State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce was asked about ongoing talks between Ukraine and Russia in Paris, France.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Back to your comments a moment ago that Matt also picked up, the civilized world voice to see if Russia is serious.
00:06So we're just trying to understand what exactly is the United States waiting, given Russia rejected President Trump's proposal?
00:14What exactly are the metrics here? And given Secretary said, you know, we will see in weeks, like what are you waiting to see?
00:22And is the administration starting to put together a plan B if it becomes clear that to the administration that Russia is not serious?
00:32Well, obviously, I can't talk about the specifics of what the president has said to other people or what those decision lines are.
00:41We do know that. And also, I would say I I would dispute push back a bit on your contention that the Russians have rejected something.
00:50Again, that's based on perhaps what you've observed and what others have observed.
00:54We I don't know what the conversations are, what's been stated between any of the parties.
00:59So we can't go there. But what we do know and what the secretary has said often and what the president says is that we are going to judge people based on their actions, not their words.
01:11And that is a universal standard that we will be using. And I think that's important.
01:16As far as the metrics, those again, that's why you go and you meet people face to face or you have conversations.
01:23And that's what we're doing. That's an important dynamic of determining, as many people have argued about whether or not who's serious, who isn't serious.
01:32And we've we've seen the actions that our friends, the Ukrainians, have taken, which is a commitment to a full ceasefire.
01:38The nature of the actions that they've said that they would do, that has been clear from the start.
01:43And it's it's it's understandable. We've got two parties here and we have a standard.
01:48And so that's why, though, we have now, again, our best and brightest are in Paris making this determination, which is more which is clearly complicated.
01:58And as far as the secretary noting, it'll be a matter of weeks, that, again, is a judgment and a statement that I think all of us can understand on a timeline,
02:08but clearly is based in what it is they say that they expect to see.
02:14I am not privy to that. And those conversations, of course, all day long and continuing on right now, I would guess, are to determine that.
02:26All right. Just one follow up. The French, actually, even though the conversations are ongoing, they described the current conversations so far, excellent, positive, constructive.
02:36I don't want to put words in your mouth, but do you have some adjectives to describe how it has been so far?
02:42Yeah, I think it's it's nice when any party to a conversation of this sort believes that it's positive.
02:49And that's that's that's that's great. That's great things. It's good news.
02:52What I care about is what President Trump and Secretary Rubio think.
02:56When it comes to what they have asked for and what they expect and what the United States expects, that is the standard that the world looks for and we'll know then what will come from that.
03:07The French being happy is fabulous. I love the French. I love Paris.
03:11It's it's a great country. It really is. And one must go.
03:15I know there's stuff about the French in America, but it really is.
03:20Traveling is wonderful. Meeting people is terrific. And the French are great people.
03:26But what I do know is that through today, as they've been talking in that wonderful, exquisite capital, more people have died who expected to be alive tonight and tomorrow, who will miss Good Friday, who will miss Easter, who just enjoyed Passover.
03:45So we can think about the feelings of diplomats, which are important, but what matters is the end result, what the United States is able to deliver and and achieve during those meetings and what the United States wants, frankly, to make this a situation that this is the first involvement and the nature of both parties at the table since the beginning of this atrocity.
04:10And that speaks to the United, the power of Trump, the power of diplomacy in the United States.
04:16So that's good news. But the better news will be when America and President Trump's expectations are met.
04:23Yes. Yes, sir.