U.S. Department of State
Secretary Blinken’s Call with EU High Representative Borrell
01/08/2022
Secretary Blinken’s Call with EU High Representative Borrell
01/08/2022 08:01 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The Secretary reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening cooperation between the United States and EU and addressing shared challenges. Secretary Blinken underscored the importance of coordinating actions in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and reiterated any further Russian aggression toward Ukraine would result in a severe response. They also discussed concerns about political pressure and economic coercion against Lithuania by the People’s Republic of China.
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov
01/09/2022
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov
01/09/2022 04:17 PM EST
The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov today in Geneva. Deputy Secretary Sherman was accompanied by Lt. Gen. James Mingus, Director of Operations, Joint Staff, and Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Defense Col. Gen. Aleksandr Fomin. The Deputy Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister discussed the bilateral topics both sides would address during the extraordinary meeting of the Strategic Stability Dialogue (SSD) January 10. The Deputy Secretary stressed the United States’ commitment to the international principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the freedom of sovereign nations to choose their own alliances. The Deputy Secretary affirmed that the United States would welcome genuine progress through diplomacy. The United States will discuss certain bilateral issues with Russia at the SSD, but will not discuss European security without our European Allies and partners. The Deputy Secretary underscored that discussion of certain subjects would be reserved for the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels on January 12 and the OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna on January 13.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Dutch Foreign Minister Hoekstra
01/11/2022
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Dutch Foreign Minister Hoekstra
01/11/2022 01:34 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra to congratulate him on his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the new Dutch government. Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of the transatlantic bond to global security and prosperity. The Secretary also committed to further enhance the breadth and depth of the U.S.-Netherlands relationship and look for additional areas of practical cooperation across the political, economic, and security dimensions. The Secretary reiterated steadfast support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of potential further Russian aggression and stressed the U.S. commitment to impose significant costs should Russia escalate actions against Ukraine. He also rejected the political pressure and economic coercion by the People’s Republic of China and highlighted solidarity with Lithuania.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba
01/11/2022
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba
01/11/2022 04:24 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today by phone with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Noting shared concerns regarding Russia’s ongoing and unprovoked military build-up in and around Ukraine, the Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed outcomes and next steps following the U.S.-Russia Strategic Stability Dialogue in Geneva and in advance of the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels tomorrow. Secretary Blinken also shared expectations for the January 13 OSCE Permanent Council meeting in Vienna. The Secretary reaffirmed his support for diplomacy as the only responsible path forward, and that no substantive discussions would occur about Ukraine, without Ukraine. He reiterated that if Russia chooses the path of further conflict, the United States and our Allies and partners are prepared to impose enormous costs on Russia’s economy, to reinforce NATO’s presence in frontline Allied states, and to increase defensive assistance to Ukraine.
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with the EU Political and Security Committee
01/11/2022
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with the EU Political and Security Committee
01/11/2022 04:59 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with ambassadors from the EU’s Political and Security Committee today in Brussels to discuss Russia’s unprovoked military build-up along Ukraine’s border and to provide a readout of the U.S.-Russia Strategic Stability Dialogue, which was held yesterday in Geneva. The meeting underscored the U.S. commitment to work closely with the EU and its member states to address this urgent challenge together. They affirmed the United States’ and EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Deputy Secretary thanked the Committee for their work to ensure any further Russian military invasion of Ukraine would result in severe costs, including coordinated economic measures, for the Russian Federation.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Czech Foreign Minister Lipavsky
01/13/2022
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Czech Foreign Minister Lipavsky
01/13/2022 11:18 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. Secretary Blinken congratulated Foreign Minister Lipavsky on his new role and expressed his strong commitment to continued close collaboration with the Czech Republic as a valued Ally. The Secretary emphasized their shared commitment to transatlantic security as the cornerstone for regional stability and prosperity. Secretary Blinken reiterated the United States’ firm commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of continued Russian aggression, and briefed the Foreign Minister on U.S. efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Icelandic Foreign Minister Gylfadottir
01/13/2022
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Icelandic Foreign Minister Gylfadottir
01/13/2022 01:31 PM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Icelandic Foreign Minister Thordis K. Gylfadottir. The Secretary congratulated her on her new role as Foreign Minister and emphasized support for the strong U.S.-Icelandic bilateral relationship. The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed several shared priorities, including European security amid Russia’s military buildup, support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, combating the climate crisis, economic ties and investment, strengthening global human rights and gender equality, and deepening defense cooperation.
Joint Statement on Serbia’s National Referendum
01/14/2022
Joint Statement on Serbia’s National Referendum
01/14/2022 08:10 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the European Union on the occasion of Serbia’s January 16 National Referendum.
Begin Text:
France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union welcome Serbia’s January 16 referendum on constitutional changes as a key step to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and to enhance the transparency and effectiveness of the country’s rule of law institutions. We believe that these reforms are a step forward towards Serbia’s alignment with European standards and will support Serbia’s EU accession process.
We have encouraged all Serbian citizens to take part in the referendum, and believe it is important for eligible voters everywhere to be able to vote in elections and referenda. We note with regret that the Kosovo government has not allowed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to collect ballots of eligible voters living in Kosovo for the upcoming referendum in accordance with past practice. We call on the Kosovo government to allow Serbs in Kosovo to exercise their right to vote in elections and electoral processes in accordance with this established practice.
We call upon the governments of Kosovo and Serbia to refrain from actions and rhetoric that increase tensions, and to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated Dialogue. It is important that both governments achieve progress towards a comprehensive agreement that unlocks the EU perspective and increases regional stability.
End text.
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Call with OSCE Secretary General Schmid
01/14/2022
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Call with OSCE Secretary General Schmid
01/14/2022 10:17 AM EST
Office of the Spokesperson
The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman spoke today with OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid to discuss Russia’s continued aggression towards Ukraine and using the OSCE as a platform to deescalate tensions. They welcomed the Polish Chairman-in-Office Zbigniew Rau’s proposal to launch a revitalized European security dialogue at the OSCE. This dialogue will enable all 57 OSCE participating States to discuss urgent issues affecting European security, such as Russia’s continued and unprovoked military build-up on Ukraine’s borders. The Deputy Secretary and OSCE Secretary General agreed the OSCE is a critical venue to reduce insecurity and build trust in the region.
