‘That's Nice For Them’: WH Official Responds To Question About Xi & Putin Exchanging Hug At Meeting

4 months ago

During a White House press briefing, John Kirby was asked about President Xi & President Putin exchanging a hug.

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Transcript

00:00 On a separate topic very quickly, what was your reaction to seeing Russian President

00:04 Putin and Chinese President Xi exchanging hugs?

00:08 Exchanging hugs?

00:09 Well, that's nice for them.

00:12 Look, you have two countries here, leaders of two countries, that clearly are acting

00:18 in various ways around the world inimical to our national security interests, to the

00:25 interests of many of our allies and partners.

00:27 No surprise that these two leaders continue to try to develop this burgeoning relationship.

00:34 But they're also two leaders that don't have a long history of working together and officials

00:39 in both governments that aren't necessarily all that trustful of the other.

00:45 What they have in common is a desire to challenge the international rules-based order, challenge

00:54 the network of alliances and partnerships that the United States enjoys and which President

00:59 Biden has strengthened in his time in office, and to try to look for ways to bolster each

01:07 other's national security interests as well.

01:12 So we didn't see anything coming out of this meeting that we were necessarily surprised

01:16 by.

01:17 I wouldn't go so far as to say we weren't concerned about this relationship and where

01:21 it's going.

01:22 Of course we are, and we're watching it closely.

01:24 But I'd leave it at that.

01:25 QUESTION: Did you think that was a purposeful show of public display to send any kind of

01:30 message to the U.S. for otherwise?

01:31 MR KIRBY: Oh, man, I'm not good at talking about personal human bodily affection one

01:36 way or the other, so I think I'll leave it to these two gents to talk about why they

01:40 thought it was good to hug one another.

01:42 I'll just tell you that we take seriously the challenges that both countries represent

01:54 and we take seriously this burgeoning relationship between the two of them.

01:59 That said, in Ukraine specifically, we haven't seen President Xi rush to the effort to assist

02:05 the Russian armed forces and provide lethal capabilities.

02:08 We are deeply concerned and have said so.

02:09 I think Karine mentioned it yesterday about some of these Chinese companies that are providing

02:14 microelectronics and components for Russia's defensive weapons systems.

02:18 That's a problem, and we've raised that with the Chinese as well.

02:22 Yeah, darling.

02:23 QUESTION: Thank you.

02:24 So what is the status of the aid on that first truck that went in?

02:27 Is it being distributed or is it still waiting to be distributed?

02:30 MR KIRBY: I was told right before coming out here that the UN has now taken possession

02:34 of these first pallets and are getting them ready for distribution inside Gaza.

02:40 So look, I mean, hopefully by the time we're done here, I mean, some of that stuff will

02:44 actually be in the mouths of some hungry people, but we'll see.

02:48 QUESTION: And then one other question on Russia and Ukraine.

02:51 Russia is pounding the Kharkiv region.

02:54 Is it time for the U.S. to revisit the prohibition on Ukraine against using American weapons

03:02 in an offensive manner?

03:03 MR KIRBY: We do not encourage nor do we enable attacks using U.S.-supplied weapons systems

03:09 inside Russian territory.

03:11 That's the policy.

03:12 That has not changed.

‘That's Nice For Them’: WH Official Responds To Question About Xi & Putin Exchanging Hug At Meeting

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