{"id":1521,"date":"2022-05-16T10:18:53","date_gmt":"2022-05-16T08:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/?p=1521"},"modified":"2022-05-16T10:18:53","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T08:18:53","slug":"secretary-antony-j-blinken-at-a-press-availability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/international\/secretary-antony-j-blinken-at-a-press-availability\/","title":{"rendered":"Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Press Availability"},"content":{"rendered":"

SECRETARY BLINKEN:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Good afternoon.\u00a0 It\u2019s a great pleasure to be back in Europe to continue intensive coordination with allies and partners on some of the most urgent issues facing our countries, and that begins with today\u2019s NATO meetings.\u00a0 And I want to especially thank Secretary General Stoltenberg for his leadership, the deputy secretary general of NATO, and especially Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of Germany \u2013 not only for hosting us, but for taking initiative to bring the foreign ministers together in an informal but very productive series of discussions.<\/p>\n

The 30 NATO Allies remain fully engaged, aligned, committed to supporting a democratic, independent, and sovereign Ukraine.\u00a0 The world has seen the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people these past three months.\u00a0 It\u2019s seen the unity at the heart of NATO.\u00a0 President Putin launched this brutal and unprovoked war thinking he could eliminate Ukraine as an independent country and divide NATO.\u00a0 Instead, he\u2019s only reinforced Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty and independence as Ukraine has chased the Russian army away from Kyiv.\u00a0 NATO is stronger, more capable, more unified than ever.<\/p>\n

Every member of the Alliance wants to bring this war to an end as soon as possible, but we\u2019re equally determined to maintain our security assistance to Ukraine, to continue our sanctions, export controls, and diplomatic pressure on Russia for as long as it\u2019s necessary.\u00a0 The United States and our allies and partners are focused on giving Ukraine as strong a hand as possible on the battlefield, and at any negotiating table, so that it can repel Russian aggression and fully defend its independence and sovereignty.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve marshaled a robust transatlantic response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war \u2013 more than 6 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland.\u00a0 They\u2019ve been welcomed in countries across Europe and across the Atlantic.\u00a0 The United States has provided millions of dollars in assistance to countries taking in Ukrainian citizens to help provide essential support and services.\u00a0 Our countries are also coming together to address some of the broader consequences that are flowing from Russia\u2019s aggression, like the global food shortages and rising food prices that we\u2019re seeing.\u00a0 Ukraine supplies a great deal of the world\u2019s corn, its wheat, its oil seeds for cooking oil.<\/p>\n

Russia is blocking Ukraine\u2019s ports; it\u2019s destroying its farmland, warehouses, roads, equipment.\u00a0 That\u2019s not only striking a major blow to Ukraine\u2019s economy, but it\u2019s also designed to inflict pain on the rest of the world to weaken support to the Ukrainian people.\u00a0 Later this week in New York, we will be convening an emergency session of the UN Security Council and also the foreign ministers to focus on the steps that we can take together to address the immediate challenges for food and to address food insecurity, as well as to look at some of the medium-term and longer-term answers to food insecurity.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t know how the rest of this world \u2013 war \u2013 excuse me \u2013 will unfold.\u00a0 But we know that a sovereign and independent Ukraine will endure.\u00a0 And we know that in supporting Ukraine we\u2019re also defending the principles of sovereignty and independence that are foundational to global peace and security.\u00a0 Our partnership with the people of Ukraine is enduring as well.\u00a0 American diplomats have returned to Ukraine after several weeks working out of Poland.\u00a0 We\u2019re reopening our Embassy in Kyiv \u2013 we\u2019re taking all necessary precautions, but that work is underway \u2013 and we will resume operations very soon.<\/p>\n

President Biden recently nominated Bridget Brink to serve as our next ambassador to Ukraine. She\u2019s an outstanding veteran diplomat.\u00a0 We hope the Senate will move quickly to confirm her, just as we hope Congress will move quickly to pass the $40 billion supplemental funding bill to ensure that our ability to provide assistance to Ukraine is not interrupted.<\/p>\n

This morning I had an opportunity to meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba, part of what is an ongoing conversation with him on the phone, in person, whenever we have an opportunity to actually see each other.\u00a0 And I conveyed to him again our commitment \u2013 unwavering commitment \u2013 to Ukraine.\u00a0 NATO\u2019s unified response, which we affirmed once more today, will continue.\u00a0 Allies were joined here in Berlin by the foreign ministers from Sweden and Finland.\u00a0 Both countries are close and valued defense partners of NATO and the United States.\u00a0 And the United States would strongly support a NATO application by either Sweden or Finland should they choose to formally apply to the Alliance.\u00a0 We\u2019ll respect whatever decision they make.\u00a0 And we\u2019ve long supported NATO\u2019s Open Door policy and the right of all countries to decide their own futures, their policies, their security arrangements.<\/p>\n

We also spent time here in Berlin laying the groundwork for next month\u2019s summit in Madrid. NATO is going to release its new Strategic Concept laying out how the Alliance will sustain and strengthen transatlantic security in the face of President Putin\u2019s aggression as well as other emerging threats.\u00a0 And we\u2019ll look ahead to our continuing efforts to fortify our force posture on NATO\u2019s eastern flank and to strengthen our defense partnerships beyond the region \u2013 for example, with Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, all of which will be represented in Madrid.<\/p>\n

Finally, from here we\u2019ll be traveling to Paris to attend the second ministerial meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council.\u00a0 President Biden\u2019s initiative to align some of the world\u2019s largest economies on the most important trade and tech issues of the day is bearing very significant fruit and delivering real results.\u00a0 Together we\u2019re working to shape norms and set standards on emerging technology, build more diverse and resilient supply chains, coordinate our approaches to export controls and investment screening mechanisms, acting together to stop unfair trade practices that harm our workers and our companies.\u00a0 The TTC has already proven highly useful for facilitating U.S.-EU cooperation \u2013 for example, on the swift imposition of export controls on Russia after it invaded Ukraine.\u00a0 I\u2019m very much looking forward to our meetings in Paris and continuing to deepen what is an abiding partnership between the United States and the European Union.<\/p>\n

And with that, happy to take some questions.<\/p>\n

MS ALLEN:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>First question will be from Ellie Kaufman of CNN.<\/p>\n

QUESTION:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Mr. Secretary, did you have a chance to speak with your Turkish counterpart today?\u00a0 Will they allow Sweden and Finland to move forward with the process of applying to NATO membership?\u00a0 And if not, did they express what their concerns are to you?<\/p>\n

And on another issue, is the U.S. going to send any U.S. personnel to the West Bank to investigate the killing Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, an American citizen?\u00a0 Also, you spoke with a member of her family.\u00a0 Who did you speak with and what was conveyed to you?<\/p>\n

SECRETARY BLINKEN:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Thank you.\u00a0 Second part first:\u00a0 We support an investigation of Shireen\u2019s killing.\u00a0 I had an opportunity to speak to \u2013 directly to her brother, Anton.\u00a0 I believe other members of the family were on the phone and listening in.\u00a0 I had a chance to express our deep condolences for her loss, our deep respect for the work that she did as a journalist for many years \u2013 widely respected around the world \u2013 as well as the need to have an immediate and credible investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.<\/p>\n

Here in Berlin, yes, I did have a chance to talk to my Turkish counterpart, the foreign minister.\u00a0 When it comes to Sweden and Finland and their potential accession to NATO, this is a process.\u00a0 And NATO is a place for dialogue; it\u2019s a place for discussion.\u00a0 It\u2019s a place for talking about any differences that that we may have.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to characterize the specific conversation that we had either with the foreign minister or within the NATO sessions themselves, but I can say this much:\u00a0 I heard, almost across the board, very strong support for Finland and NATO[i]<\/a>\u00a0joining the Alliance if that\u2019s what they choose to do.\u00a0 And I\u2019m very confident that we will reach consensus on that.<\/p>\n

MS ALLEN:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>The next question is from Annmarie Hordern of Bloomberg.<\/p>\n

QUESTION:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Thank you, Mr. Secretary.\u00a0 First question:\u00a0 We heard from the Turkish foreign minister about what they would like in terms of the prospect of the prospective NATO members of Finland and Sweden.\u00a0 And part of that is about \u2013 they say that those members should not impose export bans.\u00a0 So is Turkey asking the United States and its allies to lift export bans specifically on weapons, and is that something the U.S. is even willing to discuss?\u00a0 And given the fact that this has now become a negotiation, aren\u2019t you worried that the Open Door policy is potentially now going to become a negotiation tactic for any future prospective members?<\/p>\n

And you were also here meeting with your European counterparts.\u00a0 You know the EU is at the moment trying to get a European oil ban on Russia.\u00a0 Every single day Putin is funding his war with tens of millions of dollars being made by exports of fossil fuels.\u00a0 Are you worried that if Europe is unable to come to this agreement, it is going to damage this alliance and also just further this war?<\/p>\n

SECRETARY BLINKEN:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Thank you.\u00a0 I\u2019ll just repeat what I said about Turkey.\u00a0 I had an opportunity to talk to the foreign minister.\u00a0 We had a conversation about this in the context of the NATO meetings, which I\u2019m not going to characterize beyond saying that there is very strong consensus for bringing Finland and Sweden into the Alliance if they choose to formally apply.\u00a0 And as to the differences between Turkey, Finland, and Sweden that have been talked about, there\u2019s an ongoing conversation, and the bottom line is this:\u00a0 When it comes to the membership process, I am very confident that we will reach consensus.<\/p>\n

Second, with regard to energy, that was actually not a focus of our conversations today.\u00a0 But we very much support the efforts that Europe, the European Union is making to wean itself off of Russian energy, whether that\u2019s oil or ultimately gas.\u00a0 This is a reliance that\u2019s been built up over many, many decades.\u00a0 It\u2019s not going to end overnight, but Europe is clearly on track to move decisively in that direction.\u00a0 And we very much support the European Union\u2019s efforts to put in place an embargo on the importation of Russian oil.\u00a0 That process is for the European Union to pursue.<\/p>\n

As this is happening, the United States has taken a number of steps to help.\u00a0 And so for example, to the extent that there are any gaps that result in the energy that Europe is getting, we have already redirected significant supplies of liquefied natural gas to Europe.\u00a0 The President\u2019s committed to continuing to do that throughout the rest of the year \u2013 at the same time to make sure that there is bountiful energy on world markets and also to try to ensure that price hikes that have resulted from Putin\u2019s aggression in Ukraine are evaded and kept under control.\u00a0 The \u2013 we initiated a historic release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve \u2013 a million barrels a day over six months.\u00a0 That was matched by a number of countries through the International Energy Agency. And of course, we established a task force with the European Union to work on these very issues.\u00a0 That task force is actively engaged as we speak.<\/p>\n

QUESTION:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>But can I just \u2013 just \u2013 the question really is about the fact that Hungary is putting a lot of hurdles in the way to get to this point.\u00a0 And when you and your allies speak, it\u2019s always about this unity, but clearly there\u2019s not.\u00a0 So if they\u2019re not able to get to an end agreement on oil, doesn\u2019t that just show that there is a lot of divisions in this so-called unity the United States has with the Europeans?<\/p>\n

SECRETARY BLINKEN:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>So it\u2019s interesting.\u00a0 With the \u2013 I guess the benefit of just a little distance from events, this has been going on for many months now \u2013 Russia\u2019s mounting aggression, then its aggression, and the response from countries around the world, but principally the United States and Europe, the most immediately concerned with that aggression in Ukraine.\u00a0 And throughout this process, at virtually every turn, we\u2019ve said that we were going to do X, Y, and Z.\u00a0 Skepticism was expressed from various quarters about our ability to do that, and yet, we\u2019ve done it.\u00a0 We said from the get-go that if Russia pursued its aggression against Ukraine, there\u2019d be massive consequences for Russia, including unprecedented sanctions.\u00a0 A number of people said: oh, that\u2019s not going to happen.\u00a0 Well, it did.\u00a0 There have been massive consequences and we have unleashed truly unprecedented sanctions.<\/p>\n

Many said that certain countries, certain partners wouldn\u2019t go along with various sections, and yet, they did.\u00a0 At other stages, people said that the European Union or European countries would not, for example, provide lethal defensive assistance to Ukraine, and yet, they have.\u00a0 At virtually every stage of the process of implementing \u2013 deciding on and implementing new sanctions, there have been those who said: oh, they\u2019re not going to do it; it\u2019s too hard; there\u2019s not consensus.\u00a0 And yet, they did, and they have.<\/p>\n

So I think the lesson from the last six months is that we have seen unprecedented unity. \u00a0We have seen unprecedented action.\u00a0 And I\u2019m very convinced that that\u2019s going to continue as long as Russia\u2019s aggression does.<\/p>\n

MS ALLEN:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Last question comes from Thomas \u2013 I want to make sure I get his name right.<\/p>\n

QUESTION:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Thanks \u2013 yeah, it\u2019s Thomas Gutschker with Frankfurter \u2014<\/p>\n

MS ALLEN:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Thomas Gutschker from FAZ.\u00a0 Thanks so much.<\/p>\n

QUESTION:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>That\u2019s correct.\u00a0 Thanks for taking my question.\u00a0 It\u2019s about the Strategic Concept and the discussion you are having on that.\u00a0 Some allies are now saying they see the future of relations with Russia in the framework of containment.\u00a0 Do you think that is the right term, the right concept to frame future relations with Russia?\u00a0 And somewhat related to this, do you see any more reason to keep up the NATO-Russia Founding Act?\u00a0 I know so far NATO has said Russia has walked away.\u00a0 NATO has also said it\u2019s not restricting anything that\u2019s going on right now.\u00a0 But of course, the next step could be to simply say: we also walk away from it; we no longer consider this to be a viable document.\u00a0 What\u2019s the U.S. position on that?<\/p>\n

SECRETARY BLINKEN:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Thank you.\u00a0 A lot of these issues will be fully discussed and fully elaborated on at the NATO Summit in Madrid in June.\u00a0 And much of the work that we were doing today was in furtherance of that Summit and the work the leaders will bring to conclusion, including the Strategic Concept.\u00a0 So I don\u2019t want to get into any detail about that; everything is being drafted as we speak.\u00a0 There were very positive and substantial inputs to that drafting process over the last couple of days, and I\u2019d say we had a very good discussion about it.<\/p>\n

At the heart of NATO and at the heart of the Strategic Concept is the notion of defense and deterrence.\u00a0 That\u2019s what bring \u2013 brought the Alliance together in the first place, and that includes with regard to deterring and defending against any aggression from Russia.\u00a0 I can say with confidence that that will be fully reflected in the Strategic Concept.\u00a0 Beyond that, let me leave it to the Summit, to the leaders to describe in more detail how the Alliance sees its relationship with Russia going forward.\u00a0 That will be something that will be, I think, fully aired at the Summit in Madrid.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n

Thank you.\u00a0 Thanks, everyone.<\/p>\n

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