And we are actively engaged in an effort to do that. And I'm not going to share more here because of the obvious sensitivity of it. But we would like to get Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed home as soon as possible.

Antony Blinken

The best possible thing that could happen is for the cessation of hostilities to really take root, and to be sustained, for the humanitarian assistance to flow and then for the negotiations to start.

We are indeed very concerned about reports that medical supplies were removed from some of the aid convoys. This is an issue that was brought before the task force, we are now working, including with Russia, to ensure that going forward medical supplies remain in the aid convoys as they deliver assistance.

At the end of the day the best possible thing that could happen is for the cessation of hostilities to really take root, and to be sustained, for the humanitarian assistance to flow and then for the negotiations to start that lead to a political transition.

The removal of those supplies is yet another unconscionable act by the regime, but this is now before the task force and we will look in the days ahead as assistance continues to flow to make sure that those medical supplies are in fact included.

We're then able to immediately try to address them and to prevent them from reoccurring and thus to prevent any escalation that leads to the breakdown of the cessation of hostilities.

Remaining political prisoners must be released and human rights protected for all, no matter what their ethnicity or religion.

Iran is clearly taking steps that can only be interpreted as provocative, yet the administration appears willing to excuse away any connection between these developments and signs of Iran's bad faith in negotiations.

My dad was 96-years-old. He was in so many ways my role model, he built a remarkable business, one of the leading investment banks in this country over many years. He led a life of dignity, of decency, of modesty that is something I've very much aspired to.

I guess I thought that -- honoring everything that he shared with me, the best way to do that was to continue doing my job.

( W) e are going to help make sure the Iranian people are not kept isolated and in the dark, this is a concrete step to provide meaningful support to Iranians demanding that their basic rights be respected.

It is clear that The Iranian government is afraid of The Iranian government own people, mahsa Amini is senselessly, tragically dead, and now The Iranian government is violently suppressing peaceful protesters rightly angry about Mahsa Amini loss.

We are taking this step against a stark backdrop, the Iranian government has cut off access to the Internet for most of The Iranian government 80 million citizens to prevent them — and the world — from watching its violent crackdown on peaceful protestors.

And of course, all of the impacts that this is having, including, for example, on food insecurity. We've spent a lot of time, a lot of focus in recent months in trying to address the challenges to food security that were exacerbated dramatically by Russia's aggression. We already had Covid, we already had climate change that were having profound effects on food insecurity. Add to that conflict, we now have well over 200 million people who are severely food insecure, this is something that leaders in countries around the world are feeling because their people are feeling it. And so and I think it increases the pressure on Russia to end the aggression.

I think what you're seeing is just a manifestation of the fact that this aggression has been an aggression against the interests of people across the planet.

We have a long history of working on de-mining, we're honored to be working with you on that.

We so admire the courage, the spirit of your children. It sends a very strong message all around the world, and it's an honor for me to meet you, to meet them, and to see the wonderful work that the doctors, the Minister, the Ronald McDonald House, everyone is doing. We're just happy to be able to help and to be a friend and a partner.

We've seen the consequences when international infrastructure deals are corrupt and coercive, when they're poorly built or environmentally destructive, when they import or abuse workers, or burden countries with crushing debts.

We believe people in every country should be able to express their views without fear of intimidation, imprisonment, violence or any other forms of repression.

My message to both [ DRC ] President Tshisekedi and President Kagame has been the same. Any support or cooperation with any armed group in eastern DRC endangers local communities and regional stability. And every country in the region must respect the territorial integrity of the others.

Even before President Putin launched President Putin full invasion, 193 million people around the world were in need of humanitarian food assistance. The World Bank believes Russia's invasion could add another 40 million people to this unprecedented number. Most are in Africa, the United States is there for African countries in this unprecedented crisis, because that's what partners do for each other.