This is a very blatant land grab and it is in direct contravention to the Minsk Agreement that they signed up to.

John Kerry

Categorized in : World

We need to have an agreement somewhat in shape by Thursday if we're going to meet the needs of Friday, and I think everybody wants to try to get this done.

With respect to the question of Assad and the timing, I think the answer is ... it is not clear that he would have to ‘go’ if there was clarity with respect to what his future might or might not be.

There was a sort of particularized focus and perhaps even a legitimacy in terms of -- not a legitimacy, but a rationale that you could attach yourself to somehow and say, 'OK, they're really angry because of this and that,'.

This Friday was absolutely indiscriminate. by John Kerry

This Friday was absolutely indiscriminate.

The critical factor in my determination was this: moving forward with this project would significantly undermine our ability to continue leading the world in combating climate change.

President (Barack) Obama is very appreciative of your leadership on the (nuclear) non-proliferation issue, for countering violent extremism, cooperation vis-a-vis Afghanistan and counter-Daesh (Islamic State), we have a very strong set of security interests.

We have to join together in calling for an immediate end to violence. We must stress the importance of avoiding provocative actions and rhetoric, and we must work cooperatively. It's the only way to go forward, is to work cooperative to restore calm.

We agreed on the imperative of as soon as possible, perhaps even as soon as tomorrow, but as soon as possible, having a military-to-military deconfliction discussion.

My grandfather told us that the Irish couldn't get jobs because they were not welcome, it was clear to me at the time that the laws in existence basically prohibited certain groups from coming into the United States.

It's basically a miscalculation on their part, an obsession with the details, the problem that they had was the secrecy and that caused a lot of backlash - because it lasted so long.

I view this week as a major opportunity for any number of countries to play an important role in trying to resolve some of the very difficult issues of the Middle East. We need to achieve peace and a way forward in Syria, in Yemen, in the region itself, and I think there are opportunities this week, through these discussions, to make some progress.

In consultation with Congress, we will continue to explore ways to increase those figures while maintaining robust security, the need is enormous, but we are determined to answer the call.

We are engaged in further conversation about answering those questions and about de-conflicting the Russian activities from ours.

All parties need to refrain from incitement and refrain from engaging in activities that put that relationship at risk.

We need to get to the negotiation. That is what we're looking for and we hope Russia and Iran, and any other countries with influence, will help to bring about that, because that's what is preventing this crisis from ending.

We want to provide a strong incentive for governments at every level to do all that they can to prosecute trafficking and to shield at-risk populations.

The president believes that mil-to-mil conversation is an important next step and hopefully will take place very shortly and help to define some of the different options available to us as we consider next steps in Syria, our focus remains on destroying ISIL (Islamic State militants) and also on a political settlement with respect to Syria, which we believe cannot be achieved with the long-term presence of (President Bashar al-) Assad.

We are satisfied that we will be able to have a process which can get us the answers, if they are not accountable in the way that we expect them to be with appropriate access then they would be in material breach of the agreement and subject to any and all options available to the United States.

Ask any Alaskan. I think people in Alaska will tell Donald Trump and tell Ted Cruz it's happening. And all they have to do is come here and open their minds and their eyes and their ears and listen, look. And they will see the impacts of what is happening.

He traveled to Iran as a tourist to visit family, committed no crime, yet this nightmare continues, he received approval for his trip from Iranian authorities and was reassured that he would not be punished for his service in the Marines. Now he has suffered in an Iranian prison longer than any American in history.