On Tuesday, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel held a press briefing.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Apologies for being just a little tardy.
00:02We wanted to make sure the president wrapped up
00:04before we got started here.
00:08I see Matt's notebook, but no Matt.
00:10So in that, why don't we start with Daphne.
00:14Why don't you kick us off?
00:15Thank you.
00:16We could start with Ukraine.
00:18Lincoln was due to meet Yermak today.
00:20What was discussed in the meeting?
00:22So I expect our readout will be going shortly.
00:25But to just offer a little bit about what was discussed,
00:30the secretary met with Ukrainian presidential administration
00:34head Andrei Yermak earlier today.
00:36They spoke about a number of issues,
00:38including the upcoming Washington NATO summit
00:41and allies' intention to bring Ukraine closer to NATO
00:46membership and helping to strengthen Ukraine's ability
00:48to defend against Russian aggression.
00:51The two also discussed energy security and ongoing G7
00:55efforts to enhance the resiliency of Ukraine's energy
00:58grid and energy systems.
01:00The secretary also congratulated Mr. Yermak
01:03on his historic support at the global peace summit,
01:07as well as Ukraine's tenacious and historic defense
01:10of its northern and eastern regions
01:13against recent Russian offensives.
01:15But as I said, I suspect we'll have a formal readout
01:18going shortly.
01:19OK, and then Hungary's Orban today
01:21urged Zelensky and a visit to Kiev
01:23to consider a ceasefire to accelerate an end to the war.
01:26This comes just before the NATO summit next week.
01:29Are you concerned that this shows a divide in NATO?
01:32So first, let me just say I will leave it
01:35to our partners in Hungary to offer any context or clarity
01:40that they would like to Mr. Orban's comments.
01:44We and the NATO alliance have been clear
01:47that there really is only one solution here,
01:51and that is the Russian Federation simply
01:54leaving Ukrainian territory.
01:57We have long felt that this is, again, just
02:01another example of Russia being the aggressor
02:03and fringing on Ukrainian territorial integrity
02:06and sovereignty, throwing the UN charter by the wayside.
02:11Which is a different stance than what Orban
02:13seems to be laying out there.
02:15So are you concerned that this shows division?
02:17So again, I will leave it to respective countries
02:20to speak to their own policies.
02:23But we have been clear with partners and allies
02:26across the board that any country that has influence
02:30or has a role to play should play every effort
02:33in ensuring that Russia withdraws from Ukraine totally.
02:38OK, and then there's reporting that the US invited
02:40the foreign ministers of Israel and several Arab countries
02:44to the NATO summit.
02:45Can you confirm that and who was invited?
02:47I expect that there will be additional guests
02:51from countries that are not members of the NATO alliance.
02:54But I will, I'm not going to get ahead of the summit.
02:57We'll let us get to next week.
02:59And I imagine across the interagency
03:01we'll have more to say about next week's activities.
03:04Can you say if Israel is one of these?
03:06Again, I'm just not going to speak
03:08to specific participation yet.
03:11Like I said, I expect there will be attendance
03:13from other countries not fully in the NATO alliance.
03:18But I don't have a specific roster to announce today.
03:23Matt, coming back to you.
03:25Yeah, well, let the record show I was actually here.
03:27I know, I said.
03:29And then we were told you were going to be late
03:31so I went to make a quick phone call.
03:34I was just waiting for our president to wrap up.
03:36Yes, and then you denigrated me by saying I wasn't here.
03:41All I said was that your notebook was here
03:43and you were not, hardly a denigration, but go ahead.
03:47So anyway, on the Middle East and as it relates
03:51to one, Gaza, but two, Lebanon.
03:54So one, on Gaza, is there any movement at all
03:59that you guys have seen on this ceasefire proposal?
04:04And then two, on Lebanon, where do things stand now
04:13if they're any different than they were yesterday?
04:15And if they're not different than yesterday, then okay.
04:21On the second part, they are not different from yesterday,
04:24but let me just, to the first part of your question,
04:27echo what the Secretary said
04:28at the Brookings Institution yesterday
04:30is that we continue to be in intense effort
04:32with our partners in Egypt, our partners in Qatar,
04:35to see ways that we can close the gap that Hamas created
04:40and not saying yes to a proposal that everyone,
04:42including the United Nations,
04:44including the Israelis, had said yes to.
04:47That is something that we are working around the clock,
04:49literally, as we speak.
04:51And in the context of Israel's northern border,
04:54as I said yesterday, restoring calm on the blue line
04:56continues to be a priority and we believe
04:59that a ceasefire in Gaza could bring about a calm
05:03to the conflict in the north as well,
05:06creating conditions for the displaced
05:08in both Israel and Lebanon to return home.
05:11And that's something we're gonna continue to work towards.
05:13Okay, so as it relates to Lebanon,
05:15you don't see anything over the last 24 hours
05:17that makes you more or less, I don't know,
05:21is there anything that you see
05:22that makes you more or less concerned about?
05:25Matt, I have seldom offered a specific analysis
05:30to events like that.
05:31I will just leave it broadly again
05:34that this is an immense priority for this administration.
05:37We wanna see calm along the blue line.
05:39We believe that it needs to be a priority
05:41for not just Lebanon, but also Israel.
05:43And this is something that we're continuing to work through.
05:47Sean.
05:48Follow up, I know he doesn't work in the building,
05:51but Amos Hochstein is in Paris, if I'm not mistaken.
05:55Can you say anything about his,
05:56why he's there, what the US is trying to do?
05:58I don't have any updates as it relates
06:01to Mr. Hochstein's travel.
06:03I'm sure my colleagues at the White House
06:04and the National Security Council
06:06would be happy to offer any information.
06:09And we'll also check with the team,
06:11we'll also check with the team
06:12to see if there's any context to offer from this building.
06:16I'm sure they would, Matt.
06:17No, I don't think.
06:20Maybe other people, I think we're gonna at least
06:21have some things on other topics.
06:22Why don't we see if there's anything more
06:24on the Middle East region, and then I'm coming back to you.
06:27Camilla's had her hand up,
06:28so I promise I will get to you, go ahead.
06:31Thanks for that, sticking on Lebanon.
06:34The New York Times is reporting
06:35that Israel's top generals want a ceasefire
06:38to start as soon as possible
06:41without Hamas having to be eliminated,
06:45that Hamas could still remain in power.
06:47They want to do this in order to reportedly
06:50to get the hostages out,
06:51which is something that everybody wants.
06:54Do you have a comment on that at all?
06:56And obviously this is no surprise
06:57given that we've seen IDF spokespeople come out
06:59and say Hamas cannot be defeated.
07:03Where is, is there anything that you can give us on that?
07:06So I'm just not gonna offer analysis
07:10on the back and forth in terms of the negotiations
07:14and the assessments that might be ongoing
07:16as it relates to the ceasefire proposal.
07:19What I can say is that when President Biden
07:24laid this out a number of weeks ago,
07:26we made clear that this three phased approach
07:31that the UN Security Council endorsed,
07:32that Israel supported,
07:35is ultimately the best way to end the violence in Gaza
07:38and ultimately end the conflict.
07:41We believe that it is the best path
07:43to ensuring all the remaining hostages can be released.
07:48We think it's the best path to ensuring
07:50that humanitarian aid is able to get into Gaza.
07:55And so ultimately Hamas has a choice here
07:57and they have the opportunity
07:59to alleviate some of the suffering of the Palestinian people.
08:03And so what Eko said yesterday
08:05is that the time for haggling is over
08:07and that there's a proposal that's on the table.
08:09So that main goal of getting a ceasefire
08:12does not require immediate defeat of Hamas.
08:15We have been pretty clear also
08:17that we do not want to see Hamas in charge of Gaza anymore.
08:22The secretary was clear about this
08:24at the Brookings Institution yesterday.
08:26And beyond that, it's something that he laid out last fall
08:30when talking about certain principles
08:32that the United States views as non-starters
08:35when we're talking about the day after this conflict ends.
08:38And a key tenant of that, of course,
08:40is Gaza no longer being a springboard for terrorism
08:43against the Israeli people
08:44and Hamas no longer being the governing authority there either.
08:49Okay, and just on Lebanon, just following up on that,
08:53there's absolutely no change in security posture
08:55for the embassy there, anything?
08:57I have no updates to offer.
08:58I will just use this opportunity to echo
09:00because you all know how much I love travel advisory warnings
09:04that the travel advisory warning
09:06for the entire country of Lebanon
09:08continues to be at a level three at reconsider travel
09:12and specifically the regions of the bordering Israel
09:17as well as the borders in the north bordering Syria
09:20are at a level four of do not travel.
09:22Okay, and then on West Bank,
09:26the Israel's far-right finance minister,
09:29he agreed, this was end of last week,
09:30but he finally agreed to release funds
09:32with Palestinian Authority.
09:34It was a tit-for-tat exchange for legalizing
09:37or for Israel legalizing five Israeli settlements.
09:42Do you have a comment on this kind of tit-for-tat engagement?
09:45Is that something that the U.S.
09:46would tolerate moving forwards
09:48if there's anything that should be,
09:49belongs to the Palestinian Authority
09:51that should go to them?
09:53What's your comment on them saying,
09:55we'll only do it if we legalize settlements?
09:56So first, on the issue of correspondent banking,
10:00our view is that ultimately these are PA funds.
10:05These are funds that belong to the Palestinian Authority.
10:09And so we, of course, welcome reports
10:11that Israel will extend
10:13the correspondent banking relationship for four months
10:16and to release a portion of the PA's clearance revenues.
10:20But our call is for Israel
10:22to extend correspondent banking for at least 12 months
10:27and to release the rest
10:29of the withheld clearance revenues as well.
10:32It's important to remember that the viability
10:34of the Palestinian Authority
10:36is essential to stability in the West Bank,
10:38which in turn is essential
10:40to Israel's own security interests as well.
10:43We have made these concerns clear
10:45to our partners at Israel at the highest level
10:47and we'll continue to engage with them on this issue.
10:50Now, separately, it should come as no surprise to you
10:53that we view the expansion of settlements and outposts
10:58as inconsistent with international law.
11:00And again, we view these as something
11:03that only serves to weaken Israel's security.
11:07Unilateral actions like settlement expansion
11:10and legalization of outposts,
11:12they are detrimental to a two-state solution.
11:14So we'll continue to use the tools at our disposal
11:17to expose and promote accountability
11:19for those who threaten peace and stability in the region.
11:26Sure, let me, I promise I'll get to you.
11:28Sorry, go ahead.
11:29I mean, just on this reported Smotrich deal,
11:33and you've said the EU obviously see outposts
11:36as inconsistent with international law,
11:38but I'm just a bit confused
11:40because the reason these outposts are created by settlers
11:44is to, one of the reasons,
11:46is to draw in the Israeli military
11:47because they then are a protection force
11:49for those settlers that are there.
11:50So you say they're inconsistent with international law,
11:53they're destabilizing,
11:54but you are at the same time arming the military force
11:57that goes to protect the people that do it.
11:58I mean, isn't that a very confused policy?
12:01So we have a security relationship
12:03with the government of Israel, Tom,
12:05that is no surprise to you or anybody in this room.
12:10Let's also remember that Israel,
12:12when we talk about their security relationship
12:14and the threats they are facing,
12:16it is not simply just about the West Bank and Gaza.
12:19They have threats, they deal from other malign actors
12:23in the region, Hezbollah in the north,
12:25Iran and other proxies that partake
12:28in destabilizing activities across the region.
12:31Now, when it comes to the provision
12:33of specific arms and articles,
12:34whether they are used in Gaza or the West Bank
12:37or used in other operations
12:39that our partners in Israel are conducting,
12:40there are clear protocols and policies in place,
12:43as well as our continued engagement
12:45to ensure that security assets are, when used,
12:50that their impact on civilians are minimized
12:53and that they are used in accordance
12:56to the way that the United States has provisioned them.
12:58That does not detract from our longstanding view
13:03that such kind of settlement activities
13:05is inconsistent with international law.
13:07And ultimately, when we're talking about a more peaceful,
13:10a more stable region, it's a detraction from that as well.
13:14But I don't ask, I mean, I just ask,
13:16not because these are sort of one-off incidents,
13:17but this is systemic.
13:19Outposts, and now they're being legalized
13:21by the finance minister as part of this apparent deal.
13:24Outposts are there, one of the reasons
13:27that they exist is very specific.
13:28It draws in the military to Palestinian-owned land
13:31that in many cases is a privately-owned,
13:34this privately-owned Palestinian land
13:35that is taken by settlers.
13:37So it's more than just inconsistent
13:38with international law.
13:40It would be seen by any objective observer
13:43as the theft of land.
13:45And the point I'm making is that you're arming
13:47the military force that goes in
13:48to protect the people that do that.
13:50So when it comes to the oversight of the security assets
13:55that we provide to any country, including Israel,
13:57there are, of course, accountability measures
13:59and protocols in place to ensure
14:02that such assets are used responsibly.
14:06And you have seen us-
14:07But they're not, those protocols are not,
14:07obviously, in place for these particular actions
14:12because it's been going on for years and years.
14:13And now you have the Israeli government actually,
14:15as part of a deal, not to withhold correspondent banking,
14:19which is-
14:21Tom, I stood behind this podium-
14:24Yes, it's not, these are not individual incidents.
14:27This is something that-
14:28Tom, I stood behind this podium a number of months ago
14:32to talk about how this administration used the Leahy law
14:36to look into the use of American security assets
14:42in particular units that may or may not
14:44have been operating in the West Bank.
14:46So I don't wanna get into a back and forth
14:48on the specific provision of arms
14:50because that's a level of technical detail
14:52that we're just not in a place to get to.
14:54What I can say and reiterate again
14:56is that our security relationship with Israel is robust.
15:00It is far greater than just the West Bank and Gaza,
15:03that there are real legitimate threats
15:05that Israel faces in the region.
15:08But when it comes to the provision
15:09of American security articles,
15:12there are accountability measures in place
15:15that the United States continues to have at its disposal
15:18to ensure that those articles are being used responsibly
15:21and for its intent.
15:22But simultaneously, it is also true that it is our view
15:26that settlement activity and outposts
15:28are inconsistent with international law.
15:31The point I'm making is you say that's your policy,
15:33but it's actually not your policy.
15:34It's something you're saying,
15:36but what you're actually doing is militarizing the force
15:38that allows those outposts to exist.
15:39It absolutely is our policy, Tom,
15:41and we have taken a number of steps.
15:43Many of these are on land.
15:44It absolutely is our policy,
15:46and over the course of this administration,
15:48especially in the past few months,
15:50we have taken a number of steps to hold those accountable
15:52who we believe to be perpetuating violence
15:55and destabilizing actions in the West Bank.
15:58So wait, but since you mentioned it,
16:00how is that Leahy review of the one unit?
16:04I don't have any updates for you, Matt.
16:05So in other words, there hasn't been anything done.
16:08That's not true.
16:09That's not true at all.
16:10That's not true?
16:11When I stood behind this podium and talked about it-
16:13They haven't been given a clean bill of health
16:15or given a, you know, given a, I don't know,
16:20a red notice or whatever they call it.
16:21That particular unit,
16:22those, it continues to be under review,
16:25but on that same day-
16:26And for how long has that been under review?
16:27Matt, please don't interrupt me.
16:28When, that same day,
16:30that same day, I also talked about a number of other units
16:34in which, consistent with the memorandum of understanding
16:36that we have with Israel,
16:37we worked to identify issues
16:40and remediate and rectify those problems
16:43so the security relationship
16:45with those particular units could persist.
16:47The point that I'm making
16:49is that we have levers at our disposal.
16:51Okay, how long has it been
16:53since that's been under review?
16:55It would-
16:56For that one unit?
16:57It would have been a number of weeks
16:58and I don't have any updates for you.
16:59A number of weeks?
17:00Well, that could be like 52,
17:02that could be a hundred and-
17:03It's not 52.
17:04I believe we last talked about this-
17:05No, I know, but it's more than a month.
17:07Sure.
17:07I don't have any updates for you.
17:09The point that I'm making, Matt, is that-
17:11So where's the accountability then?
17:13We have a number of tools at our disposal
17:15and you have seen this administration utilize them
17:18when it comes to the government of Israel.
17:20Okay, so what have you utilized?
17:22What tool have you utilized so far?
17:25Other than the 2000 pound bombs, the suspension.
17:29We just- What else?
17:30We're talking about how we used Leahy vetting,
17:34but beyond that, there continue to be other processes-
17:36You haven't used Leahy vetting,
17:38you haven't suspended-
17:39Because consistent with Leahy vetting
17:41is identifying paths to remediation
17:44and rectifying that problem.
17:46What other accountability measures have you used
17:49other than the one small shipment of weapons
17:54that has been held up?
17:55Matt, what I said was that there are levers at our disposal
18:00and we have spent a number of times talking about them.
18:02The Cherg process is an example.
18:05The Leahy process, the Cherg, don't act confused.
18:08We have talked about the Cherg process a number of times.
18:10And the Leahy process.
18:11The Leahy process.
18:12And the Leahy process has resulted in what?
18:15Matt.
18:16So far.
18:17The point of the Leahy process
18:20and consistent with our memorandum of understanding-
18:22What has been the result of that so far?
18:24Consistent with the memorandum of understanding
18:26that we have with Israel,
18:27we had worked to rectify and remediate those problems.
18:32The point to Tom's question was I was answering
18:34was that we have tools at our disposal
18:36for the responsible use of their security assets.
18:39That does not detract from our long-held belief
18:42that settlements and outpost activity
18:44are inconsistent with the national law.
18:45I think, Vedant, the problem is that what he's raising
18:49and what a lot of other people are raising
18:51is that yes, you do have these levers,
18:53but you're not using them.
18:55We're also not gonna speak to active
18:56and ongoing deliberative processes from up here.
18:59Said, go ahead.
19:00Thank you.
19:01Before I go to Gaza, I just wanna follow up
19:03on the West Bank to Tom's question.
19:05On the settlement, is there any evidence,
19:08do you have any evidence that the Israelis
19:10listen to what you say, your expression of displeasure
19:14with the settlement and so on,
19:15let alone heed your warnings and so on on the settlement?
19:18Has there been a shred of evidence
19:20over the past so many months?
19:22Now, you've spoken against the settlement
19:25and the spirit of settlement.
19:27Do you have any evidence that they actually said,
19:30okay, now we better stop
19:31because the United States is getting angry?
19:33I'm not gonna speak
19:34to private diplomatic conversations, Said,
19:36but over the course of this conflict,
19:38when we have raised things with our partners in Israel,
19:40they have heeded our feedback,
19:42and I'm not gonna parse it more specifically than that.
19:45But this is actually, I mean,
19:46that's a physical thing that you can point to.
19:49Has there been any sort of tearing down a settlement
19:54or backing off plans to increase housing
19:58by so many folds and so on?
20:00Has there been any evidence
20:01as a result of your warning time and time again
20:05and telling them that this is a violation
20:07of international law?
20:08I'm not gonna speak
20:09to our diplomatic conversations more specifically,
20:13but it's our hope that Israel is also interested
20:17in preserving and maintaining its own security in the region
20:21and that's why we have been so clear
20:22that such kind of activities
20:24are not just inconsistent with international law,
20:26but a detraction from Israel's security as well.
20:29On Gaza, I wanted to ask a couple of questions.
20:32Now, the Israelis ordered new Khan Yunus evacuation,
20:38and we heard the Secretary of State say yesterday
20:42that there's no sign that Israel is really lowering
20:46the intensity of its attacks on Gaza,
20:49and we also hear of looming starvation in Gaza.
20:53I mean, this is really a very horrific situation.
20:55Are you guys sort of reconciled
20:58that this is the order of the day,
21:00things will go on like this indefinitely?
21:02I mean, do you have any kind of vision
21:05how this thing is going to end?
21:07When will it end?
21:08What is the United States of America doing about it?
21:10So, let me say a couple things
21:12because I spoke a little bit about this yesterday.
21:15I know you were out yesterday,
21:16but first, as it relates to the activities in Khan Yunus,
21:24our viewpoint continues to be
21:25that any kind of forced displacement
21:28or forced relocation of Palestinians,
21:30of course, would be inconsistent
21:32with what the United States wants for the region
21:35and inconsistent with the principles
21:37that the Secretary laid out.
21:38That being said, it is, of course,
21:41Israel and the IDF has a right to defend itself
21:43from terrorism in accordance with international law,
21:46and as it is conducting these operations,
21:48it is fully appropriate for them to warn
21:51and encourage evacuation of civilians
21:54from potential areas where they may
21:56or may not be conducting operations.
21:58But specifically in Khan Yunus,
22:00we have seen Hamas moving back into areas
22:03previously cleared by the Israeli military,
22:06and yet, just yesterday, we understand
22:08that Hamas fired 20 rockets at Israel
22:11from the East Khan Yunus region yesterday.
22:14Of course, how these operations are conducted matters,
22:17and Israel needs to take every feasible precaution
22:20to protect civilians in their operation.
22:23But more importantly, Said, to your point
22:25about when will this end and when will this conflict end,
22:28let's not forget, and I think too often in this room,
22:31we tend to find ourselves forgetting
22:33that just a number of weeks ago,
22:35the President laid out the tenets of a ceasefire proposal
22:39that would bring the hostages home,
22:41that would allow for an influx of humanitarian aid,
22:44that would put us on a path to diplomacy for the region,
22:48to get us to a region that is more integrated,
22:50more secure, and more stable.
22:52And at every turn, what we have seen happen
22:54is Hamas has moved the goalposts,
22:57it has changed the parameters,
22:59it has come back asking for different things,
23:02even though it had previously approved
23:05various iterations of this proposal before.
23:07Let's not forget that this is a proposal
23:09that Israel had accepted,
23:11that the United Nations had accepted,
23:13that partners in the Arab world had accepted,
23:17and that, of course, as I said,
23:18it's something that the United States
23:19is pushing for as well.
23:21So if there's an interest in seeing this conflict end,
23:23if there's an interest in bringing about
23:25some sort of relief for the Palestinian people,
23:28the solution is quite simple.
23:30Hamas can stop haggling,
23:31and they could accept the ceasefire proposal.
23:34That has been on the table.
23:36But they, you know, I mean,
23:37can you tell us that, with certainty,
23:40that Israel accepts this?
23:42Israel itself said, Said,
23:46Israel itself said that it accepted the proposal
23:50that the president laid out.
23:51Did the prime minister say that himself?
23:54They did.
23:54Did he say that I accept this proposal
23:56as submitted and approved at the Security Council
24:00at the United Nations?
24:01Said, I'm happy to help you look at Google after this
24:05and look up who in the Israeli government
24:07did or did not say things as it relates to the proposal.
24:10One last question.
24:11But I just want to be very clear
24:12that this is a proposal that Israel itself
24:14has said that they supported.
24:16Go ahead.
24:17Let me ask you one last question
24:19on wounded Palestinians telling the BBC,
24:22more wounded Palestinians telling the BBC
24:24that they have been held as human shields and so on.
24:28Are you aware of these reports?
24:29And do you have any comment on that?
24:31Sorry, could you be a little bit more specific
24:32about what you're referring to?
24:33Well, there were reports by the BBC
24:36that more Palestinians, I mean,
24:37we saw this, I guess, 10 days ago and so on,
24:40when the Israelis strapped a wounded Palestinian
24:43in the front of a jeep.
24:44Now, it seems that this is basically
24:47was used time and time and time again.
24:49I was wondering if you are aware of these reports
24:52and if you have any comment.
24:53So on those specific reports, Said,
24:55we have seen those disturbing reports in the video.
24:58The Israeli military and the IDF itself said
25:01that it was investigating the incident
25:03and that what was portrayed in those videos
25:06did not reflect its values
25:07and was a clear violation of its orders and procedures.
25:10I will let them speak to that.
25:13But we call again Israel to swiftly investigate
25:17and ensure accountability for any abuses and violations.
25:22And we'll continue to make clear
25:23to the Government of Israel
25:25that there are, of course, expectations
25:28to behave consistent with the law of armed conflict.
25:32Thank you.
25:33Michel, go ahead.
25:34A couple of questions, if you don't mind.
25:36First, is the U.S. coordinating with Germany
25:40in its efforts to find a diplomatic solution
25:43for the war between Israel and Hezbollah?
25:45And are you aware of a visit
25:48that a German intelligence official made to Beirut
25:52and met with Hezbollah officials?
25:54So I would just, I would let the Government of Germany
25:57speak to their own efforts in the region.
26:00What I can say is that Germany
26:02is one of our closest partners in a number of areas,
26:05not just when it comes to the Middle East,
26:07but also Ukraine as well.
26:08And I have no doubt that they are eager
26:11to play a positive and contributive role
26:15in addressing this conflict
26:16and not just finding a peaceful resolution
26:20to the conflict in Gaza,
26:21but also ensuring that there is calm
26:25along the blue line as well.
26:26But I will let them speak to their own efforts.
26:30On Syria and Turkey, do you have any comments
26:32on the clashes between Turks and Syrians
26:36inside Turkey and in northern Syria
26:39that killed seven people yesterday?
26:41We have urged our partners in the Government of Turkey
26:45to coordinate with both Iraqi
26:47and Kurdistan region of Iraq authorities
26:50on any cross-border military operations
26:53to protect civilians from harm.
26:55We certainly recognize the ongoing threat posed by the PKK,
26:59but we also urge the Turkish Government
27:01to respect Iraqi sovereignty
27:03and to coordinate these kinds of military operations.
27:04The clashes weren't about the PKK
27:08because Syrians in Turkey got attacked by Turks
27:13and they demonstrated yesterday in northern Syria
27:16and attacked Turkish troops
27:20who are based in northern Syria.
27:22I'm happy to look a little bit more specifically
27:24into this incident, Michel,
27:27but I would just say unequivocally
27:29that in any kind of activity or operation
27:32that efforts need to be made to protect civilians from harm.
27:35And do you support a meeting or a reconciliation
27:40between Syria and Turkey,
27:42especially that officials from the two countries
27:45will meet soon in Iraq?
27:47So I've seen those reports, Michel,
27:49and our position has been clear.
27:52We will not normalize relations with the Assad regime
27:55absent authentic progress toward a political solution
27:58to the underlying conflict.
28:00We've been clear with regional partners,
28:02including Turkey, that engaging with the Syrian regime,
28:06that credible steps to improve the humanitarian condition,
28:10human rights, and the security situation for all Syrians
28:13needs to be at the focus for these kinds of engagements.
28:16And we've also stressed with regional partners
28:18that the Syrian regime needs to cooperate
28:22in the political process that is laid out
28:24in UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
28:27My last question on Iran.
28:29Iran is expediting its nuclear program
28:31and they are more open now about declaring
28:35that they need the nuclear bomb
28:37based on the last round of missiles with Israel.
28:42What's your comment on that?
28:43So since the onset of this administration,
28:47the President Biden and Secretary Blinken
28:49have been clear that Iran
28:52will not be able to obtain a nuclear weapon.
28:56And so that continues to be our goal and focus.
28:59I don't have any updates to offer beyond that.
29:03Sean?
29:04Switch topics to-
29:06Can I just see if there's anything else on the region
29:09before I come back to Sean?
29:10Go ahead, DR.
29:11Going back to the cross-border operation with Turkey.
29:15Is that something that you're concerned about,
29:17this operation, because Turkey has set up the checkpoints
29:21in Kurdistan region and they are taking IDs
29:23from the civilians people there.
29:25And this is a big concern for the people
29:27living in that region.
29:28Is this something concerning you?
29:30Look, in any region of the world,
29:32when we see civilians placed in risk,
29:37it is, of course, something of concern to us.
29:39That's why we're making sure to engage closely
29:42with our partners in Turkey to make clear
29:45that when such kind of strikes are being undertaken,
29:49that they need to be coordinated with authorities
29:51in the Kurdistan region as well as Iraq.
29:54However, there are, as I said,
29:55legitimate concerns from the PKK and we understand those,
29:59but we continue to call for greater coordination
30:02to ensure that civilians are protected from harm.
30:06Go ahead, Sean.
30:06Venezuela.
30:07Yeah.
30:08Maduro yesterday said that, in his terms,
30:10that negotiations are resuming Wednesday,
30:13tomorrow, with the United States.
30:16To begin with, can you confirm that there's dialogue
30:18that's gonna take place with Venezuela?
30:20Obviously, from his perspective,
30:21he's looking for sanctions relief ahead of the elections.
30:23Can you say if that's something on the cards?
30:26I'm just not gonna get into the specifics
30:28of our diplomatic engagements beyond just saying
30:30that in the context of Venezuela,
30:32you've heard us say this before,
30:33we, of course, welcome dialogue and good faith
30:36and we support the Venezuelan people's desire
30:39for competitive and inclusive elections on July 28th.
30:43We are clear-eyed that democratic change will not be easy
30:46and certainly requires a serious commitment.
30:49We're gonna continue to work
30:50with the international community
30:52and democratic actors in Venezuela
30:54to support the aspirations of the Venezuelan people.
30:57I will also just add that, in our viewpoint,
31:00it continues to be the case
31:01that the full implementation of the Barbados Agreement
31:04offers the best path to restore the democracy
31:07that Venezuelans deserve,
31:09improve economic and humanitarian conditions,
31:11as well as address the migration crisis as well.
31:14So you're saying welcome dialogue and good faith.
31:16I mean, can you say that,
31:17is that what you expect to happen with Venezuela?
31:20That's what would be the intent,
31:24but I'm certainly not gonna get ahead of the process.
31:26And I mean, is this,
31:28I mean, in terms of what the Venezuelans,
31:30the Venezuelan authorities can expect from this,
31:32I mean, is sanctions relief actually on the cards?
31:34Is this something that,
31:35you know, we're a month ahead of the election.
31:37Is this something that could be on the cards
31:38in the coming month?
31:39Well, I'm certainly not gonna try
31:42and get into the head of Mr. Maduro
31:44and try to stay out of the minds of other world officials,
31:49but look, you heard me say this,
31:51that the full implementation
31:53of the Barbados Agreement,
31:54we think is the best path to restore democracy
31:58that Venezuelans deserve.
31:59It's also the best path
32:01to improve economic and humanitarian conditions
32:03and address the migration crisis.
32:05So this is something that we'll continue to focus on.
32:08We will engage in dialogue
32:10with a broad range of Venezuelan actors.
32:13And just finally, I mean,
32:14you said that they're the broad range,
32:15but how does this relate
32:17to the democratic opposition in Venezuela?
32:21Are they going to be part of this conversation at all?
32:24So we continue engaging
32:27with the democratic actors in Venezuela
32:28continues to be a part of our engagement as well.
32:32And as you know,
32:33we engage with a broad dialogue
32:35and a broad range of voices in Venezuela,
32:37and that is gonna continue to be the case.
32:39We'll maintain regular and ongoing engagement
32:42with the representatives of the democratic opposition
32:45and our diplomatic partners as well.
32:47Okay, just two separate topics in mind.
32:50State in the region, Cuba.
32:52Did you see the CSIS report on espionage
32:56allegedly by China being wrapped up in Cuba?
32:59The Cuban government isn't very happy about this.
33:01Do you have anything to say
33:03about whether this is something
33:04that the United States has also seen,
33:05if it's seen a greater risk of espionage?
33:08So I'm not gonna comment on or confirm
33:11or get into the specifics of that report.
33:14But what I can say is that we remain confident
33:17that the United States
33:18is gonna be able to meet our security commitments
33:20at home and in the region.
33:22We talked about this a little bit a year ago.
33:26PRC activities in Cuba have been going on for decades.
33:30And the PRC, we know that the PRC
33:33is gonna keep trying to enhance its presence in Cuba
33:36and the United States is going to keep working to disrupt it.
33:38And this is a space that we are closely monitoring
33:41and we'll take appropriate steps
33:43to counter it when necessary.
33:45To disrupt it, by what means?
33:47Again, I'm not gonna get specific on that from here,
33:50but this is something that we're continuing to monitor
33:53and we'll take steps to counter it, should we need to.
33:56And just briefly, I mean,
33:57this might be an obvious question
33:58to U.S. government officials,
33:59but what is the risk of Chinese operations there?
34:03I mean, the United States obviously has espionage
34:06as surveillance operations around the world.
34:08Is there a specific threat
34:08that you see from a Chinese presence in Cuba?
34:11Obviously, we certainly would not want
34:15a country like the PRC conducting such an operation
34:20in such a region that has proximity to the United States.
34:26I'm not gonna speak to it more specifically than that.
34:29And this is something, like I said,
34:30that we'll continue to monitor and work to disrupt as well.
34:33If you don't mind, oh, do you wanna follow on that?
34:35I just have one quick question on that.
34:37Yeah.
34:38Can you share with us that the actions
34:39that the U.S. government has taken to date
34:41have been effective in disrupting
34:44any of that Chinese activity in Cuba?
34:47I just wouldn't speak to something like that
34:48from a peer given security and intelligence concerns.
34:52But the report out shows expanding
34:56spying facilities there in Cuba.
34:58So it's just, it raises questions
35:00about how effective you guys have been.
35:02So what I can say and what I said
35:05at the onset of Sean's question
35:07is that we continue to be confident in our ability
35:10to meet our security commitments and responsibilities
35:13both here at home and in the region.
35:15This is a space that we're continuing to monitor and watch
35:18and we will take appropriate steps to counter it.
35:21The PRC has long been trying
35:23to enhance their presence in Cuba
35:25and we are continuing to work to disrupt it.
35:27But I'm not gonna speak more specifically
35:29to the issue than that.
35:31Gita, go ahead.
35:32Thank you.
35:35The Global Times is a China
35:37Communist Party affiliated media outlet.
35:40It was designated by the US government four years ago
35:44as a foreign mission.
35:46Now recently, this outlet has been attacking
35:50a well-respected China scholar for research on China
35:56trying to distort the UN Resolution 2758
36:00to embed its one China policy.
36:02I was wondering if the State Department is aware
36:05of this action of what the Global Times is doing
36:09and if so, what are you doing?
36:11So Gita, combating transnational repression
36:14is a priority component of US efforts
36:17to counter rising authoritarianism
36:19and defend human rights around the world.
36:21Our viewpoint is that any academic, any scholar,
36:24any journalist, any person,
36:26they certainly need to be,
36:29any kind of harassment towards them is unacceptable.
36:32Everyone has a right to express their point of view
36:36in the United States.
36:37Freedom of speech and peaceful assembly
36:38are legally enshrined in our constitution.
36:42Go ahead, Jackson.
36:44Thanks, Vedant.
36:45The German newspaper Bild reported
36:47Israel could invade Lebanon this month.
36:50Will Israel forewarn the US of such action?
36:53Do renewed travel warnings for Americans to avoid Lebanon
36:56have anything to do with impending
36:58Israeli operation in Lebanon?
37:00So on travel warnings,
37:02we regularly update and assess those
37:06based on situations on the ground.
37:07We have a responsibility to inform American citizens
37:10and we'll continue to do so
37:12as circumstances on the ground change.
37:14I spoke a little bit this to Camilla's question.
37:18The travel warning for Lebanon as a whole
37:21continues to be a level three
37:23with a level four specifically for Southern Lebanon
37:27and the border near Syria as well.
37:30We also have a close working relationship
37:32with our partners in Israel
37:34and we continue to be in touch with them
37:36about our expectation for calm along the blue line as well.
37:41And is there any consideration of plans
37:43for the US and NATO to enforce a no-fly zone
37:45in parts of Ukraine?
37:47I have nothing to update on that right now.
37:50Alex, go ahead, and then I'll come to you, Kylie.
37:52Thank you, Vedant.
37:53A couple of topics.
37:54I want to circle back to your answers
37:56to Daphna's question about earmarked meeting
37:59as a caveat that there is still a result coming up.
38:02But I was wondering if the Secretary came out
38:04of that meeting with a better sense
38:05of Ukraine's current urgent needs.
38:08We have heard renewed calls for long-range weapons
38:14and, of course, lifting all the restrictions
38:17that Ukraine thinks that only help
38:19are helping Russia to save its air bases.
38:23So, Alex, let me just say that the United States
38:27and Secretary Blinken, of course,
38:28we are unequivocally paying close attention
38:31to what are Ukraine's needs.
38:34In addition to, of course, Mr. Yermak,
38:38we remain in touch with a number of officials
38:41in the Ukrainian government as well
38:43as they continue to defend their sovereignty
38:47and territorial integrity against Russia.
38:48The Secretary of Defense talked a little bit
38:51about it this morning in his bilateral engagements.
38:54The United States is continuing to work
38:56on an additional security assistance package.
38:59I expect we'll have more to say on that forthcoming,
39:03but we are acutely aware about what Ukraine's needs are
39:07and we're continuing to work hand-in-hand with them
39:09to ensure that they have what they need for their defense.
39:11Thank you.
39:12And on Orban's question,
39:13please help us understand what the Department is thinking
39:15about what the world stage currently today
39:17looks like when you have Orban is out there
39:20trying to save and make Ukraine,
39:22make Europe great again,
39:23and you have Russia, a terrorist state,
39:26leading U.S. Security Council.
39:28So let me just say that if you're talking
39:32about Prime Minister Orban's specific visit to Ukraine,
39:36I will let his office speak specifically about his travels,
39:40but this, in our point of view,
39:43is an example of our European allies
39:46increasing their support for Ukraine
39:49because there is a collective recognization
39:52that Ukraine's fight to defend its people
39:54and its independence is part of a larger fight
39:57for democracy and international stability.
39:59And what we are seeing in Ukraine
40:01is not just a threat to Ukraine,
40:03it is a broader threat to European security.
40:06So this is something that Secretary Blinken
40:09has recently emphasized,
40:11and so we'll continue to engage
40:12with partners in the region as well.
40:14Kylie, go ahead.
40:15On Russia's U.S. Security Council chairmanship,
40:20any comment on that?
40:22Not really.
40:24We wish them the best of luck.
40:25I have one more question.
40:26You can come back to me later.
40:27I'll try to come back.
40:28Just on a different topic that we discussed briefly yesterday
40:30at the Doha conference.
40:31Yeah.
40:32Were the case of the two Americans
40:35who were detained in Afghanistan
40:37raised during that conference by Tom West?
40:39They were.
40:40So during these meetings,
40:42Special Rep West pressed for the immediate
40:45and unconditional release of U.S. citizens
40:48unjustly detained in Afghanistan,
40:50noting that these detentions impede progress
40:54in the Taliban's own desire for international recognition.
40:59U.S. officials continue to press for their release
41:01continuously and at every opportunity.
41:03And did the department walk away feeling like
41:06there was any forward movement on those efforts
41:08or it was just raised?
41:10It was just raised.
41:11I have no updates to offer from up here.
41:12And what's the latest, if any, contact
41:15with those two Americans that you can share?
41:17I don't have any updates in terms of contact
41:21or any kind of consular access
41:22that obviously would be a little unique given the Taliban.
41:25Here's a separate question.
41:26Did you say it was raised?
41:27Was it raised directly with the Taliban?
41:28It was.
41:29So as part of this- Like a private meeting?
41:31Correct.
41:31So to widen the aperture a little bit,
41:34Special Representative Tom West and Special Envoy Amiri
41:38met directly with Taliban representatives
41:41during the Doha three meetings.
41:44Taka, go ahead.
41:46My agency is in Afghanistan now.
41:49He will meet President Putin of Russia again tomorrow.
41:53So what's your expectation for the meeting?
41:55If China does not stop supporting Russia's effort in Ukraine,
42:00what will happen?
42:01So no country should offer Putin a platform
42:05to promote his war of aggression against Ukraine.
42:08It cannot be business as usual with Russia.
42:11And no country should turn a blind eye
42:13to the clear violations of international law
42:15that Russia has committed.
42:17And we strongly support efforts
42:22that have been undertaken by us and our partners in the G7
42:26in addressing what we are seeing
42:28as a reconstitution of Russia's defense industrial base.
42:32We believe the PRC's reconstitution
42:36is deeply problematic,
42:37and we're gonna continue to monitor this
42:39and take appropriate actions independently,
42:41as well as through multilateral institutions as well.
42:45And you heard me talk about this a little bit before,
42:48but this kind of reconstitution, again,
42:50is not just a threat to Ukraine,
42:52it's a threat to European security as well.
42:56How about one more?
42:57Go on, yeah.
42:58A mayor of a small town in the Philippines
43:01is accused of being a Chinese asset,
43:03or a Chinese agent.
43:06So according to the media reports,
43:08the fingerprint of the mayor
43:10and the Chinese national is identical.
43:13Do you have any comment on the news story?
43:15Are you concerned that may increase tension
43:18in the South China Sea?
43:20I don't.
43:21I would defer to authorities in the Philippines
43:24to speak to anything about that.
43:28China and the Philippines had talks today,
43:30I believe it was,
43:31and there were some statements
43:32saying they were going to deescalate tensions.
43:33How significant is this from the US perspective?
43:36How important is it?
43:38Look, we of course would welcome any efforts
43:40to deescalate tensions in the South China Sea.
43:44It's something that's of course a priority for us,
43:47but specifically in this context,
43:49I think when it comes to the PRC,
43:51actions speak louder than words.
43:53Specifically for our partners in the Philippines,
43:56when we're talking about the second Thomas Shoal
43:58and some of the destabilizing actions
44:00that the PRC has taken in that region,
44:04we would welcome steps to deescalate,
44:06but actions speak louder than words.
44:08And clearly, especially in the South China Sea,
44:11especially in the context of the second Thomas Shoal,
44:13you have seen PRC actions be inconsistent
44:17with a stated goal perhaps of deescalation.
44:22Go ahead in the back.
44:24Yeah, you in the green tie.
44:25Oh, thank you.
44:26So yeah, so Taiwan just said that China's Coast Guard
44:30has boarded and detained a Taiwanese fishing boat
44:32and calls for its release.
44:33Do you have a reaction?
44:34I've not seen that report,
44:36so I'm happy to check with the team
44:38and see if we have some more updates on what happened.
44:40And so US and Chinese officials have been holding talks
44:44about cracking down on fentanyl source in China.
44:48Blinken highlighted this
44:49at the Brookings Institute yesterday.
44:50President Biden said this during the debate
44:52that fentanyl is coming from Asian countries
44:54and they're cracking down hard on it.
44:56But the bipartisan House Select Committee on the CCP
44:58released a report in April that said
45:00that the CCP is subsidizing the manufacturing
45:02and export of fentanyl precursors through tax incentives.
45:06Have you raised this concern with those officials?
45:08When we're talking about fentanyl precursors,
45:09that continues to be something that we continue to raise
45:12in every engagement that we have with officials in the PRC.
45:16Progress and the specific efforts in the working group
45:20that we have seen in recent weeks and months on fentanyl
45:24is something, it's a product of President Biden
45:27and Secretary Blinken's engagement
45:29at the historic Woodside Summit in November.
45:32I will also just note that we have, since that summit,
45:35seen the PRC take some appropriate actions,
45:38including designating certain companies
45:41and enforcing some actions within their own justice system.
45:45That is, of course, a welcome step,
45:48but this is something that we're going to continue
45:49to work at with the PRC through these working groups
45:52and through other channels as well.
45:54Thank you. Alex, go ahead.
45:56On tomorrow's meeting in Asnabei with Xi and Putin,
45:59you said that no country should offer Putin a platform.
46:02Does it apply to Turkey as well?
46:03Erdogan is also planning to meet with Putin tomorrow.
46:05In any country, this is something
46:07that we stress with all of our partners.
46:11We continue to ask all of our partners
46:14that they should support efforts to realize
46:18an enduring and just peace for Ukraine,
46:20and for those that have influence
46:22or a relationship with Russia,
46:24to urge them to withdraw troops
46:26from Ukraine's sovereign territory.
46:28Thank you. And finally, on Armenia-Azerbaijan,
46:30you guys have invited both countries to the NATO summit,
46:33I understand the preparation is still going on.
46:35To the extent you can talk about it,
46:37is there any plan to bring them together by the end of the year?
46:39Again, Alex, let me just say broadly
46:41in the context of the issue in the South Caucasus,
46:44this is a priority for us,
46:45a priority for the Secretary
46:47and other officials across this department.
46:49I have no doubt that it's something
46:51we'll continue to work towards.
46:53Specific meetings and engagements
46:54on the margins of the summit,
46:56I just don't want to speak to the schedule yet.
46:58All right. Thanks, everybody.
47:00Go ahead. Sorry.
47:01I had to run out again.
47:03Everything okay?
47:04Yes, everything is fine.
47:05But anyway, I'm not sure if this was raised
47:11when, I think it was Sean,
47:13asked about this report about China and Cuba.
47:17Your response to it, as far as I could tell
47:20while I was on the phone and watching it on TV,
47:23was that, yeah, you're concerned about this kind of activity
47:27given the proximity of it to the U.S.
47:30Is that essentially correct?
47:33Well, Sean posed the question
47:35of what concerns could we have.
47:37I certainly wasn't going to get
47:39into specific intelligence concerns or anything.
47:42No, I know, but because there is this Chinese activity
47:46going on in Cuba, that was an issue, right?
47:49Did you say that or not?
47:51That was the premise of the question, yes.
47:52Okay. So if that is a concern
47:55and a legitimate concern for the United States,
47:58why is it not a legitimate concern for China
48:01to be concerned about what you guys are doing with Taiwan?
48:06Taiwan is, what, 100 miles off the coast of China?
48:10And Cuba is 96, 97 miles off the coast of Florida?
48:19Matt, we have never at any point,
48:22any country is allowed to have any feelings
48:24that they would like to have.
48:27And when it comes to activities
48:28that the U.S. may or may not be participating in,
48:31certainly we wouldn't speak to those from up here.
48:34The context, the question was asked
48:36about this specific report
48:37speaking about PRC efforts in Cuba,
48:40to which I simply addressed that,
48:43one, we have seen efforts by the PRC
48:45to expand their operation in Cuba for some time now.
48:49We continue to have lines of efforts in play to disrupt it.
48:53This is a space that we'll continue to monitor
48:56and take appropriate action as necessary.
48:58Look, I'm not suggesting that your concerns
49:00are wrong about Cuba.
49:02I'm just wondering why the Chinese
49:05can't have the same concerns about your activity in Taiwan,
49:09which includes, as far as I can tell,
49:12a lot more than what this report entails about China.
49:17Matt, that's certainly not something
49:19that I would speak to from this podium,
49:21but I also think that comparing us as a country
49:25to the PRC as a country,
49:27it's a little bit apples and oranges.
49:27I'm trying to, I'm not, I'm not,
49:29no, that's not what I'm trying to do.
49:31I'm just trying to say that if you have concerns,
49:34legitimate concerns about Chinese presence
49:40or activity in Cuba,
49:42why is it incompatible for the Chinese
49:46to have concerns about U.S. activity in Taiwan?
49:50It's just not something that I would speak to from up here.
49:52Really?
49:53Correct.
49:54Okay, that's because that's not foreign policy?
49:56That's not?
49:57Matt, I just don't have anything to offer
49:59when it comes to that topic from up here.
50:02All right, thanks everybody.