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.

Antony Blinken

Categorized in : Top News

One way or the other, Ukraine will be there and at some point Vladimir Putin won't.

I think what we're seeing is that Poland's proposal shows that there are some complexities that the issue presents when it comes to providing security systems. We have to make sure that we're doing it the right way.

I think that there was just an announcement a short while ago – I'm not sure if it's been made publicly yet – about Emirati support for increased production when it comes to OPEC +, which I think is an important thing to stabilize global energy markets to make sure that there remains an abundant supply of energy around the world.

We are working with Poland as we speak to see if we can backfill anything that they provide to the Ukrainians, but we also want to see if we can be helpful in making sure that, whatever they provide to Ukrainians, something goes to them to make up for any gap in the security for Poland that might result.

In fact, we're talking with our Polish friends right now about what we might be able to do to backfill their needs if, in fact, they choose to provide these fighter jets to the Ukrainians. What can we do ? How can we help to make sure that they get something to backfill the planes that they're handing over to the Ukrainians ? We're in very active discussions with them about that.

And so unless we're able to resolve a couple of outstanding issues, then we don't get -- we don't get back to the deal.

Peaceful coexistence has two words. The first is ‘peaceful,’ and Russia’s doing everything in its power to make a mockery of that word through its aggression on Ukraine.

It needs to start by actually making good on the word peaceful and ending the war, the aggression that it is committing in Ukraine, it’s pretty straightforward.

President Putin is making Russia a pariah, destroying in the space of a week 30 years of international openness and opportunity.

There’s only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point. Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia, we have an embassy team that’s working on the cases of other Americans who are detained in Russia. We’re doing everything we can to see to it that their rights are upheld and respected.

The leadership that President Zelensky has shown, the entire government has shown, is remarkable. They’ve been the embodiment of these incredibly brave Ukrainian people.

When it comes to oil, Russian oil, I was on the phone yesterday with the President and other members of the Cabinet on exactly the subject, and we are now talking to our European partners and allies to look in a coordinated way at the prospect of banning the import of Russian oil while making sure that there is still an appropriate supply of oil in world markets.

Putin has made a terrible, terrible, terrible mistake in many ways. But it starts with the proposition that somehow Ukraine doesn’t exist as an independent country, what Ukrainians are showing every single day is, of course, exactly the opposite. And ultimately, their strength, their resolve, their determination, backed by the United States, in fact by the world, is going to prevail.

We admire the generosity of hospitality, the willingness to be such good friends to people who are in distress, and, indeed, I want to do everything we can to help you deal with the burden that this has imposed.

I’m particularly pleased to be here with friends and colleagues from the Congress, this is, as always, very powerful to see a bipartisan group of leaders from Congress standing together, coming together in support of Ukraine, and standing strongly against Vladimir Putin’s war of choice and aggression that is not only – is first and foremost affecting the people of Ukraine, but poses a threat to the basic principles of the international order that all of us stand strongly for.

We’ve seen an extraordinary surge of support from around the world against Russia’s aggression, i’m in awe of my friend, his entire government, President Zelenskyy and the courage they show every day that they are showing to the world, and it is inspiring.

The Kremlin's attacks are inflicting an ever-increasing toll on civilians there, hundreds if not thousands of Ukrainians have been killed, many more wounded, as have citizens of other countries. More than a million refugees have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries. Millions of people across Ukraine are trapped in increasingly dire conditions as Russia destroys more critical infrastructure.

The sanctions are designed … to have maximum impact on Russia and Putin while minimizing harm to us and our partners, there’s no strategic interest in reducing the global supply of energy.

The demands that Russia put on the table were beyond excessive, they were, of course, nonstarters, and what we've seen repeatedly is that Russia goes through the pretense of diplomacy to distract and continue on its aggressive path.

It’s dangerous. It adds to the risk of miscalculation. It needs to be avoided, we've assessed President Putin's directive and his statements, and at this time, we see no reason to change our own.