Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Head of Cabinet of the President of the European Council Bernard
04/25/2022
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Head of Cabinet of the President of the European Council Bernard
04/25/2022 03:37 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met today with Frédéric Bernard, head of cabinet of the President of the European Council, in Washington, D.C. Deputy Secretary Sherman welcomed the EU’s strong financial, humanitarian, and military support to Ukraine and the unprecedented U.S.- EU and transatlantic unity in response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine. The Deputy Secretary also reaffirmed the United States’ continued strong support for Ukraine’s European aspirations.
Turkey’s Conviction of Osman Kavala
04/25/2022
Turkey’s Conviction of Osman Kavala
04/25/2022 08:15 PM EDT
Ned Price, Department Spokesperson
The United States is deeply troubled and disappointed by the court’s decision to convict Osman Kavala today. His unjust conviction is inconsistent with respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. We again call on Turkey to release Osman Kavala, in keeping with European Court of Human Rights rulings, as well as to free all others arbitrarily incarcerated. We remain gravely concerned by the continued judicial harassment of civil society, media, political and business leaders in Turkey, including through prolonged pretrial detention, overly broad claims of support for terrorism, and criminal insult cases. The people of Turkey deserve to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms without fear of retribution. The right to exercise freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association is enshrined in Turkey’s constitution and its international law obligations and OSCE commitments. We urge the government to cease politically motivated prosecutions and to respect the rights and freedoms of all Turkish citizens.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Polish Foreign Minister Rau
04/26/2022
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Polish Foreign Minister Rau
04/26/2022 10:26 AM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke yesterday with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau. Secretary Blinken expressed his appreciation for Poland’s role in facilitating his travel with Secretary of Defense Austin to Ukraine yesterday to meet with President Zelenskyy and Ukrainian leadership. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Rau discussed the Secretary’s meetings in Kyiv and our shared and unwavering commitment to Ukraine and the people of Ukraine in their struggle against Russia’s aggression.
Opening Remarks by Secretary Antony J. Blinken Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
04/26/2022
Opening Remarks by Secretary Antony J. Blinken Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
04/26/2022 12:23 PM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Washington, D.C.
106 Dirksen Senate Office Building
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Risch, thank you. It’s very good to be with you, to be with every member of this committee today. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about the administration’s proposed budget for the State Department.
And as both of you noted, I just returned from Kyiv with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, where, together, we demonstrated the United States’ commitment to the government and to the people of Ukraine. I have to tell you the trip left an indelible impression. We had a chance to talk about it a little bit before the hearing.
As we took the train across the border and rode westward into Ukraine, we saw mile after mile of Ukrainian countryside, territory that just a couple of months ago the Russian Government thought that it could seize in a matter of weeks – today, firmly Ukraine’s. In Kyiv, we saw the signs of a vibrant city coming back to life: people eating outside, sitting on benches, strolling. It was right in front of us. The Ukrainians have won the battle for Kyiv, and for all the suffering that they’ve endured, for all the carnage that Russia’s brutal invasion continues to inflict, Ukraine was and will continue to be a free and independent country.
It’s impossible not to be moved by what the Ukrainians have achieved. It’s also impossible not to believe that they will keep succeeding, because they know why they fight. Seeing this, I have to tell you I felt some pride in what the United States has done to support the Ukrainian Government and its people, and an even firmer conviction that we must not let up.
Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine has underscored the power and purpose of American diplomacy. Our diplomacy is rallying allies and partners around the world to join us in supporting Ukraine with security, economic, humanitarian assistance; imposing massive costs on the Kremlin; strengthening our collective security and defense; addressing the war’s mounting global consequences, including the refugee and food crises that you both alluded to.
We will, we have to continue to drive that diplomacy forward, to seize what I believe are strategic opportunities, as well as address risks presented by Russia’s overreach as countries are reconsidering their policies, their priorities, their relationships. The budget request before you predated this crisis, but fully funding it is critical in my judgment to ensuring that Russia’s war in Ukraine is a strategic failure for the Kremlin and serves as a powerful lesson to those who might consider following its path.
As we’re focused intensely on this urgent crisis, the State Department continues to carry out the missions traditionally associated with diplomacy, like responsibly managing great power competition with China, facilitating a halt to fighting in Yemen and Ethiopia, pushing back against the rising tide of authoritarianism and the threat that it poses to human rights.
We also face evolving challenges that require us to develop new capabilities, such as the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease, an accelerating climate crisis, and of course a digital revolution that holds both enormous promise but also some peril.
Last fall, I had an opportunity to set out a modernization agenda for the department and for U.S. diplomacy to respond to these complex demands. In no small part thanks to the FY22 budget approved by Congress, we’ve been able to make real progress on this agenda, though much remains to be done.
To give just a few examples, we have strengthened our capacity to shape the ongoing technological revolution so that it actually protects our interests, it boosts our competitiveness, it upholds our values. With bipartisan congressional support and encouragement, we recently launched a new Bureau for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, with 60 team members to start. And I am grateful to Congress, to this committee, for long supporting this effort, for the ideas that you shared in how best to do it.
We’re also making headway on ensuring that our diplomats reflect America’s remarkable diversity, which is one of our greatest strengths, including in our diplomacy. We have, as the Chairman noted, our first ever chief diversity and inclusion officer, who is spearheading an effort to analyze and address the obstacles that prevent underrepresented groups from joining and advancing at State. We’ve expanded the Pickering and Rangel fellowships and created, for the first time – thanks to the support of Congress and this committee – paid internships at State, along with strong congressional input and support for all of these efforts.
And we’re showing results. We recently welcomed a new cohort of 179 exceptional Foreign Service professionals. That’s putting our department on track for its largest annual intake in a decade.
My first 15 months in this job have only strengthened my own conviction that these and other reforms are not just worthwhile; they’re essential to our national security and to delivering for the people we represent.
Today’s meeting marks, by our count, the 100th time that I’ve had an opportunity to brief Congress, which is one of the ways I’ve worked to meet the commitment that I made in my confirmation before this committee to restore Congress’s role as a partner both in our foreign policymaking and in revitalizing the State Department.
Ensuring that we can deliver on the agenda will require sustained funding, some new authorities, and maybe most important of all, partnership from Congress. That’s why I’m grateful for the chairman and ranking member’s request to establish a formal dialogue on the State Department authorization, a request that we have delivered on and we’re going to look forward to working in detail with you as the authorization process moves forward.
If we want to deepen our capability in key areas like climate, like pandemic preparedness, like multilateral diplomacy; if we want to expand on Secretary Powell’s vision of a Foreign Service training float; and equip our workforce with the training, with the tools, with the technology that we need for today’s challenges – we need some additional resources, and those are set out in the budget.
If we want to be able to swiftly stand up new missions, deploy diplomats when and where they’re needed – and I very much agree with the ranking member on this – and make those decisions based on risk management rather than on risk aversion – we need to reform the State Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act and the Accountability Review Board statute. That’s laid out as well.
If we want to rapidly scale up in response to crises like refugee surges and epidemics while also avoiding costly overhead, we need more flexible domestic hiring authorities.
This is not about advancing the goals of any one administration, any one party. It’s about refocusing our mission and purpose on the forces that really affect the lives of our fellow citizens – their livelihoods, their security – for decades to come.
So I very much appreciate this opportunity to speak today about why this matters, and look very much forward to continuing to make this committee, and Congress as a whole, a full partner in these efforts.
Thank you.
Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on Russian Military Intelligence Officers Conducting Malicious Activity Against U.S. Critical Infrastructure
04/26/2022
Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on Russian Military Intelligence Officers Conducting Malicious Activity Against U.S. Critical Infrastructure
04/26/2022 03:46 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, which is administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).
RFJ is seeking information on six officers of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) for their role in a criminal conspiracy involving malicious cyber activities affecting U.S. critical infrastructure.
GRU officers Yuriy Sergeyevich Andrienko (Юрий Сергеевич Андриенко), Sergey Vladimirovich Detistov (Сергей Владимирович Детистов), Pavel Valeryevich Frolov (Павел Валерьевич Фролов), Anatoliy Sergeyevich Kovalev (Анатолий Сергеевич Ковалев), Artem Valeryevich Ochichenko (Артем Валерьевич Очиченко), and Petr Nikolayevich Pliskin (Петр Николаевич Плискин) were members of a conspiracy that deployed destructive malware and took other disruptive actions for the strategic benefit of Russia through unauthorized access to victim computers.
All six individuals work in the GRU’s Unit 74455, also known by cybersecurity researchers as Sandworm Team, Telebots, Voodoo Bear, and Iron Viking.
These individuals were members of the criminal conspiracy responsible for the June 27, 2017, destructive malware infection of computers in the United States and worldwide using malware known as NotPetya. These cyber intrusions damaged the computers of hospitals and other medical facilities in the Heritage Valley Health System (Heritage Valley) in western Pennsylvania, a large U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturer, and other U.S. private sector entities. The malicious cyber activities collectively cost these U.S. entities nearly $1 billion in losses.
On October 15, 2020, a federal grand jury indicted these six Russian officers on counts of conspiracy to conduct computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, damaging protected computers, and aggravated identity theft.
More information about this reward offer is located on the Rewards for Justice website at https://rewardsforjustice.net/english/malicious_cyber_activity.html . We encourage anyone with information on these six individuals’ malicious cyberactivity to contact Rewards for Justice via the Tor-based tips-reporting channel at: he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion (Tor browser required).
Since its inception in 1984, the program has paid in excess of $200 million to more than 100 people across the globe who provided actionable information that helped prevent terrorism, bring terrorist leaders to justice, and resolve threats to U.S. national security. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RFJ_USA .
On the Occasion of Koningsdag in the Netherlands
04/27/2022
On the Occasion of Koningsdag in the Netherlands
04/27/2022 12:01 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
On behalf of the United States of America, it is my pleasure to congratulate the people of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on your Koningsdag.
This month marks the 40th Anniversary of Dutch-American Friendship Day, and the 240th Anniversary of John Adams presenting his credentials, becoming our first Minister in the Netherlands. The enduring relationship between the United States and the Netherlands is reflective of a proud history of broad cooperation in many areas, based on a shared commitment to democracy and human rights.
As founding members of NATO, we continue to defend and promote our democratic institutions, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. The people of the United States and the Netherlands stand together as champions of democracy in the face of authoritarian threats.
We will continue to promote our shared economic prosperity, including cooperation in key leading-edge technologies, and look forward to working together to create a more secure and sustainable future for our citizens for years to come.
Best wishes to the people of Netherlands on Koningsdag.
Release of U.S. Citizen Trevor Reed from Russia
04/27/2022
Release of U.S. Citizen Trevor Reed from Russia
04/27/2022 08:33 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
I am pleased to announce the release of U.S. citizen Trevor Reed, who was wrongfully detained in Russia. We extend our deep appreciation to our many allies and partners who helped us in this effort.
I also wish to commend Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Ambassador Carstens, Ambassador John Sullivan, and others in our government who have worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome.
We welcome this important release, while continuing to call for the release of wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan. We also remain committed to securing the freedom of all U.S. nationals wrongfully detained abroad.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with French Foreign Minister Le Drian
04/27/2022
Secretary Blinken’s Call with French Foreign Minister Le Drian
04/27/2022 10:32 AM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to congratulate the French people on their successful election on April 24 and to welcome continued close cooperation and strong ties with President Macron. The two discussed providing more security assistance to Ukraine’s armed forces as they resist the Russian government’s brutal and unprovoked invasion and additional measures to hold President Putin and his regime accountable. The Secretary and Foreign Minister also discussed intensifying support for both North Macedonia and Albania on their EU accession paths.
Senior Administration Officials on the Release of Trevor Reed
04/27/2022
Senior Administration Officials on the Release of Trevor Reed
04/27/2022 11:25 AM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
Via Teleconference
MODERATOR: Thank you very much and good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining this call, and especially so on such short notice. We wanted to convene it promptly given the news that has emerged this morning regarding the release of Trevor Reed from Russian custody. We’ll do this call on background. You can refer to what you hear – you can attribute it to senior administration officials.
For your knowledge only and not for reporting, we have two senior administration officials on the line. We have . We also have on the line. Again, you can refer to both of them as senior administration officials.
With that, the call will be embargoed until its conclusion, and I will turn it over to our first senior administration official to start us off. Go ahead.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Thank you so much, . I’m grateful to everyone for joining and I am particularly grateful to have good news to share this morning. Trevor Reed, a U.S. citizen, a former U.S. Marine detained for far too long in Russia, now has his freedom and he is on the way to being reunited with his parents.
It is a big moment and a moment that speaks to President Biden’s commitment to bring home Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained around the world. Let me put today’s news in some context and say a few words on how we got to this particular moment.
President Biden has been very clear since the beginning of the administration about his commitment to bringing Americans home. Very early in his tenure, Secretary of State Blinken spoke with a wide range of hostage and detainee families emphasizing the administration’s commitment in this area.
And day in and day out, the President’s National Security Council staff works on resolving these often very hard, always very important matters. That includes working closely with the remarkable Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department. It also includes working closely with FBI and a wide range of other components of the federal government.
The commitment to resolve these matters goes right to the top – to the President, to the National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who has heard directly from and spoken directly with hostage and detainee families understandably eager to hear how their government is working to bring home their loved ones.
I would emphasize the President isn’t just committed; he is also delivering on that commitment. He has brought home Americans from Venezuela, from Afghanistan, from Haiti, from Burma, and now today from Russia. Trevor’s freedom is the result of months and months of hard, careful work across the U.S. Government. That includes negotiations on this discrete particular issue set with the Russians that have been going on for a very long time.
Ultimately, those negotiations led the President to have to make a very hard decision. It was a decision to commute the sentence of Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian smuggler convicted of conspiring to import cocaine. Now I want to emphasize here that this was a commutation of his sentence. The action in no way undermines or diminishes the import of the finding of his guilt. I also want to emphasize that Yaroshenko has already paid a steep price in the U.S. justice system for his crime. In fact, he had already served the majority of his sentence.
That all being said, this is a tough call for a president. But President Biden made it to bring home an American whose health was a source of an intense concern and to deliver on his commitment to resolve these hard cases and reunite Americans with their loved ones. And so Trevor Reed is on the way to be reunited with his loving family.
I suspect that when we get to questions, there will be questions about the operational or logistical details of getting this done, and I will offer warning in advance that I just won’t have much to say on that because we don’t comment on such things. But I can say that we are relieved and frankly delighted to be welcoming Trevor home, which is where he belongs.
I also want to emphasize that our work in this area continues. Even as we celebrate today’s good news, Paul Whelan is very much on our mind, still detained in Russia. So are others held in Russia, so are others held hostage and wrongfully detained elsewhere in the world. We on the President’s team will keep working these issues until they’re home, just as the President has pledged that we’ll do.
And I want to be very clear: This is a discrete issue on which we were able to make an arrangement with the Russians. It represents no change, zero, to our approach to the appalling violence in Ukraine. Let me just emphasize this again because it’s so important: The discussions with the Russians that led to this exchange were strictly limited to these topics, not a broader diplomatic conversation or even the start of one.
Now let me hand things over to my colleague , who is , an office that has helped to make today’s good news possible. , over to you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Hey, thank you, . Hey, everybody this is , as said. I’m .
Obviously, as said, the United States welcomes the release of U.S. citizen Trevor Reed, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia since 2019. I also want to emphasize what said, that this was a team effort. The President and his team over at the White House, the State Department, our office, but also all of you on the line here. The media coverage, the interest in Trevor Reed’s case and the ongoing case of Paul Whelan has been crucial to ensuring that the other – that the Russians knew our position and the President’s determination to get Trevor back.
So I just want to update that SPEHA Carstens met with Trevor upon his release from detention. He was in good spirits and he spoke to his family. While we celebrate the release of Trevor, we still have work to do. Unfortunately, we have another American citizen to get back. The President and Secretary Blinken have been clear about the need to see wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan released. And we won’t stop working on this until every U.S. national is detained anywhere in the world. And I just want to emphasize what said, that this is a longstanding effort – many, many months of discrete diplomacy, with certain milestones along the way, such as when the Secretary of State raised Trevor and Paul in Reykjavík in May, and then the President again in June, and then the intensive negotiations that followed.
So this is a good day. Thank you all for the broader team effort here. I’ll turn it back to at that point.
MODERATOR: Terrific. Operator, if you wouldn’t mind just repeating the instructions to ask questions.
OPERATOR: If you wish to ask a question, please press 1 then 0 at this time.
MODERATOR: Great. We will start with the line of Jennifer Hansler, please.
OPERATOR: Your line is open.
QUESTION: Thank you. Thanks so much for doing the call. Can you just give us a little more details on the tick-tock of how this went down? I know you said months and months, , but specifically when did this start to gain real traction? How frequently was the U.S. meeting with the Russians? Who was meeting with the Russians to negotiate this? And how was this specific Russian prisoner and how was Trevor chosen out of the multiple Americans that are held there and the multiple Russians that are detained here? Thanks.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Yeah, thanks for the question, Jennifer. So as we indicated, this conversation with the Russians on this particular issue, this discrete issue, has been going on for months. And we’ve acknowledged publicly that everyone from the President down, including the Secretary of State, as my colleague mentioned, have continued to raise at all levels with the Russian Government the importance – to us, to our President, to our government – of bringing home those who are wrongfully detained.
That conversation has, of course, included others whom we regard as wrongfully detained in Russia, and we’ll need to continue to include them so that they come home as well. Obviously, the conversations on this particular issue have accelerated recently to get us to this point. And one factor in getting to this point was our growing concern, which you’ve heard from the family publicly and which we share as a government, of what the status of Trevor Reed’s health was while in detention. That, I think, contributed to really ratcheting up the conversations on this issue, getting to a point where we were able to make this arrangement, getting to a point where we were able to turn to some of the logistics of simply getting it done. And of course, we are delighted that we have found a way to get it done, and we’ll continue to work on the cases that still need resolution.
MODERATOR: We’ll go to the line of Shaun Tandon.
QUESTION: So I know you said at the beginning that you don’t see this as leading to any greater diplomatic effort with Russia. Could I expand on that? In terms of the conversations that were there, did it give you an idea about the Russians being serious about this in particular, about anything broader? Was – were other countries involved in this, or was it truly a bilateral aspect?
And also, you mentioned that Trevor Reed, he seemed to be in good spirits. Can you just expand on that in terms of the condition that he’s in? Do you think that he’s – his state is good at this point? Thanks.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: I’ll say a couple words on this, and then I’ll see if Ned wants to add anything as well, or , on the last point there.
I would emphasize, as your question refers back to, that these conversations, these negotiations were on a discrete issue set. The discussions that led to today’s very good news were strictly limited to these topics, detainee topics. They were not part of broader diplomatic discussions; they were not the beginnings of discussions on other issues. We were delighted to see them come to fruition in this way, of course, but they are limited – they were limited and are limited to these particular issues.
, is there anything else you’d like to add on that?
MODERATOR: I think that’s a key point. I would just also add that this in no way will change our approach to supporting our Ukrainian partners and to holding the Kremlin accountable for its actions in Ukraine. But as my colleague has stressed multiple times, these topics weren’t broached. They were intended to be broached, these broader topics. This was about one thing and one thing only, and it was securing the release of an American who had been wrongfully detained in Russia for far too long.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Hey, I might just add also on the question about Trevor, he was in good spirits, as I said. But beyond that, out of respect to the privacy – to Trevor’s privacy and the privacy of his family, we’re going to let him and his family speak for themselves when they’re ready. It’s a good day, and he’s clearly in good spirits, but you’ll understand he’s had a difficult couple years here. So – and we ought to respect that as well. Thanks.
MODERATOR: We’ll go to the line of Humeyra Pamuk.
QUESTION: (Inaudible) doing this. I have a couple of questions. When do you expect Trevor to be home? And I understand that this was squarely – these discussions were squarely about him, but can you talk a little bit about the nature or, like, the demeanor of the Russians in these talks? Was there anything that was positive? Or what was it like that – was there anything that gave you any hope about a broader diplomatic thing? Because there are a number of channels all across the world for various reasons, but basically trying to put an end to this war – was there anything in these discussions that you thought could be a positive signal? And also, can you give us an update on Britney Griner’s case, please? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Yeah, thank you for those questions. I’ll hit them briefly and then see if wants to embellish.
So on the first one, Trevor is on his way home, on his way to the United States now. I’ll stay away from kind of particular operational details, but he is on his way now, which we’re obviously delighted about.
In terms of the conversations with the Russians on these issues, look, we have been saying for the past couple months, few months that where we can on issues of mutual interest, on issues of importance to us, we will try to find ways to continue conversations and, ideally, to get things done. And I think this represents one of those categories – inaction, so to speak. It was an issue that we had been discussing. As I have indicated before, many months ago, we were able to keep discussing and obviously able to get to a result about which we’re very happy with respect to Trevor Reed and about which more work needs to be done for other Americans.
But I think being able to get to this point is consistent with what we’ve been saying about trying to find areas where we still can have a constructive conversation without in any way – as and I have both emphasized – without in any way representing through this any change in our approach to just appalling violence that we continue to see in Ukraine.
And then I’ll just say briefly on the last question that we are very aware that there are other Americans held in Russia with Whelan, Griner, and others very much in our minds today, even as we are so happy for the news about Trevor Reed. And we will continue to work on and attempt to find ways to address other cases as best we can.
, do you want to add anything to that?
MODERATOR: The only thing I would add – and I would also invite my colleague to add on here – is that there is a key word in Roger Carstens’ title. He’s the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. And so when Roger Carstens, when his team are having discussions with foreign governments, they’re discussing one thing and one thing only. They’re discussing hostages and Americans who are detained against their will unjustly overseas. These discussions didn’t give us any additional pessimism about Russia’s course in Ukraine, neither did it give us any additional optimism, precisely because there wasn’t a discussion of anything beyond this very discrete, this very particular issue. And that was the successful release – successful as of today – of Trevor Reed.
, do you want to add anything?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Thanks, . You covered it right there.
MODERATOR: We’ll take a final question here. We’ll go to Missy Ryan.
QUESTION: What – I’m not sure what the limits of what you’re able to talk about in terms of the particulars of the transfers and all of that, but is the – Mr. Yaroshenko, is he now in Russian Government custody? Can you say whether this whole arrangement and negotiation involved any senior U.S. Government travel to Moscow? And also, could you just, if possible, clarify for us how many Americans are being held by the Russian Government? Obviously, you mentioned two individuals, but are there additional people that we should know about? Thanks.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Thanks, Missy. So as you anticipated, I’ll stay a bit general here, but I will say that Mr. Yaroshenko is in Russian custody at this point, and that we were able to make this arrangement without additional senior-level travel to Moscow or to Russia. And I think I’ll probably leave it at that. , anything you want to add?
MODERATOR: Nope. I think you covered it.
, barring anything additional from you, we will bring this call to an end. Again, a reminder: This call was on background, attributable to senior administration officials, and the embargo is now lifted. Thanks, everyone, for dialing in. Thanks to fellow speakers.
‘…until every U.S. national unlawfully detained anywhere in the world is free.’
What I’m saying to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week.
04/27/2022
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FROM THE DESK OF
Secretary Antony J. Blinken
U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE
This week, I had the chance to testify before Congress and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the Biden administration’s proposed budget for the State Department. This hearing took place just after I returned from Kyiv, Ukraine with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, where, together, we demonstrated the United States’ commitment to the government and to the people of Ukraine. I have to tell you the trip left an indelible impression. We had a chance to talk about it a little bit before the hearing.
As we took the train across the border and rode westward into Ukraine, we saw mile after mile of Ukrainian countryside, territory that just a couple of months ago the Russian Government thought that it could seize in a matter of weeks – today, firmly Ukraine’s. In Kyiv, we saw the signs of a vibrant city coming back to life: people eating outside, sitting on benches, strolling. It was right in front of us. The Ukrainians have won the battle for Kyiv, and for all the suffering that they’ve endured, for all the carnage that Russia’s brutal invasion continues to inflict, Ukraine was and will continue to be a free and independent country.
It’s impossible not to be moved by what the Ukrainians have achieved. It’s also impossible not to believe that they will keep succeeding, because they know why they fight. Seeing this, I have to tell you I felt some pride in what the United States has done to support the Ukrainian Government and its people, and an even firmer conviction that we must not let up.
Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine has underscored the power and purpose of American diplomacy. Our diplomacy is rallying allies and partners around the world to join us in supporting Ukraine with security, economic, humanitarian assistance; imposing massive costs on the Kremlin; strengthening our collective security and defense; addressing the war’s mounting global consequences, including the current refugee and food crises.
We, the State Department, have to continue to drive that diplomacy forward, to seize what I believe are strategic opportunities, as well as address risks presented by Russia’s overreach as countries are reconsidering their policies, their priorities, their relationships. The budget request before the committee predated this crisis, but fully funding it is critical in my judgment to ensuring that Russia’s war in Ukraine is a strategic failure for the Kremlin and serves as a powerful lesson to those who might consider following its path.
As we’re focused intensely on this urgent crisis, the State Department continues to carry out the missions traditionally associated with diplomacy, like responsibly managing great power competition with China, facilitating a halt to fighting in Yemen and Ethiopia, pushing back against the rising tide of authoritarianism and the threat that it poses to human rights.
We also face evolving challenges that require us to develop new capabilities, such as the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease, an accelerating climate crisis, and of course a digital revolution that holds both enormous promise but also some peril.
Last fall, I had an opportunity to set out a modernization agenda for the department and for U.S. diplomacy to respond to these complex demands. In no small part thanks to the fiscal year 2022 budget approved by Congress, we’ve been able to make real progress on this agenda, though much remains to be done.
To give just a few examples, we have strengthened our capacity to shape the ongoing technological revolution so that it actually protects our interests as it boosts our competitiveness and upholds our values. With bipartisan congressional support and encouragement, we recently launched a new Bureau for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, with 60 team members to start. And I am grateful to Congress and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for long supporting this effort and for the ideas shared on how best to do it.
We’re also making headway on ensuring that our diplomats reflect America’s remarkable diversity, which is one of our greatest strengths, including in our diplomacy. We have our first ever chief diversity and inclusion officer, who is spearheading an effort to analyze and address the obstacles that prevent underrepresented groups from joining and advancing at State. We’ve expanded the Pickering and Rangel fellowships and created, for the first time – thanks to the support of Congress and his committee – paid internships at State, along with strong congressional input and support for all of these efforts.
And we’re showing results. We recently welcomed a new cohort of 179 exceptional Foreign Service professionals. That’s putting the State Department on track for its largest annual intake in a decade.
My first 15 months in this job have only strengthened my own conviction that these and other reforms are not just worthwhile; they’re essential to our national security and to delivering for the people we represent.
This week was the 100th time that I’ve had an opportunity to brief Congress, which is one of the ways I’ve worked to meet the commitment that I made in my confirmation before this committee to restore Congress’s role as a partner both in our foreign policymaking and in revitalizing the State Department.
Ensuring that we can deliver on the agenda will require sustained funding, some new authorities, and maybe most important of all, partnership from Congress. That’s why I’m grateful for the committee chairman and ranking member’s request to establish a formal dialogue on the State Department authorization, a request that we have delivered on and we’re going to look forward to working in detail as the authorization process moves forward.
If we want to deepen our capability in key areas like climate, like pandemic preparedness, like multilateral diplomacy; if we want to expand on Secretary Powell’s vision of a Foreign Service training float; and equip our workforce with the training, with the tools, with the technology that we need for today’s challenges – we need some additional resources, and those are set out in the budget.
If we want to be able to swiftly stand up new missions, deploy diplomats when and where they’re needed – and make those decisions based on risk management rather than on risk aversion – we need to reform the State Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act and the Accountability Review Board statute. That’s laid out in the budget as well.
If we want to rapidly scale up in response to crises like refugee surges and epidemics while also avoiding costly overhead, we need more flexible domestic hiring authorities.
This is not about advancing the goals of any one administration, any one party. It’s about refocusing our mission and purpose on the forces that really affect the lives of our fellow citizens – their livelihoods, their security – for decades to come.
I very much appreciate this opportunity to speak about why this matters, and look very much forward to continuing to make this committee, and Congress as a whole, a full partner in these efforts.
I’m looking forward to staying connected in the months to come. And I’d love to hear your thoughts – please share them by writing to me and my team at EmailTeam@State.gov.
Sincerely,
Secretary Antony J. Blinken
Find all my speeches, remarks, and other press statements on State.gov. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram to learn more about my work. I’m also on Spotify, where I'm creating playlists of my favorite music from around the world.
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This email was adapted from Secretary Blinken’s opening remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 26, 2022.
The European Democratic Resilience Initiative
04/27/2022
The European Democratic Resilience Initiative
04/27/2022 02:17 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
On March 24, President Biden announced the launch of the European Democratic Resilience Initiative (EDRI) to bolster democratic resilience, advance anti-corruption efforts, and defend human rights in Ukraine and its neighbors in response Russia’s war of aggression. Working with Congress, the Biden Administration aims to harness the EDRI to provide up to $320 million in new funding to address immediate and medium-term needs in Europe and Eurasia. The EDRI will complement the global Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal announced by President Biden at the December 2021 Summit for Democracy, as well as efforts to counter Russia’s kleptocracy through the international Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs (REPO) and the U.S.-interagency law enforcement KleptoCapture task forces. EDRI-supported programs and projects will be closely coordinated with the EU and other donors. This Fact Sheet provides information on the EDRI’s initial funding priorities and focus. Additional information will be released as the U.S. Government continues to address evolving needs in Ukraine and the region.
Urgent Needs: The EDRI will prioritize support for immediate human rights priorities in Ukraine and its surrounding region, including by promoting accountability as a deterrent to further atrocities, and addressing risks to vulnerable and at-risk groups fleeing Ukraine and repression across Eurasia. Working with Congress, the State Department and USAID anticipate providing an initial $80 million of the overall EDRI funding amount to support the following urgent needs:Advancing Accountability: To promote justice and accountability for atrocities committed by Russia’s forces in Ukraine, the EDRI will:Provide expert support and capacity-building for the war crimes units under the Ukrainian Office of the Prosecutor General (OPG), assisting these offices in accomplishing their mandate of investigating and prosecuting war crimes and other serious international crimes.
Support an online platform for the documentation, verification, and dissemination of evidence of Russia’s human rights violations and abuses, war crimes, and other violations of international humanitarian law in the conflict in Ukraine.
Support the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) to expand its work in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Support Ukrainian civil society efforts to monitor and document violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses; and provide training for legal professionals and monitors on international human rights law; and training and support for media coverage of war crimes and atrocities
Defending Journalists, Civic Activists and At-Risk Groups: The EDRI will enhance the safety, security, and operational effectiveness of journalists, and pro-democracy, human rights, and anti-corruption activists inside and outside of Ukraine. The EDRI will specifically support:Logistical and operational support to civil society activists, lawyers, journalists, and human rights defenders who have been forced to flee their home country to help them remain engaged in their relevant work from abroad.
Core funding for Ukrainian national media outlets to maintain operations and continue support for sub-national media.
Digital security and connectivity of Ukrainian civil society activists and organizations, and civil society efforts to address urgent needs of IDPs and vulnerable populations.
Programming to mitigate the impact of disinformation campaigns, including implementation of specific countermeasures.
Grantmaking, convening, and emergency support to a wide range of civil society and media entities throughout Eurasia.
Medium-Term Needs: The State Department and USAID anticipate that, working with Congress, the EDRI will maintain its focus on pressing needs, while also expanding its focus to address medium-term needs in Ukraine and the Europe and Eurasia region, including by:Bolstering Human Rights and Democracy in Europe: The EDRI will strengthen government institutions and non-governmental capacity and resiliency to support the needs of both local populations and refugees in Europe and Eurasia.
Advancing Anti-Corruption Efforts: The EDRI will expand rapid response capabilities and technical assistance to build resilience in the face of Kremlin-led and -influenced strategic corruption and kleptocracy.
Sustaining Civil Society and Independent Media: The EDRI will work to sustain civil society, pro-democracy organizations and movements, and independent media operating throughout the region, including in restrictive operating environments.
Joint Statement on the United States – Iceland Strategic Dialogue
04/28/2022
Joint Statement on the United States – Iceland Strategic Dialogue
04/28/2022 09:36 AM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The following is the text of a joint statement by the Governments of the United States of America and Iceland following their strategic dialogue in Reykjavik, Iceland on April 26.
Begin text:
As close NATO Allies, the United States and Iceland discussed a range of issues pertinent to each country’s national security and to the security of the North Atlantic at the annual strategic dialogue on April 26. The two countries reiterated their condemnation of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression, while reaffirming their steadfast support for Ukraine. As part of the dialogue, the Allies reviewed cooperation at NATO and the bilateral security relationship. They also discussed continued cooperation on issues including safeguarding the international rules-based order, People’s Republic of China influence in Europe, the Arctic and measures to address climate change, cybersecurity, and global human rights. The bilateral defense agreement between the United States and Iceland, in place since 1951, continues to contribute to the security of our two democracies.
The United States was represented by the Department of State, the Department of Defense (Office of the Secretary Defense, Joint Staff, and U.S. European Command), the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik. Iceland was represented by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Icelandic Coast Guard, and the Icelandic Embassy in Washington, D.C.
End text.
Opening Remarks by Secretary Antony J. Blinken Before the House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
04/28/2022
Opening Remarks by Secretary Antony J. Blinken Before the House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
04/28/2022 12:37 PM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Washington, D.C.
HT-2 The Capitol
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much, Chairwoman Lee. It’s great to see you. Ranking Member Rogers, Ranking Member Granger, thank you for being here today as well. It’s very good to be with you, and I’m really grateful for this opportunity to speak to you about the administration’s proposed budget for the State Department.
As you know, I recently returned from Kyiv with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, where we sought to demonstrate, by our presence as well as by our actions, the United States commitment to Ukraine and its people.
This brutal war of aggression being committed by Russia against Ukraine has brought into sharp focus the power and purpose of American diplomacy. Our diplomacy is rallying allies and partners around the world to join us in supporting Ukraine militarily, economically, and with humanitarian assistance to impose massive costs on the Kremlin for its aggression, while strengthening our collective security and defense, and addressing the war’s mounting global consequences, including the refugee and food crises that you’ve alluded to.
We have to continue to drive that diplomacy forward to also seize the strategic opportunities and address the risks presented by Russia’s overreach, as countries are reconsidering their policies, their priorities, and their relationships.
The budget request that you have before you actually predates the crisis, but fully funding it is critical to ensuring that Russia’s war in Ukraine is a strategic failure for the Kremlin and also serves as a powerful lesson for those who might consider following the same path.
As we’re focused on this urgent crisis, the State Department continues to carry out the missions traditionally associated with diplomacy, particularly responsibly managing great power competition with China, also facilitating a halt to fighting in places like Yemen and Ethiopia, pushing back against the rising tide of authoritarianism and the threat that it poses to democracy and human rights.
We also face evolving challenges that require us to develop new capabilities: the emergence and re-emergence of infectious disease, an accelerated climate crisis, and a digital revolution that holds both enormous promise but also peril if not managed correctly.
A few months ago, in the fall, I had a chance to set out a modernization agenda for the State Department and for U.S. diplomacy to respond to all of these demands and all of these needs.
And in no small part thanks to the significant FY22 budget that was approved by Congress, we’ve been able to make real progress on this agenda, but much remains to be done.
Just to give you a few quick examples, we’ve strengthened our capacity to shape the ongoing technological revolution so that it protects our interests, it boosts our competitiveness, it upholds our values. With bipartisan congressional support and encouragement, we recently launched a new Bureau for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, with 60 team members to start. And this is something that was done very much in collaboration with and with the counsel of Congress.
We’re also making headway on ensuring our diplomats reflect America’s remarkable diversity, which is one of our greatest strengths. As the Chairwoman said, our department’s first ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, has spearheaded an effort to analyze and address the obstacles that prevent under-represented groups from joining and advancing at the department. We’ve expanded the Pickering and Rangel fellowship programs, and we have paid internships at State – again, strong congressional input and support for these initiatives.
We recently welcomed a new cohort of 179 exceptional Foreign Service professionals. That puts us on track for our largest annual intake in a decade.
These first 15 months on the job for me have only strengthened my conviction that these and other reforms are not just worthwhile, they’re essential to delivering for the American people.
Today’s meeting, by our count, marks the 103rd time that I’ve had the opportunity to brief Congress in one way or another – meetings, calls – which is one of the ways that I’ve worked to meet the commitment I made in my confirmation, to ensure that Congress’s role as a partner, both in our foreign policymaking and in modernizing the State Department, is realized.
Ensuring that we can deliver on this agenda requires sustained funding, requires some new authorities – most importantly, it requires our partnership.
If we want to deepen our capability in areas like climate, like public health, like multilateral diplomacy; if we want to expand on Secretary Powell’s vision of a Foreign Service training float; if we want to strengthen global health security to prevent, detect, and respond to future outbreaks – we need these additional resources.
If we want to be able to swiftly stand up new missions, to deploy diplomats when and where they are needed, and make these decisions based on risk management rather than risk aversion – we need to reform the security – the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act and the Accountability Review Board statute.
If we want to rapidly scale up the response to crises like refugee surges and epidemics, while also avoiding costly overhead, we need more flexible domestic hiring authorities.
These are just a few examples, and I just want to stress in closing: This is not about advancing the goals of any one administration or any one party. It’s about refocusing our mission and our purpose on the forces that are affecting the lives of all of our fellow citizens – their livelihoods, their security – for decades to come.
So I really appreciate the opportunity to speak today about why this matters, and look forward to working with this committee, the subcommittee, Congress as a whole, as a partner in these efforts.
Thank you very much.
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Leader of the Democratic Opposition of Belarus Tsikhanouskaya
04/29/2022
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Leader of the Democratic Opposition of Belarus Tsikhanouskaya
04/29/2022 02:41 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met yesterday with Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the democratic opposition of Belarus. They discussed the Lukashenka regime’s continued support of Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine and U.S. efforts to hold the regime accountable for its complicity, as well as for its sustained crackdown on human rights and democratic freedoms. Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined the group for part of the meeting. Deputy Secretary Sherman, together with Ms. Tsikhanouskaya, called for an end to the Lukashenka regime’s ongoing crackdown on democratic voices and for the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Belarus and emphasized the United States’ enduring support for the Belarusian people’s democratic aspirations.
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