is that uh you know ,

10:36.990 --> 10:39.800
the the agreement that we did with

10:39.810 --> 10:43.160
Germany in july makes absolutely

10:43.160 --> 10:46.350
clear , are you concerned that Germany

10:46.350 --> 10:48.517
might not be , might not go along with

10:48.517 --> 10:52.000
whatever you're hoping you'll get in

10:52.000 --> 10:55.660
place should it become necessary if

10:56.640 --> 11:00.610
there are sanctions imposed on ? We

11:00.610 --> 11:03.540
are we are concerned now that What is

11:03.540 --> 11:05.651
being discussed on the hill will have

11:05.651 --> 11:07.818
no impact on Nord Stream two . What we

11:07.818 --> 11:09.707
are doing now is working with the

11:09.707 --> 11:12.550
Germans , working with the Eu Uh to

11:12.560 --> 11:14.930
slow their consideration of

11:14.940 --> 11:17.051
implementation of the pipeline , this

11:17.051 --> 11:19.273
German government has taken significant

11:19.273 --> 11:21.273
steps to do that . And they've also

11:21.273 --> 11:23.384
reconfirmed the agreement we had with

11:23.384 --> 11:25.551
the previous government with regard to

11:25.551 --> 11:27.440
what happens to Nord Stream two ,

11:27.440 --> 11:29.218
namely it's suspended if Russia

11:29.218 --> 11:31.690
addresses against Ukraine . Yeah , okay .

11:33.040 --> 11:35.151
Regarding North Stream two , but also

11:35.151 --> 11:36.984
other discussions that Secretary

11:36.984 --> 11:39.096
Blinken is having on the hill today .

11:39.096 --> 11:41.207
Can you read out a little bit of what

11:41.207 --> 11:43.429
the message to the lawmakers is today ?

11:43.429 --> 11:45.207
Is it the same as what you have

11:45.207 --> 11:47.540
reiterated for us here and now and then .

11:47.540 --> 11:49.762
Also . I'm wondering a little bit about

11:49.762 --> 11:49.750
what the administration's position is

11:49.760 --> 11:52.150
on NATO enlargement and practice .

11:52.240 --> 11:54.620
You've made very clear that the United

11:54.620 --> 11:56.564
States continues to agree with the

11:56.564 --> 11:58.650
principle of other members or other

11:58.650 --> 12:00.872
states joining NATO . But I'm wondering

12:00.872 --> 12:02.928
if you can be a little more specific

12:02.928 --> 12:04.372
about whether or not this

12:04.372 --> 12:06.670
administration supports other states in

12:06.670 --> 12:09.510
practice coming in um to the alliance .

12:09.520 --> 12:12.160
Thank you . Well , first to say , the

12:12.160 --> 12:14.271
secretary has a number of engagements

12:14.271 --> 12:16.382
on the hill , it'll shock you to know

12:16.382 --> 12:18.604
that not all of them are about Russia ,

12:18.604 --> 12:20.771
Ukraine . Some of them are about other

12:20.771 --> 12:22.771
subjects that we're working on with

12:22.771 --> 12:24.938
members , but he's also meeting with a

12:24.938 --> 12:27.049
group who uh is considering traveling

12:27.049 --> 12:29.271
to Ukraine in a bipartisan fashion . So

12:29.271 --> 12:31.271
he , we'll go through with them all

12:31.271 --> 12:33.271
aspects of the policy and make sure

12:33.271 --> 12:35.382
that they're up to date , both on the

12:35.382 --> 12:37.640
diplomacy , but also on the costs and

12:37.640 --> 12:39.918
on our engagements with the Ukrainians ,

12:39.918 --> 12:42.260
which have been extremely um , you know ,

12:42.270 --> 12:44.830
rich and full as you know , um , and

12:44.830 --> 12:47.190
asked them to carry to carry messages

12:47.200 --> 12:50.960
of preparedness and of unity and as

12:50.960 --> 12:53.700
they go in this bipartisan manner Um ,

12:53.710 --> 12:57.430
to _ the American people's

12:57.440 --> 13:00.410
commitment across the aisle uh , to

13:00.410 --> 13:02.299
their sovereignty and territorial

13:02.299 --> 13:04.410
integrity . So that's number one with

13:04.410 --> 13:06.410
regard to NATO's open door . As you

13:06.410 --> 13:08.521
know , I've been involved in this for

13:08.521 --> 13:11.740
more than 30 years , including helping

13:11.740 --> 13:14.630
to support an usher into the alliance ,

13:14.630 --> 13:16.686
some of the allies that joined after

13:16.686 --> 13:20.580
1997 . It is a bedrock principle of

13:20.590 --> 13:22.870
the North atlantic treaty Organization

13:22.870 --> 13:25.310
and its founding charter from 1949 that

13:25.310 --> 13:27.930
its door stays open to any european

13:27.940 --> 13:30.070
country who could meet NATO's high

13:30.070 --> 13:32.490
standards . So we have a number who

13:32.490 --> 13:34.712
have joined , we have a number who want

13:34.712 --> 13:36.879
to join and are working hard with NATO

13:36.879 --> 13:38.934
To meet those standards . Um , those

13:38.934 --> 13:42.030
include Georgia , Ukraine etc . So it

13:42.030 --> 13:44.620
is , you know , absolutely essential

13:44.670 --> 13:46.503
not only that we live up to that

13:46.503 --> 13:49.050
principle that we've had for almost 70

13:49.050 --> 13:51.217
years , but for longer than 70 years ,

13:51.217 --> 13:53.950
but also that the countries that aspire

13:53.950 --> 13:56.006
to join NATO do the hard work that's

13:56.006 --> 13:58.006
necessary to be ready just to drill

13:58.006 --> 14:00.006
down a little bit . I do understand

14:00.006 --> 14:02.172
that you agree and continue to support

14:02.172 --> 14:04.283
the right and the open door policy in

14:04.283 --> 14:06.450
principle , but I'm wondering , Saya ,

14:06.450 --> 14:08.672
Finland said we would like to join with

14:08.672 --> 14:10.672
the United States , support Finland

14:10.672 --> 14:10.550
joining with the United States ,

14:10.550 --> 14:12.717
support Sweden joining with the United

14:12.717 --> 14:14.772
States . I'm not trying to make this

14:14.772 --> 14:16.939
just about Ukraine and Georgia today ,

14:16.939 --> 14:20.500
I think across five administrations

14:20.500 --> 14:22.500
that I have served , we have always

14:22.500 --> 14:26.080
said to Finland and Sweden anytime you

14:26.080 --> 14:28.620
want to talk to us about membership ,

14:28.630 --> 14:30.686
we are we are ready to do that . But

14:30.686 --> 14:32.797
again , Finland and Sweden would also

14:32.797 --> 14:35.019
have to be measured against NATO's high

14:35.019 --> 14:37.130
standards . You know , obviously they

14:37.130 --> 14:39.186
are long time established a stable ,

14:39.186 --> 14:41.074
stable democracies . Um , so that

14:41.074 --> 14:42.797
conversation would be slightly

14:42.797 --> 14:44.797
different than it is with countries

14:44.797 --> 14:46.686
that are making the transition to

14:46.686 --> 14:48.797
democratic systems and dealing with ,

14:48.797 --> 14:50.630
you know , intensive problems of

14:50.630 --> 14:52.750
corruption and economic reform and uh

14:52.760 --> 14:54.538
democratic stability etcetera .

14:57.040 --> 15:00.050
Thank you very much toria . Uh in the

15:00.050 --> 15:02.850
context of what you said about the need

15:02.850 --> 15:05.850
to see uh Russia's reactions and

15:05.850 --> 15:07.906
whether they were in a posture of de

15:07.906 --> 15:09.739
escalation . How do you view the

15:09.739 --> 15:12.330
reported live fire exercises by several

15:12.330 --> 15:14.441
1000 troops very close to the Ukraine

15:14.441 --> 15:16.780
border today ? And I'd like to also ask

15:16.780 --> 15:18.910
you about another issue elsewhere in

15:18.910 --> 15:22.090
the world if I may . Uh So we've

15:22.090 --> 15:24.510
obviously seen those reports , um I

15:24.520 --> 15:26.720
don't have them validated , but we've

15:26.720 --> 15:28.553
seen them that obviously goes in

15:28.553 --> 15:30.664
exactly the opposite direction . When

15:30.664 --> 15:32.776
we talk about de escalation , we talk

15:32.776 --> 15:34.831
about getting uh that mass number of

15:34.831 --> 15:36.887
troops off the Ukrainian border . We

15:36.887 --> 15:38.942
talk about serious engagement at the

15:38.942 --> 15:41.490
table , we talked about getting rid of

15:41.500 --> 15:44.590
destabilizing equipment as well around

15:44.590 --> 15:47.750
Ukraine's borders and ending the

15:47.750 --> 15:51.100
massive disinformation and the

15:51.110 --> 15:53.470
plans with regard to internal

15:53.470 --> 15:56.700
destabilization . And if I may , since

15:56.700 --> 15:58.900
you're here , if I could impose upon

15:58.900 --> 16:01.067
you with your broad region , since the

16:01.067 --> 16:03.233
secretary is on the hill talking about

16:03.233 --> 16:05.178
a lot of different issues . Um the

16:05.178 --> 16:07.178
North korean missile launch , which

16:07.178 --> 16:09.400
according to our South korean allies Uh

16:09.400 --> 16:13.040
and other experts was at Mach 10 ,

16:13.050 --> 16:15.910
which makes it hypersonic and which

16:15.920 --> 16:18.650
apparently according to also the South

16:18.650 --> 16:20.750
Korean Defense Ministry had a

16:20.750 --> 16:23.320
maneuverable reentry vehicle , making

16:23.320 --> 16:26.210
it according to experts who we've

16:26.210 --> 16:29.560
spoken to . Hard to track or two .

16:30.240 --> 16:33.460
Uh huh hard to defend against .

16:34.240 --> 16:36.390
Uh what do you think ? This is the

16:36.390 --> 16:40.280
second in just one week from kim jong

16:40.280 --> 16:43.900
un ? Uh I'm gonna leave to ned when he

16:43.900 --> 16:47.040
follows to share what we can from

16:47.040 --> 16:49.700
intelligence about what we believe

16:49.700 --> 16:51.533
happened and didn't happen . But

16:51.533 --> 16:53.478
obviously it takes us in the wrong

16:53.478 --> 16:55.533
direction . As you know , the United

16:55.533 --> 16:57.422
States has been saying since this

16:57.422 --> 16:59.644
administration came in that we are open

16:59.644 --> 17:01.700
to dialogue with North Korea that we

17:01.700 --> 17:04.800
are open to talking about covid and

17:04.800 --> 17:06.690
humanitarian support and instead

17:06.690 --> 17:08.412
they're firing off missiles so

17:08.840 --> 17:11.810
dangerous and that we are there any

17:11.810 --> 17:14.032
direct talks that perhaps we don't know

17:14.032 --> 17:16.199
about ? I don't have anything to share

17:16.199 --> 17:19.020
on that . In addition to the live fire

17:19.020 --> 17:21.480
exercises today , Kremlin spokesman

17:21.480 --> 17:23.770
Peskov said there was no real cause for

17:23.770 --> 17:26.080
optimism after the talks on monday ,

17:26.090 --> 17:28.530
Does this change the US view at all of

17:28.530 --> 17:30.790
how the talks went . And does this give

17:30.800 --> 17:33.160
indication to us that Russia has no

17:33.160 --> 17:35.510
intention of using the military

17:35.510 --> 17:38.940
presence ? Uh well , that's obviously

17:38.940 --> 17:40.940
disappointing to hear that from the

17:40.940 --> 17:43.210
Kremlin . I hadn't seen that report

17:43.220 --> 17:45.690
before coming down here . Um as I said ,

17:45.690 --> 17:48.760
we believe that the uh exchange of

17:48.760 --> 17:50.982
views that we had with the Russian side

17:50.982 --> 17:53.860
was uh constructive and worth doing and

17:53.860 --> 17:56.310
we want to see those talks continue .

17:56.320 --> 17:59.260
Uh and we're prepared to do that .

17:59.880 --> 18:03.510
Something . There are voices in town

18:03.510 --> 18:05.940
that say that instead of waiting for

18:05.940 --> 18:08.460
Russia to invade Ukraine , why don't

18:08.460 --> 18:11.260
you send weapons to Ukraine to defend

18:11.260 --> 18:13.610
themselves ? And if you have any update

18:13.610 --> 18:15.860
on Vienna talks on Iraq

18:16.940 --> 18:19.162
Michelle . And I know that , you know ,

18:19.162 --> 18:22.230
from from ned that we have This year

18:22.230 --> 18:25.350
alone supplied Ukraine with some

18:25.350 --> 18:29.280
450 million dollars worth of

18:29.280 --> 18:32.580
defensive , lethal support in all kinds

18:32.580 --> 18:35.410
of categories that they need for their

18:35.410 --> 18:38.360
preparedness now . And as the President

18:38.360 --> 18:40.640
has said , we are continuing to provide

18:40.640 --> 18:44.260
that support as they need it . Um but

18:44.270 --> 18:47.420
you know , the problem is this Russian

18:47.420 --> 18:49.587
problem provocation , which is causing

18:49.587 --> 18:51.860
them to be increasingly insecure

18:53.840 --> 18:56.580
for doing this . Secretary Blinken was

18:56.580 --> 18:58.747
pretty clear over the weekend that you

18:58.747 --> 19:00.302
guys aren't expecting major

19:00.302 --> 19:02.790
breakthroughs , We've heard from um

19:02.800 --> 19:05.720
Secretary Deputy Secretary Sherman that

19:05.730 --> 19:08.110
this was useful , but not necessarily

19:08.120 --> 19:11.450
exact forward progress here . Um what

19:11.460 --> 19:14.580
would the US deem success at the end of

19:14.580 --> 19:17.610
this week of diplomacy ? Well , we've

19:17.610 --> 19:20.010
said all along and the Secretary said

19:20.010 --> 19:22.220
this and uh Deputy Secretary Sherman

19:22.220 --> 19:24.730
said it yesterday that the kinds of

19:24.740 --> 19:27.530
issues that they have put on the table

19:27.540 --> 19:29.707
and the kinds of issues that we've put

19:29.707 --> 19:31.651
on the table . Some of them I uh ,

19:31.651 --> 19:34.180
enunciated earlier , including military

19:34.180 --> 19:36.250
transparency , is etcetera . But

19:36.250 --> 19:40.070
particularly , um , our concerns about

19:40.080 --> 19:42.100
their intermediate range missiles ,

19:42.100 --> 19:44.267
their concerns that they've put on the

19:44.267 --> 19:46.489
table and these two treaties about uh ,

19:46.489 --> 19:48.544
nuclear weaponry can't be negotiated

19:48.544 --> 19:50.711
overnight . They take painstaking hard

19:50.711 --> 19:53.430
diplomacy . So this first round was an

19:53.430 --> 19:56.420
exchange of views and we are open and

19:56.430 --> 19:58.880
welcoming of continuing to talk . But

19:58.880 --> 20:01.102
if we want to make real progress , it's

20:01.102 --> 20:03.158
going to take that kind of hard work

20:03.158 --> 20:05.269
and it's gonna take some time . So is

20:05.269 --> 20:07.269
success getting another date on the

20:07.269 --> 20:09.324
calendar for follow up discussions .

20:10.040 --> 20:12.600
You know , I don't think in , in

20:12.600 --> 20:15.310
diplomacy , you measure success in

20:15.320 --> 20:17.376
inches , you measure it in outcome .

20:17.376 --> 20:20.670
And again , it is almost impossible for

20:20.670 --> 20:23.600
a single round with issues this intense ,

20:23.610 --> 20:27.170
uh , to settle , uh , everything let

20:27.170 --> 20:29.830
alone sometimes anything . So we had to

20:29.830 --> 20:31.552
exchange positions . We had to

20:31.552 --> 20:33.719
understand each other and then we have

20:33.719 --> 20:35.941
to get down to the hard work and we are

20:35.941 --> 20:38.163
ready to do that . The question is , is

20:38.163 --> 20:40.219
the Kremlin . And can I ask one more

20:40.219 --> 20:42.330
question about Russia . I'm curious .

20:42.330 --> 20:44.180
Um , if the United States has a

20:44.180 --> 20:47.460
timeframe for how long you think Russia ?

20:47.470 --> 20:51.390
Can financially back the placement

20:51.390 --> 20:53.860
of troops along the Russia Ukrainian

20:53.860 --> 20:56.027
border or if they have no timeline and

20:56.027 --> 20:58.082
they're willing to put any amount of

20:58.082 --> 20:59.860
resources into maintaining that

20:59.860 --> 21:01.971
aggression . Well , kelly , I'm gonna

21:01.971 --> 21:04.193
let the Russians speak for themselves .

21:04.193 --> 21:06.249
But you make a very , very important

21:06.249 --> 21:08.360
point which the Russian people should

21:08.360 --> 21:10.582
be paying attention to . These kinds of

21:10.582 --> 21:12.730
deployments , 100,000 troops out of

21:12.740 --> 21:14.820
barracks and on , on the Ukrainian

21:14.820 --> 21:17.940
border are extremely expensive . As is

21:17.940 --> 21:20.162
the deployment of this kind of weaponry

21:20.162 --> 21:23.770
in the cold winter . When you know ,

21:23.780 --> 21:26.002
the wealth of Russia , were I a Russian

21:26.002 --> 21:28.113
citizen , I would want to see applied

21:28.113 --> 21:30.058
to the health care system , to the

21:30.058 --> 21:32.169
education system , to the roads , the

21:32.169 --> 21:34.336
same kinds of conversations that we're

21:34.336 --> 21:36.558
having here in the United States rather

21:36.558 --> 21:38.613
than hemorrhaging money on a created

21:38.613 --> 21:40.724
crisis and putting their own military

21:40.724 --> 21:42.700
out there in the snow . Time for a

21:42.700 --> 21:45.710
final question or two , please .

21:50.140 --> 21:52.307
And , and the most important thing for

21:52.307 --> 21:54.480
for them that previously the level of

21:54.480 --> 21:56.490
the expectation was very high . So

21:56.500 --> 21:58.640
right now , after Geneva talks on the

21:58.640 --> 22:01.480
eve of other negotiations , do you see

22:01.480 --> 22:03.380
even the slightest side of the de

22:03.380 --> 22:05.960
escalation you talked about , uh , this

22:05.970 --> 22:08.192
atmosphere of the de escalation , which

22:08.192 --> 22:10.359
we need . So very much so . Do you see

22:10.359 --> 22:12.470
right now , even the slightest signed

22:12.470 --> 22:14.526
well again , in in light of the news

22:14.526 --> 22:16.748
we've heard today , we haven't seen the

22:16.748 --> 22:18.859
kinds of steps that we need to see in

22:18.859 --> 22:20.970
terms of Russian de escalation and as

22:20.970 --> 22:23.137
we've said , as these talks continue ,

22:23.137 --> 22:25.248
they will not be successful unless we

22:25.248 --> 22:27.192
can do this in an atmosphere of de

22:27.192 --> 22:29.248
escalation . Ukraine should not have

22:29.248 --> 22:31.470
this sort of Damocles hanging over it .

22:31.540 --> 22:34.330
Um what I would like to say to the

22:34.330 --> 22:36.430
Ukrainian people and to Ukrainian

22:36.430 --> 22:39.790
leadership is that national unity is

22:39.800 --> 22:42.560
absolutely essential at this moment .

22:42.940 --> 22:45.460
Um and to make the case continually ,

22:45.470 --> 22:48.990
um as you've always made to us uh that

22:48.990 --> 22:51.212
your independence , your sovereignty is

22:51.212 --> 22:53.850
about your european aspirations . Um

22:53.860 --> 22:56.890
and we understand that completely . Um

22:56.900 --> 22:59.067
but it's important to be united now in

22:59.067 --> 23:01.170
in the context of what's going on ,

23:02.240 --> 23:05.460
it's like see you behind the podium ,

23:06.440 --> 23:09.090
my question to you as you said that

23:09.150 --> 23:12.700
you've worked with Back in 1997 and so

23:12.700 --> 23:14.922
on . You've seen the entry of countries

23:14.922 --> 23:17.144
and so on into NATO . So you know quite

23:17.144 --> 23:18.867
well why shouldn't Russia feel

23:18.900 --> 23:22.590
threatened and affronted by Ukraine or

23:22.590 --> 23:25.370
any other bordering country joining

23:25.370 --> 23:27.760
NATO ? I mean NATO is not exactly a

23:27.760 --> 23:29.538
country club , it is a military

23:29.538 --> 23:31.880
alliance . It has , you know , probably

23:31.880 --> 23:34.070
Russia and its crosshairs . So why

23:34.070 --> 23:36.260
shouldn't they fear the joining of

23:36.260 --> 23:39.350
Ukraine ? I'll say it again .

23:39.840 --> 23:42.560
Uh Ukraine is sorry ,

23:43.940 --> 23:46.330
try this again , I will say this again ,

23:46.380 --> 23:49.440
NATO is a defensive alliance . It is

23:49.440 --> 23:53.380
about defending its members against any

23:53.400 --> 23:56.660
potential attack . It is not in the

23:56.670 --> 24:00.570
attack business itself . Uh we

24:00.580 --> 24:03.910
also have these longstanding

24:03.910 --> 24:06.920
relationships between NATO and Russia ,

24:06.930 --> 24:09.500
which , you know , I was part of

24:09.500 --> 24:11.510
building back in the 90s and in the

24:11.510 --> 24:14.030
early aughts years . And the hope was

24:14.030 --> 24:17.260
that Russia and NATO would increasingly

24:17.540 --> 24:20.380
be doing a lot of european security

24:20.380 --> 24:22.830
together rather than seeing each other

24:22.840 --> 24:25.740
as enemies . But Russia chose not to go

24:25.740 --> 24:29.250
in that direction . And again , NATO is

24:29.250 --> 24:33.010
about defending its members . In fact ,

24:33.010 --> 24:36.950
NATO never even had any forces on

24:36.950 --> 24:39.520
its eastern edge because we didn't feel

24:39.520 --> 24:42.670
the need to have troops close to Russia

24:43.040 --> 24:46.830
Until Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 .

24:46.900 --> 24:49.920
And led NATO members to be concerned

24:49.920 --> 24:52.280
that they might keep going into NATO

24:52.280 --> 24:54.480
territory . So it is Russia that

24:54.480 --> 24:56.980
created this situation that brings us

24:56.980 --> 24:58.924
closer to their borders . It's not

24:58.924 --> 25:01.200
something that we wanted to do . Thanks

25:01.200 --> 25:03.144
everybody . Great to see you all .

25:10.410 --> 25:12.188
That's it matt you're leaving .

25:14.840 --> 25:16.284
Yeah , where's he going ?

25:18.640 --> 25:21.190
I've learned not to . Especially with

25:21.190 --> 25:25.090
him . Let me get through a couple of

25:25.090 --> 25:27.550
pieces of business at the top and then

25:28.040 --> 25:30.790
Happy to take your questions 1st .

25:30.790 --> 25:32.846
Today , the United States Agency for

25:32.846 --> 25:35.068
International Development announced the

25:35.068 --> 25:37.179
United States government government's

25:37.179 --> 25:39.346
initial 2022 contribution of more than

25:39.346 --> 25:41.457
$308 million dollars for humanitarian

25:41.457 --> 25:43.068
assistance for the people of

25:43.068 --> 25:45.179
Afghanistan . This new funding brings

25:45.179 --> 25:46.790
total us humanitarian aid in

25:46.790 --> 25:48.957
Afghanistan and to the Afghan refugees

25:48.957 --> 25:52.260
in the region to nearly $782 million

25:52.260 --> 25:55.920
October 2020 alone . President biden

25:55.920 --> 25:57.753
has been clear that humanitarian

25:57.753 --> 25:59.587
assistance will continue to flow

25:59.587 --> 26:01.698
directly to the people of Afghanistan

26:01.750 --> 26:03.639
and the United States remains the

26:03.639 --> 26:05.861
single largest provider of humanitarian

26:05.861 --> 26:08.010
assistance in Afghanistan . This

26:08.010 --> 26:10.177
assistance includes food and nutrition

26:10.177 --> 26:12.177
assistance , support for healthcare

26:12.177 --> 26:14.232
facilities and mobile health teams ,

26:14.232 --> 26:16.288
winterization programs that includes

26:16.288 --> 26:18.566
the provision of emergency cash grants ,

26:18.566 --> 26:20.677
shelter kits , heaters , blankets and

26:20.677 --> 26:22.454
warm clothing and logistics and

26:22.454 --> 26:24.677
transportation support . To ensure that

26:24.677 --> 26:27.530
aid workers in critical critical can

26:27.530 --> 26:29.752
make it to the hardest areas to reach .

26:29.940 --> 26:32.051
This new contribution from the United

26:32.051 --> 26:34.218
States will provide lifesaving aid for

26:34.218 --> 26:36.273
the most vulnerable afghans and that

26:36.273 --> 26:38.273
includes women and girls , minority

26:38.273 --> 26:39.829
populations and people with

26:39.829 --> 26:42.107
disabilities . In addition , the U . N .

26:42.107 --> 26:43.996
Launches Afghanistan humanitarian

26:43.996 --> 26:46.162
response plan with the world's largest

26:46.162 --> 26:48.470
humanitarian funding appeal ever . The

26:48.470 --> 26:50.414
United States remains committed to

26:50.414 --> 26:52.414
helping the people of Afghanistan .

26:52.414 --> 26:54.581
However , for this for this assistance

26:54.581 --> 26:56.780
to be the most effective all aid

26:56.780 --> 26:59.070
workers , especially women , must be

26:59.070 --> 27:01.237
permitted to operate independently and

27:01.237 --> 27:03.990
securely and be able to reach women and

27:03.990 --> 27:06.600
girls without impediments . The United

27:06.600 --> 27:08.822
States continues to urge the Taliban to

27:08.822 --> 27:10.990
allow unhindered humanitarian access

27:11.210 --> 27:13.820
safe conditions for humanitarian aid

27:13.820 --> 27:15.910
workers . Independent provision of

27:15.910 --> 27:18.830
assistance to all vulnerable people and

27:18.830 --> 27:21.230
freedom of movement for aid workers of

27:21.240 --> 27:24.090
all genders . We will continue to work

27:24.090 --> 27:25.979
to alleviate the suffering of the

27:25.979 --> 27:28.146
Afghan people and call on other donors

27:28.430 --> 27:30.760
to continue to contribute to this

27:30.760 --> 27:33.300
international response together , we

27:33.300 --> 27:35.078
can deliver critical assistance

27:35.078 --> 27:37.300
directly to the people of Afghanistan .

27:38.140 --> 27:40.084
Next we welcome the release of the

27:40.084 --> 27:42.650
weekend of the weekend . We welcome the

27:42.650 --> 27:44.761
release this weekend of activist Rami

27:44.761 --> 27:46.817
Kamel and Rami Shaath from pre trial

27:46.817 --> 27:49.190
detention in Egypt ? And we encourage

27:49.200 --> 27:51.200
the government of Egypt to continue

27:51.200 --> 27:53.033
additional releases of long term

27:53.033 --> 27:54.978
detainees . The United States will

27:54.978 --> 27:57.144
continue to engage with Egypt on human

27:57.144 --> 27:59.256
rights issues and to emphasize to the

27:59.256 --> 28:01.422
Egyptian government that our bilateral

28:01.422 --> 28:03.589
relationship strengthened by improving

28:03.589 --> 28:05.200
respect for human rights and

28:05.200 --> 28:07.390
fundamental freedoms . And finally ,

28:07.390 --> 28:09.390
the United States notes the January

28:09.390 --> 28:11.390
nine decision by Somalia's National

28:11.390 --> 28:13.446
Consultative Council to complete the

28:13.446 --> 28:15.501
country's long overdue parliamentary

28:15.501 --> 28:17.960
elections by February 25 of this year .

28:18.340 --> 28:21.010
We call on all of Somalia's national

28:21.010 --> 28:23.010
and federal Member State leaders to

28:23.010 --> 28:25.232
adhere to the newly agreed timeline and

28:25.232 --> 28:27.343
correct the procedural irregularities

28:27.430 --> 28:29.597
that have marred the process to date .

28:29.840 --> 28:31.840
Somalia's elections are more than a

28:31.840 --> 28:33.784
year behind schedule . In February

28:33.784 --> 28:35.396
eight will mark the one year

28:35.396 --> 28:37.451
anniversary of the expiration of the

28:37.451 --> 28:39.507
president's term . The United States

28:39.507 --> 28:41.451
prepared to draw on relevant tools

28:41.451 --> 28:43.673
potentially including visa restrictions

28:43.673 --> 28:45.896
to respond to further delays or actions

28:45.896 --> 28:47.896
that undermine the integrity of the

28:47.896 --> 28:50.210
process . With that happy to take any

28:50.210 --> 28:54.000
remaining questions staff . It's not an

28:54.010 --> 28:56.232
air strike in Tigre on monday killed at

28:56.232 --> 28:58.440
least 17 people , mostly women and

28:58.440 --> 29:00.690
wounded dozens . Aid workers have said

29:00.700 --> 29:02.867
this was the same day that biden spoke

29:02.867 --> 29:04.978
with Prime Minister A . B . And urged

29:04.978 --> 29:07.089
to stop to the air strikes . Did Abby

29:07.089 --> 29:08.978
offer any commitments to stopping

29:08.978 --> 29:10.978
airstrikes during the call and with

29:10.978 --> 29:13.033
civilians being killed in these what

29:13.033 --> 29:15.200
will the U . S . Do to ensure that the

29:15.200 --> 29:17.422
air strikes stop ? Let me make a couple

29:17.422 --> 29:19.990
of points on that first . As you noted ,

29:19.990 --> 29:22.101
the President did have an opportunity

29:22.101 --> 29:24.810
to speak to Ethiopian Prime Minister

29:24.810 --> 29:27.570
Abby yesterday on January 10 . The

29:27.570 --> 29:31.150
president did raise specifically uh

29:31.160 --> 29:33.420
concerns about recent airstrikes

29:33.450 --> 29:35.970
causing civilian casualties and other

29:35.970 --> 29:38.600
human rights violations . We have

29:38.610 --> 29:41.250
consistently called out violations of

29:41.250 --> 29:43.250
human rights by all parties to this

29:43.250 --> 29:45.730
conflict and we will continue to do

29:45.730 --> 29:48.560
that uh in all of our engagements at

29:48.560 --> 29:50.560
the most senior levels . Uh and

29:50.560 --> 29:52.782
including in our public statements , we

29:52.782 --> 29:54.910
also believe , and you've seen us

29:54.910 --> 29:56.910
resort to measures to this effect ,

29:56.910 --> 29:59.077
that there must be accountability . We

29:59.077 --> 30:01.299
supported a move , for example , by the

30:01.299 --> 30:03.740
Human Rights Council last month to

30:03.740 --> 30:05.907
establish an independent commission of

30:05.907 --> 30:09.730
experts for Ethiopia . Um We believe uh

30:09.740 --> 30:11.907
fundamentally and this has really been

30:11.907 --> 30:14.650
at the core of our approach to the

30:14.650 --> 30:17.120
conflict in Northern Ethiopia over the

30:17.120 --> 30:19.176
course of this administration , that

30:19.176 --> 30:22.350
the best way to end the human rights

30:22.350 --> 30:25.540
abuses to end the violence , the

30:25.540 --> 30:28.410
conflict , the widespread suffering ,

30:28.420 --> 30:31.130
the humanitarian strife is to bring

30:31.130 --> 30:34.300
this war to a close and that is what we

30:34.300 --> 30:37.430
have been so focused on . We are

30:37.430 --> 30:40.170
pursuing robust diplomacy . Yesterday's

30:40.180 --> 30:42.590
leader level call was an element of

30:42.590 --> 30:45.520
that uh Ambassador special envoy

30:45.520 --> 30:47.280
Feldman and now Special Envoy

30:47.290 --> 30:50.400
Satterfield um are deeply engaged in

30:50.400 --> 30:52.622
this have been deeply engaged in this ,

30:52.622 --> 30:54.780
working very closely with former

30:54.780 --> 30:57.300
President Obasanjo , working with other

30:57.310 --> 31:00.030
regional leaders , working with the au

31:00.030 --> 31:03.880
as a whole to bring about an end to

31:03.890 --> 31:06.610
this conflict . We do believe the

31:06.610 --> 31:09.740
current situation offers an opportunity

31:09.750 --> 31:13.490
for both sides to demonstrate

31:13.500 --> 31:16.750
good faith and to demonstrate that

31:16.760 --> 31:19.540
progress is on the horizon . They can

31:19.540 --> 31:21.980
halt combat operations . They can come

31:21.980 --> 31:24.220
to the negotiating table again all in

31:24.220 --> 31:27.210
furtherance of what is our overarching

31:27.220 --> 31:29.331
overriding goal . And that's bringing

31:29.331 --> 31:32.060
this conflict to a close . Sorry ,

31:32.070 --> 31:34.126
sorry . On the airstrikes . Did abby

31:34.126 --> 31:36.237
make any commitments in the call with

31:36.237 --> 31:38.237
biden ? Well , we have read out our

31:38.237 --> 31:40.403
side of the call , I just offered some

31:40.403 --> 31:40.350
additional detail . I will leave it to

31:40.350 --> 31:43.410
the Ethiopians to read out what

31:43.420 --> 31:47.380
uh the Prime Minister said . I'm

31:47.380 --> 31:51.120
sorry . Well , I I suspect the White

31:51.120 --> 31:53.231
House will be in the same position of

31:53.231 --> 31:55.231
leaving it to the Prime Minister to

31:55.231 --> 31:57.342
speak to what precisely he said , But

31:57.342 --> 31:59.509
we can be um you can be very confident

31:59.509 --> 32:01.900
that President biden raised these

32:01.900 --> 32:04.940
concerns . There was no ambiguity about

32:04.940 --> 32:07.230
the fact that we do have uh serious

32:07.230 --> 32:09.450
concerns um including regarding what

32:09.450 --> 32:12.030
has transpired in recent days . Andrea

32:12.250 --> 32:15.900
you follow up about North Korea and the

32:15.910 --> 32:19.460
reaction to what has been described

32:19.460 --> 32:23.060
as hypersonic missiles which

32:23.440 --> 32:25.710
landed in the sea of Japan but which

32:25.720 --> 32:28.170
did have a maneuverable reentry vehicle .

32:28.540 --> 32:30.810
Well , you heard from Indo pay calm

32:30.810 --> 32:33.060
overnight . You've also probably seen

32:33.070 --> 32:36.970
uh the language that has emanated from

32:36.970 --> 32:38.970
the State Department . We have made

32:38.970 --> 32:41.830
very clear that we condemn this latest

32:41.840 --> 32:44.970
ballistic missile launch indo para com

32:44.980 --> 32:47.147
put forward a statement overnight that

32:47.147 --> 32:49.091
made clear our assessment that the

32:49.091 --> 32:51.313
launch did not pose an immediate threat

32:51.313 --> 32:53.680
to U . S . Personnel or territory or to

32:53.680 --> 32:56.700
our allies . But the launch clearly

32:56.710 --> 32:59.160
does highlight the destabilizing

32:59.170 --> 33:01.600
destabilizing impact of the Dprk as

33:01.600 --> 33:04.680
illicit weapons programs . It violates

33:04.690 --> 33:06.610
multiple Human Security Council

33:06.610 --> 33:09.520
resolutions . It poses a threat to the

33:09.520 --> 33:12.790
Dprk as neighbors into the broader

33:12.800 --> 33:15.120
international community . Uh this is

33:15.120 --> 33:18.590
precisely why we have for some time ,

33:18.590 --> 33:20.770
including in recent days been

33:20.770 --> 33:23.270
consulting very closely with allies and

33:23.270 --> 33:25.460
partners . You may have seen that um

33:25.540 --> 33:27.540
our ambassador to the U . N . Linda

33:27.540 --> 33:29.651
thomas Greenfield spoke on this topic

33:29.651 --> 33:31.680
yesterday from uh new york . We're

33:31.680 --> 33:34.030
consulting closely with our allies and

33:34.030 --> 33:36.086
partners on this . As you know , our

33:36.086 --> 33:38.720
our commitment to the defense of the

33:38.720 --> 33:41.260
republic of Korea and Japan uh is

33:41.270 --> 33:43.381
ironclad . And when it comes to North

33:43.381 --> 33:46.170
Korea , we continue to call on the DpRK

33:46.180 --> 33:48.680
to refrain from further further

33:48.690 --> 33:52.220
provocations and importantly to

33:52.230 --> 33:55.390
engage in sustained and sustained and

33:55.390 --> 33:57.940
substantive dialogue . What we have

33:57.950 --> 34:01.580
been uh open to and in fact calling for

34:01.590 --> 34:05.290
for some time now we have

34:05.290 --> 34:09.220
not the DpRK has not responded to these

34:09.220 --> 34:12.210
overtures . But we continue to believe

34:12.220 --> 34:14.870
that dialogue , we continue to believe

34:14.870 --> 34:18.510
that diplomacy Is the best past

34:18.510 --> 34:21.200
forward and we're going to continue to

34:21.200 --> 34:23.710
plot out that course with our allies to

34:23.710 --> 34:25.900
work in lockstep with our allies and

34:25.900 --> 34:28.650
our partners and we will be ready if

34:28.650 --> 34:31.980
the DPRK demonstrates that it is

34:31.980 --> 34:34.091
willing to engage in such diplomacy ?

34:34.100 --> 34:37.930
This this launch got approximately 425

34:37.930 --> 34:40.090
miles into the sea of Japan . But we

34:40.090 --> 34:42.160
have consistently underestimated the

34:42.170 --> 34:45.820
rapidity of Kim's advances . Um Do

34:45.820 --> 34:48.042
you agree with the FAA decision for the

34:48.042 --> 34:51.460
unusual ground halt For somewhat

34:51.470 --> 34:54.670
slightly under 15 minutes of West Coast

34:54.680 --> 34:57.690
Air Traffic minutes after this launch .

34:57.700 --> 35:00.450
So I won't speak to any precautionary

35:00.450 --> 35:03.130
measures that the F . A . A . Uh might

35:03.130 --> 35:05.400
take . I I understand that they put out

35:05.410 --> 35:09.210
a statement to this effect , that they

35:09.220 --> 35:11.442
did this out of an abundance of caution

35:11.442 --> 35:13.442
as you alluded to . Full operations

35:13.442 --> 35:16.740
resumed within 15 minutes . Uh

35:16.740 --> 35:19.320
and the FAA is reviewing the process

35:19.330 --> 35:22.680
around this ground stop . And you do

35:22.680 --> 35:24.736
you think since the Dprk , as you've

35:24.736 --> 35:26.902
just acknowledged , have not responded

35:26.902 --> 35:28.950
to our overtures , is there another

35:28.950 --> 35:31.117
attack that we should be taking to try

35:31.117 --> 35:33.117
to get through with them or perhaps

35:33.117 --> 35:35.550
removing any preconditions or changing

35:35.940 --> 35:38.162
the climate of our overtures ? Well , I

35:38.162 --> 35:40.218
want to be very clear , there are no

35:40.218 --> 35:42.440
preconditions . We think that diplomacy

35:42.440 --> 35:46.130
is in dialogue is a viable option right

35:46.130 --> 35:49.670
now . It is we

35:49.670 --> 35:52.480
think it's incumbent on the Dprk to

35:52.480 --> 35:54.970
cease these provocations to demonstrate

35:54.980 --> 35:58.540
that uh they too are

35:58.550 --> 36:00.630
interested in and hopefully serious

36:00.630 --> 36:03.150
about this dialogue . And if they are

36:03.160 --> 36:06.730
they will find a willing uh counterpart

36:06.740 --> 36:08.950
in the United States and our allies as

36:08.950 --> 36:12.160
well to engage in this dialogue . Sure ,

36:12.630 --> 36:15.000
just one last question , is there any

36:15.000 --> 36:18.220
kind of clock for the U . S . As far as

36:18.230 --> 36:20.397
determining when to change course when

36:20.397 --> 36:22.720
it comes to the Dprk yesterday's joint

36:22.720 --> 36:25.070
statement by ambassador thomas Green .

36:25.070 --> 36:27.126
She mentioned every time they fire a

36:27.126 --> 36:29.237
missile , they make advancements . So

36:29.237 --> 36:31.237
is there a clock similar to how you

36:31.237 --> 36:33.237
mentioned a clock with negotiations

36:33.237 --> 36:34.848
with Iran ? Well , these are

36:34.848 --> 36:37.070
fundamentally uh in some ways different

36:37.070 --> 36:39.292
challenges . One of these countries has

36:39.292 --> 36:41.348
a nuclear weapons program uh and the

36:41.348 --> 36:44.000
other does not . And we when it comes

36:44.000 --> 36:46.190
to the other , our goal is and our

36:46.190 --> 36:48.280
commitment is to keeping it that way

36:48.290 --> 36:50.600
when it comes to North Korea . We've

36:50.600 --> 36:53.240
spoken repeatedly now about the concern

36:53.240 --> 36:56.140
we have for its nuclear weapons program ,

36:56.140 --> 36:58.196
for its ballistic missiles program ,

36:58.196 --> 37:00.418
for the threat that these programs pose

37:00.418 --> 37:02.584
potentially to international peace and

37:02.584 --> 37:06.020
security . Uh And even as uh we have

37:06.020 --> 37:08.310
put out these overtures , these offers

37:08.320 --> 37:11.060
to engage in dialogue and diplomacy

37:11.060 --> 37:13.227
with the North Koreans with the Dprk .

37:13.227 --> 37:15.116
We have continued to consult very

37:15.116 --> 37:17.171
closely with our treaty allies , the

37:17.171 --> 37:19.300
Rok and Japan . We have continued to

37:19.300 --> 37:21.578
speak very closely with other partners ,

37:21.578 --> 37:23.911
both in the indo pacific and and beyond .

37:23.911 --> 37:26.133
And we continued to engage with the U .

37:26.133 --> 37:27.856
N . Uh And just yesterday as I

37:27.856 --> 37:30.078
mentioned , there were consultations on

37:30.078 --> 37:32.300
this at the U . N . Ambassador thomas .

37:32.300 --> 37:34.633
Greenfield is continuing down that path .

37:34.633 --> 37:36.744
So yes , we have a number of tools in

37:36.744 --> 37:40.300
our arsenal . We will continue to call

37:40.300 --> 37:44.210
on those tools to hold to account the

37:44.210 --> 37:48.170
Dprk uh for uh it's violations ,

37:48.170 --> 37:50.392
for example of U . N . Security Council

37:50.392 --> 37:52.480
resolutions , the threat it poses to

37:52.480 --> 37:54.536
international peace and security and

37:54.536 --> 37:56.647
the broader set of challenges that we

37:56.647 --> 37:58.702
face from the Dprk . But of course I

37:58.702 --> 38:00.758
wouldn't want to preview anything at

38:00.758 --> 38:03.930
this stage that Iran doesn't have a

38:03.930 --> 38:06.041
nuclear weapons program . I mean just

38:06.041 --> 38:07.930
because they don't have a bomb or

38:07.930 --> 38:10.097
haven't exploded one doesn't mean they

38:10.097 --> 38:12.097
don't have a program . Are you sure

38:12.097 --> 38:14.263
that they are you sure that they don't

38:14.263 --> 38:16.486
matter ? I will leave it to the I . E .

38:16.486 --> 38:18.152
A . That continues to have uh

38:18.152 --> 38:20.319
inspections . And but let me just make

38:20.319 --> 38:22.541
one other broad broader point . This is

38:22.541 --> 38:24.874
precisely why we want the J . C . P . O .

38:24.874 --> 38:27.152
A return to full compliance with the J .

38:27.152 --> 38:29.374
C . P . O . A . Because it has the most

38:29.374 --> 38:31.486
stringent verification and monitoring

38:31.486 --> 38:33.850
program ever negotiated . Uh That would

38:33.850 --> 38:36.800
be something we would do well to have

38:36.800 --> 38:40.770
right now . Lord and Vienna

38:40.770 --> 38:42.881
talks , do you have any update on the

38:42.881 --> 38:44.881
talks ? Are you getting closer to a

38:44.881 --> 38:46.992
deal ? I don't have a specific update

38:46.992 --> 38:49.150
as you know , this round is ongoing .

38:49.150 --> 38:51.940
We've spoken to the modest progress

38:51.950 --> 38:55.630
that we have seen in recent days . Um

38:55.640 --> 38:59.140
Of course that progress needs to be

38:59.150 --> 39:01.730
more than modest if we are going to be

39:01.730 --> 39:04.120
in a position to salvage the J . C . P .

39:04.120 --> 39:05.842
O . A . And to ensure that the

39:05.842 --> 39:07.731
nonproliferation nonproliferation

39:07.731 --> 39:09.898
benefits uh That the J . C . P . O . A

39:09.898 --> 39:13.300
conveys aren't diminished watered down

39:13.310 --> 39:16.850
eliminated by the advancements that

39:16.860 --> 39:20.600
Iran has made uh in its nuclear program .

39:20.610 --> 39:23.780
Uh And that you know I think brings us

39:23.790 --> 39:25.980
to where we are today and it's worth

39:25.990 --> 39:28.212
spending just a moment on on how we got

39:28.212 --> 39:30.910
here . I alluded to it with matt but it

39:30.910 --> 39:34.380
is deeply unfortunate uh that

39:35.220 --> 39:38.500
because of an ill considered or or

39:38.500 --> 39:41.530
perhaps unconsidered decision by the

39:41.530 --> 39:45.040
previous administration uh that this

39:45.040 --> 39:48.570
administration came into office without

39:48.570 --> 39:52.060
these stringent verification and

39:52.060 --> 39:55.680
monitoring protocols that were in

39:55.680 --> 39:58.600
place . And that according to the State

39:58.600 --> 40:00.640
Department , according to our

40:00.640 --> 40:02.862
intelligence community and according to

40:02.862 --> 40:04.584
the Iaea international weapons

40:04.584 --> 40:08.530
inspectors , a deal that was working

40:08.540 --> 40:11.480
to permanently and verifiably prevent

40:11.480 --> 40:13.940
Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon .

40:14.310 --> 40:16.630
But during this week did you feel any

40:16.630 --> 40:20.090
change in uh you know , we I I don't

40:20.090 --> 40:21.979
have any updates to offer . We've

40:21.979 --> 40:23.923
spoken of the modest progress that

40:23.923 --> 40:26.090
we've seen since the resumption of the

40:26.090 --> 40:25.980
eighth round . But we've also spoken of

40:25.980 --> 40:29.090
the urgency and the need for progress

40:29.090 --> 40:32.830
to uh to take place at a pace that

40:32.840 --> 40:35.880
is that not only is on par with but

40:35.880 --> 40:38.330
that outpaces uh the significant

40:38.330 --> 40:40.552
advancements that Iran has been able to

40:40.552 --> 40:42.663
make in its nuclear program since the

40:42.663 --> 40:44.997
last administration abandoned the J . C .

40:44.997 --> 40:46.997
P . O . A . Do you really think the

40:46.997 --> 40:49.108
previous administration's decision to

40:49.108 --> 40:51.163
withdraw from the J . C . P . O . Is

40:51.163 --> 40:53.497
unconsidered ? Certainly ill considered ?

40:53.497 --> 40:55.608
Well but they didn't it was certainly

40:55.710 --> 40:58.440
considered . Remember it took

40:59.710 --> 41:01.932
some time before it actually happened .

41:01.932 --> 41:04.099
So I don't think you can say it's your

41:04.099 --> 41:06.154
opinion that it's ill considered and

41:06.154 --> 41:07.932
that may or may not be true but

41:07.932 --> 41:10.099
unconsidered . Matt . It's it's not an

41:10.099 --> 41:12.650
opinion to say that . But but but but

41:12.650 --> 41:14.872
it's perfectly fine for you to say that

41:14.872 --> 41:16.928
you think that it was ill considered

41:16.928 --> 41:19.150
but to say that it was unconcerned , it

41:19.150 --> 41:21.372
seems to be let me let me let me let me

41:21.372 --> 41:23.483
just let me let me touch on something

41:23.483 --> 41:25.680
you said . Um It is not an opinion to

41:25.690 --> 41:29.620
um remind you and everyone that uh

41:29.630 --> 41:31.660
we were promised a better deal .

41:31.670 --> 41:33.781
Remember the so called the promise of

41:33.781 --> 41:35.781
the of the so called better deal of

41:35.781 --> 41:39.260
course uh that never materialized .

41:39.260 --> 41:41.490
That never came close . And and in fact

41:41.490 --> 41:43.950
quite the opposite . It was true ever

41:43.950 --> 41:46.006
since the last administration left ,

41:46.006 --> 41:48.117
the J . C . P . O . A . Iran has been

41:48.117 --> 41:50.339
able to gallop forward with its nuclear

41:50.339 --> 41:54.320
promise . We were promised that Iran's

41:54.320 --> 41:57.260
proxies would be cowed that Iran would

41:57.260 --> 41:59.204
be cowed into submission by the so

41:59.204 --> 42:02.060
called maximum pressure program . Quite

42:02.070 --> 42:04.237
the opposite is true . And we continue

42:04.237 --> 42:07.790
to see reminders that Iran's proxies

42:07.800 --> 42:11.080
have not been subdued and in fact quite

42:11.120 --> 42:13.710
the opposite . We were told that we'd

42:13.710 --> 42:15.877
be in a better position to take on the

42:15.877 --> 42:18.043
full set of challenges that Iran poses

42:18.043 --> 42:19.877
whether its ballistic missiles ,

42:19.877 --> 42:21.932
whether it is support to terrorism ,

42:21.932 --> 42:24.099
whether it's human rights violations .

42:24.099 --> 42:26.980
How exactly were we supposed to do that

42:26.990 --> 42:30.130
when it was the United States and not

42:30.130 --> 42:33.640
Iran that was isolated as a result of

42:33.640 --> 42:37.230
the decision to abandon a deal and a

42:37.240 --> 42:40.300
protocol that was working . That's just

42:40.300 --> 42:43.010
the starting point that that We had to

42:43.010 --> 42:45.177
accept on January 20 of this year . It

42:45.177 --> 42:47.399
was an unfortunate starting point . But

42:47.399 --> 42:49.454
that's the starting point from which

42:49.454 --> 42:51.677
we've been working . Thank you . I want

42:51.677 --> 42:51.160
to go back to two things that Toria

42:51.160 --> 42:53.450
said a few minutes ago . One she said

42:53.450 --> 42:55.506
that Secretary of Lincoln was on the

42:55.506 --> 42:57.617
hill talking about issues even beyond

42:57.617 --> 42:59.561
Russia and Ukraine presumably that

42:59.561 --> 43:01.894
includes Nord Stream two in North Korea .

43:01.894 --> 43:04.006
Can you confirm that ? What message ?

43:04.006 --> 43:06.117
What was his message on both of those

43:06.117 --> 43:05.960
issues ? Each of those issues ? And is

43:05.960 --> 43:07.738
there anything else that he was

43:07.738 --> 43:09.680
briefing the hill on ? And then

43:09.680 --> 43:11.847
secondly , kind of more broadly she at

43:11.847 --> 43:14.069
the end of what her comments , she said

43:14.069 --> 43:16.069
that we haven't seen the kind of de

43:16.069 --> 43:18.124
escalation we want from Russia ? I'm

43:18.124 --> 43:20.291
just wondering how you would advise we

43:20.291 --> 43:19.820
read that . Is that some kind of

43:19.820 --> 43:22.100
warning that a trip wire is about to be

43:22.110 --> 43:25.010
crossed or you know , what kind of um

43:25.800 --> 43:27.800
what kind of consequences is this ?

43:27.800 --> 43:30.990
Just another reiteration of the fact

43:31.000 --> 43:33.000
that they haven't pulled back yet ?

43:33.350 --> 43:35.590
Like is there some kind of red line

43:35.600 --> 43:37.767
that or warning that the United States

43:37.767 --> 43:39.822
is trying to issue at this point ? I

43:39.822 --> 43:42.044
did not take that as a warning . I took

43:42.044 --> 43:44.044
it as an observation . Uh it was an

43:44.044 --> 43:46.380
observation that we just have not seen

43:46.390 --> 43:48.612
the type of de escalation that we think

43:48.612 --> 43:50.334
is necessary if there is to be

43:50.334 --> 43:52.446
meaningful progress in the context of

43:52.446 --> 43:54.334
the diplomacy and dialogue that's

43:54.334 --> 43:56.168
taking place between the Russian

43:56.168 --> 43:58.279
federation in the United States , our

43:58.279 --> 44:00.501
allies and our partners . That's just a

44:00.501 --> 44:02.279
fact . Yesterday at the SSD the

44:02.279 --> 44:04.334
strategic stability dialogue . Uh it

44:04.334 --> 44:06.501
was about putting ideas on the table .

44:06.501 --> 44:09.120
It was not about reaching breakthroughs

44:09.120 --> 44:11.760
or coming to any firm agreements .

44:11.770 --> 44:14.180
We've been very clear that we will do

44:14.180 --> 44:16.780
that only uh in consultation and only

44:16.780 --> 44:19.680
together with our allies and partners .

44:19.680 --> 44:22.030
And that's part of the reason why there

44:22.030 --> 44:24.260
is a meeting of the NRC tomorrow .

44:24.260 --> 44:26.580
There's a meeting of the OSC permanent

44:26.580 --> 44:29.890
council on thursday . So , these will

44:29.890 --> 44:33.250
be opportunities for the Russians to

44:33.250 --> 44:35.528
put their stated concerns on the table .

44:35.528 --> 44:37.750
Opportunities for the United States and

44:37.750 --> 44:39.972
our allies and and partners , including

44:39.972 --> 44:42.028
Ukraine in the context of the OsC to

44:42.028 --> 44:44.340
put our concerns are collective

44:44.350 --> 44:47.170
concerns on the table . We can do that

44:47.170 --> 44:49.830
now . But if we are going to have

44:49.840 --> 44:52.670
meaningful progress towards these

44:52.670 --> 44:54.920
reciprocal measures that would redound

44:54.920 --> 44:57.190
positively on our collective security ,

44:57.200 --> 44:59.311
our meaning , the collective security

44:59.311 --> 45:01.890
of the transatlantic community . Um We

45:01.890 --> 45:04.610
will need to see de escalation that

45:04.620 --> 45:07.050
can't take place in an environment of

45:07.050 --> 45:10.420
escalation . And that is why

45:10.990 --> 45:13.101
the undersecretary was just observing

45:13.101 --> 45:15.101
that we haven't yet seen that . And

45:15.101 --> 45:17.046
what kind of de escalation are you

45:17.046 --> 45:19.268
looking for ? Is it removal of troops ?

45:19.268 --> 45:18.880
Is it stopping the live fire ? Is the

45:18.880 --> 45:20.936
removal of helicopters all the above

45:20.936 --> 45:24.370
more ? I would say . Yes . The fact is

45:24.570 --> 45:26.792
the fact is we and we talked about this

45:26.792 --> 45:30.090
yesterday i Several months ago , there

45:30.090 --> 45:33.600
were not 100,000 troops on Ukraine's

45:33.600 --> 45:35.990
borders . Several months ago . There

45:35.990 --> 45:39.370
were not these large scale live fire

45:39.380 --> 45:42.170
exercises several months ago . There

45:42.170 --> 45:44.337
were not maneuvers with heavy weaponry

45:44.337 --> 45:46.420
with helicopters . The other reports

45:46.420 --> 45:48.670
that we've seen in recent weeks and

45:48.680 --> 45:52.180
even recent days , all of this the

45:52.180 --> 45:55.100
Russians have done In recent months .

45:55.110 --> 45:58.560
They have done so in a manner that

45:58.570 --> 46:02.350
was clearly not an attempt

46:02.360 --> 46:06.070
to be furtive or stealthy .

46:06.080 --> 46:08.136
It's hard to be stealthy when you're

46:08.136 --> 46:10.620
moving 100,000 forces along uh , and

46:10.620 --> 46:13.000
internationally recognized borders . Um ,

46:13.010 --> 46:15.210
that underscores and undergrads are

46:15.210 --> 46:17.730
concerned . Uh , and the fact that this

46:17.730 --> 46:20.560
was done and is being done in an effort

46:20.560 --> 46:24.440
to intimidate and an effort to coerce .

46:24.450 --> 46:27.660
And our concern and under Secretary

46:27.660 --> 46:30.030
Nuland made a reference to this when

46:30.030 --> 46:32.030
she spoke about the potential for a

46:32.030 --> 46:34.190
false flag operation . Our concern is

46:34.190 --> 46:36.357
that the Russians will again resort to

46:36.357 --> 46:38.579
the playbook they've resorted to in the

46:38.579 --> 46:40.970
past , Including in 2014 when they did

46:40.970 --> 46:43.192
something very similar and they amassed

46:43.192 --> 46:46.620
troops along Ukraine's borders . They

46:46.630 --> 46:50.620
offered uh , specious explanations

46:50.620 --> 46:53.200
and justifications that

46:53.210 --> 46:56.740
ultimately , um , they pointed

46:56.740 --> 46:59.900
to a pretextual

47:00.280 --> 47:03.140
uh , purported provocation . Uh , they

47:03.140 --> 47:05.418
said that the Ukrainians had done this ,

47:05.418 --> 47:07.640
that or the other , and that's why they

47:07.640 --> 47:09.807
needed to cross the border . Uh , that

47:09.807 --> 47:12.029
is our concern here , that I should say

47:12.029 --> 47:14.084
it's one of our concerns here , uh ,

47:14.084 --> 47:16.196
that the Russians will resort to what

47:16.196 --> 47:18.510
was what has been their playbook , uh ,

47:18.510 --> 47:20.677
and may still be their playbook . So ,

47:20.677 --> 47:24.340
yes , de escalation to us would mean ,

47:24.350 --> 47:26.517
um , many of those things , if not all

47:26.517 --> 47:28.683
of those things , it would mean troops

47:28.683 --> 47:30.794
returning to their barracks . Uh , it

47:30.794 --> 47:32.910
would mean transparency around any

47:32.910 --> 47:35.540
legitimate exercises that were to take

47:35.540 --> 47:38.070
place on Russian soil will be looking

47:38.070 --> 47:40.292
for all of those things in the days and

47:40.292 --> 47:42.459
weeks ahead if we are in a position to

47:42.459 --> 47:44.403
make meaningful progress . And I'm

47:44.403 --> 47:46.570
sorry that the meetings on the hill by

47:46.570 --> 47:48.737
the secretary , understand Afghanistan

47:48.737 --> 47:50.903
was also on the agenda . Look , I will

47:50.903 --> 47:52.848
leave it to members to to speak to

47:52.848 --> 47:52.300
these engagements if they want . The

47:52.300 --> 47:55.300
point I will make is that uh , we are

47:55.300 --> 47:58.350
committed to consulting with

47:58.360 --> 48:01.550
members uh , and hill offices , as a

48:01.550 --> 48:03.606
secretary likes to say , not only on

48:03.606 --> 48:05.828
the landing , but on the takeoff and in

48:05.828 --> 48:07.994
between . Uh , and um , this is a good

48:07.994 --> 48:10.217
reminder . We can we can get you some ,

48:10.217 --> 48:12.439
I think really good metrics , Um , that

48:12.439 --> 48:14.439
speak to the scope and scale of our

48:14.439 --> 48:16.550
engagement with Capitol Hill over the

48:16.550 --> 48:19.300
past 11 or 12 months here . But we have

48:19.300 --> 48:21.467
made coordination and consultation and

48:21.467 --> 48:23.467
dialogue with the hill and absolute

48:23.467 --> 48:25.578
priority . We know the important role

48:25.578 --> 48:27.800
that the hill has to play when it comes

48:27.800 --> 48:31.160
to um oversight when it comes to um

48:31.170 --> 48:33.420
foreign policy . And we're committed to

48:33.420 --> 48:36.770
that . I'm sure you would , I'm sure

48:36.770 --> 48:39.180
you would . Can you just enlighten us

48:39.180 --> 48:41.470
as to what the date for the status quo

48:41.470 --> 48:43.830
ante ante that you want the Russians to

48:43.830 --> 48:46.850
go back to . Is Uh does it go back to

48:46.850 --> 48:50.050
2014 or is Crimea a lost cause for you

48:50.050 --> 48:53.530
now would you de escalation mean that

48:53.530 --> 48:55.480
they have to relinquish control of

48:55.880 --> 48:58.960
Crimea saying that they have to go back

48:58.960 --> 49:02.810
to 2000 and 8 , 2000 and seven or and

49:02.820 --> 49:05.930
and and and leave out of Cosmo and

49:05.930 --> 49:08.130
southeast section . What what where

49:08.140 --> 49:10.084
where is this ? Where does this de

49:10.084 --> 49:13.260
escalation point ? So man , I'm not in

49:13.260 --> 49:15.260
a position right here to give you a

49:15.260 --> 49:17.371
firm date but I will tell you that we

49:17.371 --> 49:19.316
have been talking about this since

49:19.316 --> 49:21.427
about mid november for your basically

49:21.427 --> 49:23.593
saying go back to where things were in

49:23.593 --> 49:25.720
early november in terms of your troop

49:25.720 --> 49:29.120
presence . We we we are saying that de

49:29.120 --> 49:31.580
escalation in this context would call

49:31.580 --> 49:33.691
for Russian troops to return to their

49:33.691 --> 49:35.858
barracks for these exercises to either

49:35.858 --> 49:38.560
be explained or to come to a halt for

49:38.560 --> 49:41.060
this heavy weaponry to return to its

49:41.260 --> 49:44.400
regular storage locations .

49:44.570 --> 49:47.930
But we are also committed to doing

49:47.930 --> 49:50.800
everything we can to support a

49:50.800 --> 49:52.911
diplomatic resolution to the conflict

49:52.911 --> 49:55.022
in Eastern Ukraine . And obviously of

49:55.022 --> 49:57.022
course , Ukraine has demonstrated a

49:57.022 --> 49:59.244
commitment to finding a peaceful end to

49:59.244 --> 50:01.360
the war . We stand ready to support

50:01.360 --> 50:03.582
those efforts , including as we heard .

50:03.582 --> 50:05.749
Well , what's the administration doing

50:05.749 --> 50:08.130
to back up its demand that Russia get

50:08.130 --> 50:11.850
out of uh Crimea that and and and and

50:11.860 --> 50:15.100
to to say that the annexation , quote ,

50:15.100 --> 50:17.370
unquote annexation of Crimea is

50:17.380 --> 50:19.602
illegitimate . What are you doing about

50:19.602 --> 50:22.430
that ? Or is that just Not an issue in

50:22.430 --> 50:25.040
this current ? The the the the

50:25.040 --> 50:26.929
attempted annexation of Crimea is

50:26.929 --> 50:29.440
something that we have responded to

50:29.440 --> 50:31.662
since 2014 . Uh and there are sanctions

50:31.662 --> 50:33.884
in place uh and there will be sanctions

50:33.884 --> 50:36.051
in place and there will be measures to

50:36.051 --> 50:38.218
hold the Russian Federation to account

50:38.218 --> 50:40.384
for its its aggression as long as that

50:40.384 --> 50:43.080
aggression persists . Tracy stand . Um

50:43.760 --> 50:45.816
it's almost six months now since the

50:45.816 --> 50:47.982
Taliban took over . You just now spoke

50:47.982 --> 50:50.038
of the many millions of dollars that

50:50.038 --> 50:51.816
the United States is sending in

50:51.816 --> 50:53.871
humanitarian aid to the people . But

50:53.871 --> 50:55.700
the reports that we get out of

50:55.700 --> 50:58.000
Afghanistan are deeply dire and

50:58.000 --> 50:59.890
increasingly so with hundreds of

50:59.890 --> 51:02.230
thousands of people starving or on the

51:02.240 --> 51:04.462
brink of starvation . What is your best

51:04.462 --> 51:06.660
explanation for why that aid is not

51:06.660 --> 51:08.493
reaching the people ? Is it your

51:08.493 --> 51:10.604
refusal to deal with the Taliban ? Is

51:10.604 --> 51:12.716
that what you mentioned earlier , the

51:12.716 --> 51:14.827
Taliban's impeding access of some aid

51:14.827 --> 51:14.790
workers . Could you give us an

51:14.790 --> 51:17.068
explanation of why that aid is helping ?

51:17.070 --> 51:19.440
Let let me first start what it is not

51:19.590 --> 51:23.440
with what it is not , it is not because

51:23.450 --> 51:25.910
of anything the United States is doing

51:25.920 --> 51:28.360
or is not doing when it comes to our

51:28.360 --> 51:30.910
support for the humanitarian needs of

51:30.920 --> 51:34.750
uh the afghan people . Um What it

51:34.760 --> 51:38.130
is is the result of a number of things .

51:38.140 --> 51:40.890
It is the result of um

51:41.360 --> 51:45.220
recent near term uh conditions ,

51:45.230 --> 51:48.880
uh drought winter of course now ,

51:48.890 --> 51:52.020
but also more to the point , the longer

51:52.020 --> 51:55.290
term trends and um

51:55.300 --> 51:57.790
conditions that we've seen ossified

51:57.790 --> 52:00.770
over the course of nearly two decades

52:01.450 --> 52:04.120
and the United States and our partners ,

52:04.120 --> 52:06.120
we were very clear with the taliban

52:06.120 --> 52:09.210
before they

52:09.220 --> 52:12.160
before the fall of the previous

52:12.160 --> 52:16.000
government in Kabul that any attempt to

52:16.010 --> 52:19.020
overtake the country by force would

52:19.030 --> 52:22.830
only worse in

52:23.160 --> 52:25.480
what was already a humanitarian

52:25.950 --> 52:29.480
emergency . Uh The conditions , the

52:29.490 --> 52:31.546
humanitarian challenges we're seeing

52:31.546 --> 52:34.660
now , they did not start a month ago .

52:34.660 --> 52:36.660
They did not start two months ago .

52:36.660 --> 52:38.660
They did not start with the fall of

52:38.660 --> 52:40.882
previous government . Some of these are

52:40.882 --> 52:42.604
structural , as you know , the

52:42.604 --> 52:44.549
international community previously

52:44.549 --> 52:47.470
provided the Lion's share of the public

52:47.470 --> 52:49.692
expenditures of the afghan government .

52:49.692 --> 52:51.859
The international community previously

52:51.859 --> 52:53.748
provided billions and billions of

52:53.748 --> 52:55.914
dollars each year for the humanitarian

52:55.914 --> 52:57.803
needs of the Afghan people . That

52:57.803 --> 52:59.748
latter part is still true . Uh the

52:59.748 --> 53:01.970
international community is providing in

53:01.970 --> 53:04.026
the U . N . Today as you heard , has

53:04.026 --> 53:06.026
started to pledge campaign to raise

53:06.026 --> 53:09.330
some $5 billion including about $4.5

53:09.330 --> 53:11.960
billion for the people of Afghanistan

53:11.960 --> 53:14.016
and about half a billion dollars for

53:14.016 --> 53:17.210
refugees in the region . Now , The

53:17.220 --> 53:19.442
United States , as I mentioned before ,

53:19.442 --> 53:21.680
has been the world's leader in

53:21.680 --> 53:23.847
providing that humanitarian assistance

53:23.847 --> 53:25.958
more than three quarters of a billion

53:25.958 --> 53:29.170
dollars since October of 2020 alone ,

53:29.180 --> 53:30.958
but we've also encouraged other

53:30.958 --> 53:33.220
countries to step up . That remains the

53:33.220 --> 53:35.164
case . Other countries , including

53:35.164 --> 53:37.640
those in the region , including some of

53:37.640 --> 53:39.584
those that may share a border with

53:39.584 --> 53:42.590
Afghanistan or that may be in close

53:42.590 --> 53:44.870
proximity to Afghanistan . We need to

53:44.870 --> 53:47.750
see countries around the world um step

53:47.750 --> 53:49.880
up just as the human called for today

53:50.100 --> 53:52.320
to demonstrate their commitment to the

53:52.320 --> 53:54.480
humanitarian needs of of the Afghan

53:54.480 --> 53:56.702
people . It is not in anyone's interest

53:56.702 --> 53:58.591
whether you are a country that is

53:58.591 --> 54:00.813
thousands of miles away like the United

54:00.813 --> 54:02.980
States or you're a country that shares

54:02.980 --> 54:05.091
a border with Afghanistan . Uh to see

54:05.091 --> 54:07.258
uh deprivation to see instability , to

54:07.258 --> 54:11.080
see hardship uh within and among the

54:11.090 --> 54:15.080
people of Afghanistan . Um We've

54:15.080 --> 54:17.250
done more than that however , beyond

54:17.250 --> 54:19.990
our humanitarian leadership beyond our

54:19.990 --> 54:22.350
galvanizing call to action as you know ,

54:22.350 --> 54:24.572
the Treasury Department has issued both

54:24.572 --> 54:26.406
general and specific licenses to

54:26.406 --> 54:27.961
facilitate the provision of

54:27.961 --> 54:30.670
humanitarian aid to the people of

54:30.670 --> 54:32.892
Afghanistan to send a very clear signal

54:32.892 --> 54:34.837
that not only is the United States

54:34.837 --> 54:37.059
government not standing in the way that

54:37.059 --> 54:39.226
we are doing everything we can to call

54:39.226 --> 54:41.281
on the international community to do

54:41.281 --> 54:43.170
what it can to help the people of

54:43.170 --> 54:45.281
Afghanistan . Recently , we supported

54:45.281 --> 54:47.480
the release of the so called a RTF

54:47.480 --> 54:49.536
funds of the World Bank , the Afghan

54:49.536 --> 54:51.647
Reconstruction Trust funds , a couple

54:51.647 --> 54:53.920
$100 million for the people of

54:53.920 --> 54:56.198
Afghanistan as we've alluded to before .

54:56.198 --> 54:58.420
We're looking at other ways , including

54:58.420 --> 55:00.642
in conjunction with the U . N . That we

55:00.642 --> 55:02.809
might be able to support the people of

55:02.809 --> 55:05.031
Afghanistan importantly , in a way that

55:05.031 --> 55:07.450
doesn't flow through the coffers of the

55:07.460 --> 55:10.750
Taliban cut . Do you have

55:11.260 --> 55:13.482
metrics to show though you like to talk

55:13.482 --> 55:15.816
about metrics to show that money or aid ?

55:15.816 --> 55:18.038
I mean , it's getting to the people . I

55:18.038 --> 55:20.093
mean , how how do you measure that ?

55:20.093 --> 55:23.420
Well ? It is uh as you know , it is it

55:23.420 --> 55:25.642
is more complex in the situation in the

55:25.642 --> 55:27.753
in the context of Afghanistan because

55:27.753 --> 55:29.864
it cannot flow through the coffers of

55:29.864 --> 55:31.809
the taliban . Uh And so the United

55:31.809 --> 55:34.031
States and our partners were reliant on

55:34.031 --> 55:36.031
are not on our primarily on our NGO

55:36.031 --> 55:38.142
partners on the ground uh to dispense

55:38.142 --> 55:41.000
with these humanitarian funds . We are

55:41.000 --> 55:42.778
regularly in contact with these

55:42.778 --> 55:44.889
humanitarian partners . They continue

55:44.889 --> 55:46.850
to operate on the ground . They

55:46.850 --> 55:49.300
continue to implement programs from

55:49.300 --> 55:51.420
winterization to healthcare , to

55:51.420 --> 55:54.580
nutrition , to education . Uh And so we

55:54.580 --> 55:57.170
are regularly in touch with them uh and

55:57.170 --> 55:59.460
they are in a position to offer um

55:59.470 --> 56:02.160
reports on that progress . Kylie , okay

56:02.730 --> 56:04.674
We are hearing that the evacuation

56:04.674 --> 56:06.841
flights are still grounded . It's been

56:06.841 --> 56:09.010
about a month now , we're also hearing

56:09.010 --> 56:11.410
their about 80 Americans still in

56:11.410 --> 56:13.521
Afghanistan who would like to leave .

56:13.521 --> 56:16.290
Um so when was the last evacuation

56:16.290 --> 56:18.880
flight that left Afghanistan ? And is

56:18.880 --> 56:20.991
it are those two things accurate that

56:20.991 --> 56:22.936
there Still grounded ? And they're

56:22.936 --> 56:25.102
about 80 Americans who want to leave ?

56:25.102 --> 56:26.936
Well , let me just give you some

56:26.936 --> 56:29.102
context as you know . Uh we made clear

56:29.102 --> 56:31.269
prior to August 31 that our commitment

56:31.269 --> 56:33.370
to US citizens to lawful permanent

56:33.370 --> 56:37.140
residents uh to afghans

56:37.150 --> 56:39.560
uh to whom we have a special commitment

56:39.560 --> 56:42.130
would not end on any date . Certain uh

56:42.140 --> 56:44.084
and not on august 31st . And since

56:44.084 --> 56:47.460
august 31st 479 .

56:47.470 --> 56:49.303
Uh We have directly assisted the

56:49.303 --> 56:51.690
departure of 479 U . S . Citizens and

56:51.690 --> 56:55.540
450 lawful permanent residents .

56:55.830 --> 56:59.450
Uh There are others whose departure we

56:59.450 --> 57:02.630
have uh indirectly helped or supported

57:02.640 --> 57:06.200
uh in various ways , we are working

57:06.210 --> 57:08.450
currently with a few dozen U . S .

57:08.450 --> 57:10.506
Citizens and their families who have

57:10.506 --> 57:12.720
identified themselves as prepared to

57:12.730 --> 57:15.100
depart and who have the necessary

57:15.110 --> 57:18.760
travel documents uh to do

57:18.760 --> 57:22.390
so Uh we believe at this point that in

57:22.390 --> 57:26.090
addition to uh those few dozen

57:26.100 --> 57:29.210
US citizens and their families uh there

57:29.210 --> 57:32.870
is a relatively small number , probably

57:32.870 --> 57:34.759
fewer than 200 again with all the

57:34.759 --> 57:36.926
caveats that apply to these numbers uh

57:36.926 --> 57:39.410
fluctuating . Um but we're in touch

57:39.410 --> 57:42.300
with about 150 other US citizens who

57:42.300 --> 57:45.200
don't want to leave Afghanistan at this

57:45.200 --> 57:48.930
point or otherwise not ready to depart .

57:48.940 --> 57:51.162
We have worked very closely as you know

57:51.162 --> 57:53.520
with our partners including the

57:53.550 --> 57:56.200
batteries on these relocation efforts .

57:56.200 --> 57:58.311
We have a team here at the Department

57:58.311 --> 58:01.130
of State that is dedicated to this

58:01.130 --> 58:04.310
mission around the clock . Uh And again ,

58:04.320 --> 58:06.487
our commitment to any american citizen

58:06.487 --> 58:10.010
who may or may not be ready , who may

58:10.010 --> 58:12.360
or may not wish to leave is that uh if

58:12.370 --> 58:14.314
he or she and their family wish to

58:14.314 --> 58:16.426
leave and they're ready to leave , we

58:16.426 --> 58:18.592
will be there to assist them . Sorry ,

58:18.592 --> 58:20.814
when was the last evacuation flight ? I

58:20.814 --> 58:23.037
don't I don't have that available now ,

58:23.037 --> 58:25.148
but again are commitment to americans

58:25.148 --> 58:28.190
is sacrosanct and we're continuing to

58:28.190 --> 58:30.246
work very closely not only with them

58:30.246 --> 58:32.412
but also with our partners , including

58:32.412 --> 58:34.634
the countries with whom we've worked on

58:34.634 --> 58:34.490
these relocations . Is it problematic

58:34.490 --> 58:36.712
that these evacuation flights have been

58:36.712 --> 58:39.810
halted for so long ? Again , I think

58:39.810 --> 58:41.866
you can look at our track record and

58:41.866 --> 58:43.921
the fact that we have relocated more

58:43.921 --> 58:46.750
than 900 US citizens and lawful

58:46.750 --> 58:49.210
permanent residents , not to mention a

58:49.210 --> 58:52.870
significant number of other afghans who

58:52.880 --> 58:54.910
meet the criteria for relocation I

58:54.910 --> 58:57.740
think speaks to not only the commitment

58:57.740 --> 59:00.690
but also the ability that we have to

59:00.690 --> 59:02.912
relocate americans and those to whom we

59:02.912 --> 59:06.410
have a commitment . The afghans . It

59:06.410 --> 59:08.720
was as of a couple of weeks ago , it

59:08.720 --> 59:10.776
was in the ballpark of a couple 1000

59:11.210 --> 59:14.370
sign . Thank you switching gears to the

59:14.370 --> 59:17.210
Palestinian issue uh ned you know ,

59:17.220 --> 59:19.490
there are Israeli reports that they are

59:19.500 --> 59:21.167
headed towards effecting more

59:21.167 --> 59:23.278
Palestinians or evicting Palestinians

59:23.278 --> 59:25.710
from Sheikh jarrah and from salon

59:25.710 --> 59:28.390
despite your repeated calls on the

59:28.390 --> 59:31.030
Israelis not to do so , what can you do

59:31.040 --> 59:33.740
to sort of persuade them not to

59:33.740 --> 59:36.270
actually go on and go ahead with this

59:36.280 --> 59:39.860
action side on the the

59:39.870 --> 59:43.220
general issue . We've been very clear

59:43.230 --> 59:46.400
that it is critical for Israel and the

59:46.400 --> 59:48.880
Palestinian authority to refrain from

59:48.880 --> 59:50.713
unilateral unilateral steps that

59:50.713 --> 59:52.880
exacerbate tensions or might otherwise

59:52.880 --> 59:55.810
undercut undercut efforts to the

59:55.810 --> 59:58.850
Palestinian authority does not . I mean

59:58.850 --> 01:00:01.480
this is really just but if you let me

01:00:01.480 --> 01:00:03.702
finish , if you let me finish , we have

01:00:03.702 --> 01:00:05.869
been very clear that it's incumbent on

01:00:05.869 --> 01:00:08.180
both Israelis on on Israel and the

01:00:08.180 --> 01:00:10.370
Palestinian authority to refrain from

01:00:10.380 --> 01:00:13.650
unilateral steps . In this case , we

01:00:13.650 --> 01:00:16.950
have been clear that Steps that

01:00:16.950 --> 01:00:18.783
exacerbate tensions and undercut

01:00:18.783 --> 01:00:20.506
efforts to advance negotiate ,

01:00:20.506 --> 01:00:22.339
negotiated two state solution uh

01:00:22.339 --> 01:00:24.506
includes would include the eviction of

01:00:24.506 --> 01:00:26.728
families from homes in east Jerusalem ,

01:00:26.950 --> 01:00:29.330
in which these families have lived for

01:00:29.330 --> 01:00:31.497
generations . In some cases we've been

01:00:31.497 --> 01:00:33.608
very clear about that , but obviously

01:00:33.608 --> 01:00:35.830
the Israelis are not listening to you ,

01:00:35.830 --> 01:00:37.886
what would you do to make them , you

01:00:37.886 --> 01:00:39.941
know , to sort of persuade them that

01:00:39.941 --> 01:00:41.870
they should not do . I say , we

01:00:41.880 --> 01:00:44.300
continue to discuss this with our

01:00:44.310 --> 01:00:46.254
Israeli partners . We've been very

01:00:46.254 --> 01:00:49.970
clear in our public statements as well .

01:00:49.970 --> 01:00:52.420
But there there are ongoing discussions

01:00:52.420 --> 01:00:55.060
about this very quickly , a federal

01:00:55.060 --> 01:00:58.200
judge last friday ruled that a lot of

01:00:58.200 --> 01:01:00.580
targeting the P . L . O . Being

01:01:00.580 --> 01:01:02.802
unconstitutional . Does that would that

01:01:02.802 --> 01:01:04.970
lead you to sort of reopen the P . L .

01:01:04.970 --> 01:01:07.081
O . Office here in Washington for any

01:01:07.081 --> 01:01:10.470
questions ? Well , for any questions

01:01:10.470 --> 01:01:12.692
about litigation or the implications of

01:01:12.692 --> 01:01:14.470
litigation , including the full

01:01:14.470 --> 01:01:16.581
litigation , I would need to refer to

01:01:16.581 --> 01:01:18.803
the Department of Justice when it comes

01:01:18.803 --> 01:01:20.920
to the Palestinian office . I I just

01:01:20.920 --> 01:01:23.150
don't have an update to offer at that

01:01:23.160 --> 01:01:25.327
at this time . But you've heard us say

01:01:25.327 --> 01:01:27.260
that as a general matter , this

01:01:27.260 --> 01:01:29.760
administration is committed to and

01:01:29.770 --> 01:01:33.620
actively engaged with the Palestinians .

01:01:33.680 --> 01:01:35.847
Over the course of the last few months

01:01:35.847 --> 01:01:38.013
we've had numerous high level meetings

01:01:38.013 --> 01:01:40.180
with Palestinian officials of course .

01:01:40.180 --> 01:01:42.291
Secretary Blinken was in Ramallah mid

01:01:42.291 --> 01:01:44.291
last year . Ambassador linda thomas

01:01:44.291 --> 01:01:46.402
Greenfield and under Secretary Nuland

01:01:46.402 --> 01:01:48.990
uh were there in november as well . Our

01:01:49.000 --> 01:01:51.056
assistant acting Assistant Secretary

01:01:51.056 --> 01:01:54.040
yell Limpert accompanied by national

01:01:54.040 --> 01:01:56.151
Security advisor jake Sullivan uh and

01:01:56.151 --> 01:01:58.510
met with senior Palestinian officials

01:01:58.610 --> 01:02:01.120
in december . Yes sir ,

01:02:02.400 --> 01:02:04.456
if I may return to you to to Ukraine

01:02:04.456 --> 01:02:07.360
will shortly tomorrow during NATO

01:02:07.360 --> 01:02:09.527
Russia council we will definitely hear

01:02:09.527 --> 01:02:11.749
one more time . The demand that Ukraine

01:02:11.749 --> 01:02:13.804
will never become a member of NATO .

01:02:13.804 --> 01:02:15.860
There were a lot of statements , for

01:02:15.860 --> 01:02:18.210
example from Deputy Secretary Sherman

01:02:18.210 --> 01:02:20.377
who told that we will not allow anyone

01:02:20.377 --> 01:02:22.810
to slam closed NATO open door policy .

01:02:22.820 --> 01:02:24.764
But could you clarify the american

01:02:24.764 --> 01:02:26.876
position doesn't mean that this issue

01:02:26.876 --> 01:02:29.042
is undiscussed . Herbal , It's totally

01:02:29.042 --> 01:02:31.153
of the table or it might be discussed

01:02:31.153 --> 01:02:33.490
tomorrow during the council . The point

01:02:33.490 --> 01:02:36.500
of dialogue is that of course any

01:02:36.500 --> 01:02:40.020
country is able to put on the table a

01:02:40.020 --> 01:02:42.920
concern uh that that country may have .

01:02:43.100 --> 01:02:45.156
But the point of dialogue is for the

01:02:45.156 --> 01:02:47.211
other countries to be very clear and

01:02:47.211 --> 01:02:49.860
we've been very clear that NATO's open

01:02:49.860 --> 01:02:53.140
door policy for us is not something and

01:02:53.140 --> 01:02:55.307
for the alliance is not something that

01:02:55.307 --> 01:02:57.530
is on the table . Uh It is a

01:02:57.540 --> 01:02:59.318
fundamental pillar of the north

01:02:59.318 --> 01:03:01.484
atlantic charter . It is a fundamental

01:03:01.484 --> 01:03:03.980
pillar of what it is to be the

01:03:03.980 --> 01:03:06.147
defensive alliance . That is the north

01:03:06.147 --> 01:03:08.690
atlantic treaty organization . So yes ,

01:03:08.700 --> 01:03:11.580
it is in that sense specific to NATO .

01:03:11.580 --> 01:03:13.358
But and we've talked about this

01:03:13.358 --> 01:03:15.413
yesterday as well . It's also bigger

01:03:15.413 --> 01:03:17.247
than NATO . It's bigger than any

01:03:17.247 --> 01:03:19.024
alliance . It's bigger than any

01:03:19.024 --> 01:03:21.080
collection of countries . It's about

01:03:21.080 --> 01:03:23.450
the basic fundamental tenant uh that no

01:03:23.450 --> 01:03:26.810
country can dictate the foreign policy ,

01:03:27.000 --> 01:03:29.350
the decisions , the aspirations of any

01:03:29.350 --> 01:03:32.390
other country . No country can override

01:03:32.390 --> 01:03:34.334
international borders . No country

01:03:34.334 --> 01:03:36.501
should be in a position to threaten to

01:03:36.501 --> 01:03:38.779
intimidate coerce uh any other country .

01:03:38.779 --> 01:03:41.760
And so that is the basic principle that

01:03:41.770 --> 01:03:45.290
Russia's so called demands

01:03:45.300 --> 01:03:47.320
have brought into sharp relief ,

01:03:48.900 --> 01:03:52.090
definitely Kazakhstan Kazakh President

01:03:52.090 --> 01:03:54.870
Tokayev says the csto mission is going

01:03:54.870 --> 01:03:56.981
to start winding down and that it has

01:03:56.981 --> 01:03:58.870
helped put down an attempted coup

01:03:58.870 --> 01:04:00.870
d'etat . What is your assessment of

01:04:00.870 --> 01:04:03.037
that explanation ? And does it satisfy

01:04:03.037 --> 01:04:04.926
the concerns the US had about the

01:04:04.926 --> 01:04:06.870
deployment , the deployment of the

01:04:06.870 --> 01:04:09.092
troops ? Well , we we do welcome uh the

01:04:09.092 --> 01:04:11.390
reports of calm in the city of Almaty

01:04:11.400 --> 01:04:13.990
that we've heard in recent hours and

01:04:13.990 --> 01:04:16.046
over the course of the past day , we

01:04:16.046 --> 01:04:17.768
also welcome President Nokia's

01:04:17.768 --> 01:04:19.879
announcement that the CSTO collective

01:04:19.879 --> 01:04:21.900
peacekeeping forces have completed

01:04:21.900 --> 01:04:25.490
their mission until that process is

01:04:25.490 --> 01:04:28.200
completed . Until the CSTO peacekeeping

01:04:28.200 --> 01:04:30.870
forces are withdrawn will continue to

01:04:30.870 --> 01:04:32.810
call upon all Collective Security

01:04:32.810 --> 01:04:34.643
Treaty organization , collective

01:04:34.643 --> 01:04:36.366
Peacekeeping forces to respect

01:04:36.366 --> 01:04:38.254
international human rights and to

01:04:38.254 --> 01:04:40.254
uphold their commitment to promptly

01:04:40.254 --> 01:04:42.421
depart Kazakhstan as the government of

01:04:42.421 --> 01:04:45.140
Kazakhstan has requested . Uh We , with

01:04:45.140 --> 01:04:47.370
Kazakhstan's constitutional

01:04:47.380 --> 01:04:50.730
institutions in place , we are hopeful

01:04:50.740 --> 01:04:52.910
the situation can be resolved

01:04:52.920 --> 01:04:56.040
peacefully . Final question Yes .

01:04:56.790 --> 01:04:59.150
On Afghanistan , there are reports ,

01:04:59.150 --> 01:05:01.300
foreign policy reported that the

01:05:01.300 --> 01:05:04.640
Taliban have begun to replace diplomats

01:05:04.650 --> 01:05:08.590
who refused Taliban rule threatening

01:05:08.600 --> 01:05:12.440
them of violence and such things .

01:05:12.450 --> 01:05:14.561
So , are you aware of these reports ?

01:05:14.561 --> 01:05:17.990
And how do you comment ? I will I'm not

01:05:17.990 --> 01:05:20.700
in a position to confirm these reports

01:05:20.710 --> 01:05:23.410
when it comes to the makeup of um

01:05:23.790 --> 01:05:27.430
the any sort of Taliban delegation .

01:05:27.440 --> 01:05:30.770
I would need to um I don't have

01:05:30.770 --> 01:05:33.950
a comment on that , but what we have

01:05:33.950 --> 01:05:36.270
said repeatedly , uh and what the

01:05:36.270 --> 01:05:38.437
international community has made clear

01:05:38.437 --> 01:05:42.210
is that it is incumbent on the Taliban

01:05:42.680 --> 01:05:46.410
to form uh and to put together

01:05:46.420 --> 01:05:49.860
a potential future government that

01:05:49.870 --> 01:05:52.280
is inclusive . Uh That is

01:05:52.280 --> 01:05:54.224
representative not only the Afghan

01:05:54.224 --> 01:05:56.740
people , but that is responsive to the

01:05:56.740 --> 01:05:58.770
needs of the Afghan people . Uh and

01:05:58.770 --> 01:06:01.130
we've spoken to the scale and the scope

01:06:01.130 --> 01:06:03.330
of those needs their tremendous and

01:06:03.330 --> 01:06:05.441
that is why it's especially important

01:06:05.480 --> 01:06:08.960
that in order for the

01:06:08.970 --> 01:06:12.170
Taliban to earn the legitimacy

01:06:12.180 --> 01:06:15.350
that they seek , that there

01:06:15.360 --> 01:06:17.300
um that any future government

01:06:17.300 --> 01:06:19.560
Afghanistan is inclusive , It's

01:06:19.560 --> 01:06:21.880
representative of the people of

01:06:21.880 --> 01:06:24.047
Afghanistan . It's responsive to their

01:06:24.047 --> 01:06:26.213
needs and that's what we together with

01:06:26.213 --> 01:06:28.158
our allies and partners . We'll be

01:06:28.158 --> 01:06:30.213
watching very closely on Sudan . Are

01:06:30.213 --> 01:06:32.060
you considering restarting the

01:06:32.060 --> 01:06:35.890
Assistant assistance plan ? And are you

01:06:35.890 --> 01:06:39.150
going to nominate an ambassador ? So I

01:06:39.150 --> 01:06:41.790
don't have an update for you on any

01:06:41.790 --> 01:06:43.810
nominations that may be forthcoming

01:06:43.820 --> 01:06:46.770
when it comes to the assistance that

01:06:46.770 --> 01:06:48.881
was suspended in the aftermath of the

01:06:48.881 --> 01:06:51.690
October 25 actions that the military

01:06:51.690 --> 01:06:53.690
undertook were determining the best

01:06:53.690 --> 01:06:55.920
course . Uh and looking at how we can

01:06:55.920 --> 01:06:58.142
most effectively support the democratic

01:06:58.142 --> 01:07:00.198
aspirations of the people of Sudan .

01:07:00.198 --> 01:07:03.700
It's very clear from their actions

01:07:03.700 --> 01:07:07.140
over recent months that the people of

01:07:07.140 --> 01:07:10.520
Sudan still believe in the democratic

01:07:10.520 --> 01:07:13.380
revolution that swept over the country .

01:07:13.380 --> 01:07:17.340
Their aspirations for democracy uh for

01:07:17.340 --> 01:07:19.900
human rights , for dignity and for self

01:07:19.900 --> 01:07:21.900
determination remains in the United

01:07:21.900 --> 01:07:24.122
States will continue to be a partner to

01:07:24.122 --> 01:07:26.233
them in those aspirations . One final

01:07:26.233 --> 01:07:28.640
question is also , there are reports

01:07:28.640 --> 01:07:32.000
that biden administration expressed

01:07:32.380 --> 01:07:35.750
reservation over the East Med pipeline .

01:07:35.790 --> 01:07:37.734
Can you confirm that ? I'm sorry ,

01:07:37.734 --> 01:07:41.310
reservations over East Med pipeline . I

01:07:41.320 --> 01:07:43.431
don't have a reaction to that . If we

01:07:43.431 --> 01:07:45.598
have anything to share , we will thank

01:07:45.598 --> 01:07:46.060
you . Thanks .