U.S. Department of State Weekly Digest Bulletin

Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba
05/15/2022
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba
05/15/2022 08:22 AM EDT



Office of the Spokesperson

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Berlin. The two discussed this week’s G7 and NATO Foreign Ministerial meetings and the Secretary emphasized the strong support for Ukraine from Allies and partners during these meetings. The Secretary conveyed details regarding the latest tranche of U.S. security assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. The Secretary and Foreign Minister Kuleba also discussed the impact of Russia’s brutal war, including on global food security, and committed to seeking a solution to export Ukraine’s grain to international markets. The Secretary underscored the United States’ enduring commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s unprovoked war.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Press Availability
05/15/2022

Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Press Availability
05/15/2022 02:15 PM EDT

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Berlin, Germany

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon. It’s a great pleasure to be back in Europe to continue intensive coordination with allies and partners on some of the most urgent issues facing our countries, and that begins with today’s NATO meetings. And I want to especially thank Secretary General Stoltenberg for his leadership, the deputy secretary general of NATO, and especially Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of Germany – not only for hosting us, but for taking initiative to bring the foreign ministers together in an informal but very productive series of discussions.

The 30 NATO Allies remain fully engaged, aligned, committed to supporting a democratic, independent, and sovereign Ukraine. The world has seen the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people these past three months. It’s seen the unity at the heart of NATO. President Putin launched this brutal and unprovoked war thinking he could eliminate Ukraine as an independent country and divide NATO. Instead, he’s only reinforced Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence as Ukraine has chased the Russian army away from Kyiv. NATO is stronger, more capable, more unified than ever.

Every member of the Alliance wants to bring this war to an end as soon as possible, but we’re equally determined to maintain our security assistance to Ukraine, to continue our sanctions, export controls, and diplomatic pressure on Russia for as long as it’s necessary. The United States and our allies and partners are focused on giving Ukraine as strong a hand as possible on the battlefield, and at any negotiating table, so that it can repel Russian aggression and fully defend its independence and sovereignty.

We’ve marshaled a robust transatlantic response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war – more than 6 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland. They’ve been welcomed in countries across Europe and across the Atlantic. The United States has provided millions of dollars in assistance to countries taking in Ukrainian citizens to help provide essential support and services. Our countries are also coming together to address some of the broader consequences that are flowing from Russia’s aggression, like the global food shortages and rising food prices that we’re seeing. Ukraine supplies a great deal of the world’s corn, its wheat, its oil seeds for cooking oil.

Russia is blocking Ukraine’s ports; it’s destroying its farmland, warehouses, roads, equipment. That’s not only striking a major blow to Ukraine’s economy, but it’s also designed to inflict pain on the rest of the world to weaken support to the Ukrainian people. Later this week in New York, we will be convening an emergency session of the UN Security Council and also the foreign ministers to focus on the steps that we can take together to address the immediate challenges for food and to address food insecurity, as well as to look at some of the medium-term and longer-term answers to food insecurity.

We don’t know how the rest of this world – war – excuse me – will unfold. But we know that a sovereign and independent Ukraine will endure. And we know that in supporting Ukraine we’re also defending the principles of sovereignty and independence that are foundational to global peace and security. Our partnership with the people of Ukraine is enduring as well. American diplomats have returned to Ukraine after several weeks working out of Poland. We’re reopening our Embassy in Kyiv – we’re taking all necessary precautions, but that work is underway – and we will resume operations very soon.

President Biden recently nominated Bridget Brink to serve as our next ambassador to Ukraine. She’s an outstanding veteran diplomat. We hope the Senate will move quickly to confirm her, just as we hope Congress will move quickly to pass the $40 billion supplemental funding bill to ensure that our ability to provide assistance to Ukraine is not interrupted.

This morning I had an opportunity to meet with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba, part of what is an ongoing conversation with him on the phone, in person, whenever we have an opportunity to actually see each other. And I conveyed to him again our commitment – unwavering commitment – to Ukraine. NATO’s unified response, which we affirmed once more today, will continue. Allies were joined here in Berlin by the foreign ministers from Sweden and Finland. Both countries are close and valued defense partners of NATO and the United States. And the United States would strongly support a NATO application by either Sweden or Finland should they choose to formally apply to the Alliance. We’ll respect whatever decision they make. And we’ve long supported NATO’s Open Door policy and the right of all countries to decide their own futures, their policies, their security arrangements.

We also spent time here in Berlin laying the groundwork for next month’s summit in Madrid. NATO is going to release its new Strategic Concept laying out how the Alliance will sustain and strengthen transatlantic security in the face of President Putin’s aggression as well as other emerging threats. And we’ll look ahead to our continuing efforts to fortify our force posture on NATO’s eastern flank and to strengthen our defense partnerships beyond the region – for example, with Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, all of which will be represented in Madrid.

Finally, from here we’ll be traveling to Paris to attend the second ministerial meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council. President Biden’s initiative to align some of the world’s largest economies on the most important trade and tech issues of the day is bearing very significant fruit and delivering real results. Together we’re working to shape norms and set standards on emerging technology, build more diverse and resilient supply chains, coordinate our approaches to export controls and investment screening mechanisms, acting together to stop unfair trade practices that harm our workers and our companies. The TTC has already proven highly useful for facilitating U.S.-EU cooperation – for example, on the swift imposition of export controls on Russia after it invaded Ukraine. I’m very much looking forward to our meetings in Paris and continuing to deepen what is an abiding partnership between the United States and the European Union.

And with that, happy to take some questions.

MS ALLEN: First question will be from Ellie Kaufman of CNN.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, did you have a chance to speak with your Turkish counterpart today? Will they allow Sweden and Finland to move forward with the process of applying to NATO membership? And if not, did they express what their concerns are to you?

And on another issue, is the U.S. going to send any U.S. personnel to the West Bank to investigate the killing Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, an American citizen? Also, you spoke with a member of her family. Who did you speak with and what was conveyed to you?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Second part first: We support an investigation of Shireen’s killing. I had an opportunity to speak to – directly to her brother, Anton. I believe other members of the family were on the phone and listening in. I had a chance to express our deep condolences for her loss, our deep respect for the work that she did as a journalist for many years – widely respected around the world – as well as the need to have an immediate and credible investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.

Here in Berlin, yes, I did have a chance to talk to my Turkish counterpart, the foreign minister. When it comes to Sweden and Finland and their potential accession to NATO, this is a process. And NATO is a place for dialogue; it’s a place for discussion. It’s a place for talking about any differences that that we may have. I don’t want to characterize the specific conversation that we had either with the foreign minister or within the NATO sessions themselves, but I can say this much: I heard, almost across the board, very strong support for Finland and NATO joining the Alliance if that’s what they choose to do. And I’m very confident that we will reach consensus on that.

MS ALLEN: The next question is from Annmarie Hordern of Bloomberg.

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. First question: We heard from the Turkish foreign minister about what they would like in terms of the prospect of the prospective NATO members of Finland and Sweden. And part of that is about – they say that those members should not impose export bans. So is Turkey asking the United States and its allies to lift export bans specifically on weapons, and is that something the U.S. is even willing to discuss? And given the fact that this has now become a negotiation, aren’t you worried that the Open Door policy is potentially now going to become a negotiation tactic for any future prospective members?

And you were also here meeting with your European counterparts. You know the EU is at the moment trying to get a European oil ban on Russia. Every single day Putin is funding his war with tens of millions of dollars being made by exports of fossil fuels. Are you worried that if Europe is unable to come to this agreement, it is going to damage this alliance and also just further this war?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. I’ll just repeat what I said about Turkey. I had an opportunity to talk to the foreign minister. We had a conversation about this in the context of the NATO meetings, which I’m not going to characterize beyond saying that there is very strong consensus for bringing Finland and Sweden into the Alliance if they choose to formally apply. And as to the differences between Turkey, Finland, and Sweden that have been talked about, there’s an ongoing conversation, and the bottom line is this: When it comes to the membership process, I am very confident that we will reach consensus.

Second, with regard to energy, that was actually not a focus of our conversations today. But we very much support the efforts that Europe, the European Union is making to wean itself off of Russian energy, whether that’s oil or ultimately gas. This is a reliance that’s been built up over many, many decades. It’s not going to end overnight, but Europe is clearly on track to move decisively in that direction. And we very much support the European Union’s efforts to put in place an embargo on the importation of Russian oil. That process is for the European Union to pursue.

As this is happening, the United States has taken a number of steps to help. And so for example, to the extent that there are any gaps that result in the energy that Europe is getting, we have already redirected significant supplies of liquefied natural gas to Europe. The President’s committed to continuing to do that throughout the rest of the year – at the same time to make sure that there is bountiful energy on world markets and also to try to ensure that price hikes that have resulted from Putin’s aggression in Ukraine are evaded and kept under control. The – we initiated a historic release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve – a million barrels a day over six months. That was matched by a number of countries through the International Energy Agency. And of course, we established a task force with the European Union to work on these very issues. That task force is actively engaged as we speak.

QUESTION: But can I just – just – the question really is about the fact that Hungary is putting a lot of hurdles in the way to get to this point. And when you and your allies speak, it’s always about this unity, but clearly there’s not. So if they’re not able to get to an end agreement on oil, doesn’t that just show that there is a lot of divisions in this so-called unity the United States has with the Europeans?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: So it’s interesting. With the – I guess the benefit of just a little distance from events, this has been going on for many months now – Russia’s mounting aggression, then its aggression, and the response from countries around the world, but principally the United States and Europe, the most immediately concerned with that aggression in Ukraine. And throughout this process, at virtually every turn, we’ve said that we were going to do X, Y, and Z. Skepticism was expressed from various quarters about our ability to do that, and yet, we’ve done it. We said from the get-go that if Russia pursued its aggression against Ukraine, there’d be massive consequences for Russia, including unprecedented sanctions. A number of people said: oh, that’s not going to happen. Well, it did. There have been massive consequences and we have unleashed truly unprecedented sanctions.

Many said that certain countries, certain partners wouldn’t go along with various sections, and yet, they did. At other stages, people said that the European Union or European countries would not, for example, provide lethal defensive assistance to Ukraine, and yet, they have. At virtually every stage of the process of implementing – deciding on and implementing new sanctions, there have been those who said: oh, they’re not going to do it; it’s too hard; there’s not consensus. And yet, they did, and they have.

So I think the lesson from the last six months is that we have seen unprecedented unity. We have seen unprecedented action. And I’m very convinced that that’s going to continue as long as Russia’s aggression does.

MS ALLEN: Last question comes from Thomas – I want to make sure I get his name right.

QUESTION: Thanks – yeah, it’s Thomas Gutschker with Frankfurter —

MS ALLEN: Thomas Gutschker from FAZ. Thanks so much.

QUESTION: That’s correct. Thanks for taking my question. It’s about the Strategic Concept and the discussion you are having on that. Some allies are now saying they see the future of relations with Russia in the framework of containment. Do you think that is the right term, the right concept to frame future relations with Russia? And somewhat related to this, do you see any more reason to keep up the NATO-Russia Founding Act? I know so far NATO has said Russia has walked away. NATO has also said it’s not restricting anything that’s going on right now. But of course, the next step could be to simply say: we also walk away from it; we no longer consider this to be a viable document. What’s the U.S. position on that?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. A lot of these issues will be fully discussed and fully elaborated on at the NATO Summit in Madrid in June. And much of the work that we were doing today was in furtherance of that Summit and the work the leaders will bring to conclusion, including the Strategic Concept. So I don’t want to get into any detail about that; everything is being drafted as we speak. There were very positive and substantial inputs to that drafting process over the last couple of days, and I’d say we had a very good discussion about it.

At the heart of NATO and at the heart of the Strategic Concept is the notion of defense and deterrence. That’s what bring – brought the Alliance together in the first place, and that includes with regard to deterring and defending against any aggression from Russia. I can say with confidence that that will be fully reflected in the Strategic Concept. Beyond that, let me leave it to the Summit, to the leaders to describe in more detail how the Alliance sees its relationship with Russia going forward. That will be something that will be, I think, fully aired at the Summit in Madrid. Thank you.

Thank you. Thanks, everyone.

Sweden

Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with German, UK, and French Counterparts
05/15/2022

Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with German, UK, and French Counterparts
05/15/2022 02:22 PM EDT

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today in Berlin with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, and French Director General for Political and Security Affairs Philippe Errera. They discussed the continued response among allies and partners against Russia’s brutal war of aggression with Ukraine. The leaders also discussed the ongoing negotiations with Iran and efforts to reach a deal on a mutual return to full JCPOA implementation.


31st UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
05/16/2022
31st UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
05/16/2022 08:10 AM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

A U.S. delegation will participate in the 31st UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) May 16-20 in Vienna, Austria to advance international cooperation on important anti-crime and criminal justice issues. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Jim Walsh will lead the U.S. delegation, which includes representatives from the Department of State, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security.

The 31st CCPCJ’s theme is centered on “strengthening the use of digital evidence in criminal justice and countering cybercrime, including the abuse and exploitation of minors in illegal activities with use of the Internet.” The United States will speak on the CCPCJ’s thematic panel and host a side event on a multinational cybercrime operation.

For further information, contact INL-PAPD@state.gov and follow INL on Twitter at @StateINL.


Senior Official for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Allen’s Travel to France
05/16/2022
Senior Official for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Allen’s Travel to France
05/16/2022 09:40 AM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

Senior Official for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Elizabeth Allen will travel to Paris, France May 17-18 to participate in the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs Public Affairs Officer Workshop and engage with diplomatic, cultural, and multilateral partners and counterparts on key priorities. In addition to working together with our public affairs professionals to advance U.S. public diplomacy objectives in Africa, Senior Official Allen will also meet with a range of interlocutors in France, including French senior government officials and Ukrainian students, to discuss collaboration on cultural programming and efforts to counter disinformation.

For further information, please follow Senior Official Allen on Twitter @UnderSecPD .


Counselor Chollet’s Travel to Moldova, Georgia, and the United Kingdom
05/16/2022
Counselor Chollet’s Travel to Moldova, Georgia, and the United Kingdom
05/16/2022 10:06 AM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

Counselor of the Department Derek Chollet will lead an interagency delegation to Chisinau, Moldova, from May 17 to 18. He will meet with Moldovan government officials to discuss the impact of the war in Ukraine on Moldova, continue discussions of our 30-year U.S.-Moldovan partnership under the framework of our Strategic Dialogue, and meet with refugees fleeing Russia’s war against Ukraine. Counselor Chollet’s visit will reinforce U.S. support for Moldova’s democracy, prosperity, and security.

Counselor Chollet will travel to Tbilisi, Georgia, from May 18 to 19 to for consultations with our Georgian partners about European security and democratic development. He will meet with government, opposition, and civil society representatives for discussions on Russia’s continuing occupation of parts of Georgia, on the Kremlin’s brutal war against Ukraine, and on how to advance the people of Georgia’s aspirations for a democratic, peaceful, prosperous, and Euro-Atlantic future.

Counselor Chollet will then travel to London, the United Kingdom on May 20 to meet with UK partners to discuss our joint efforts to address shared global priorities, including Euro-Atlantic security in light of Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, and our continued close cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.


Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Onal
05/16/2022
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Onal
05/16/2022 03:32 PM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met today in Washington with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal. They reaffirmed the strategic relationship between Turkey and the United States and discussed the two countries’ many areas of bilateral cooperation. Deputy Secretary Sherman thanked Deputy Foreign Minister Onal for Turkey’s strong and vocal support of Ukraine and discussed the need for solidarity among NATO Allies and partners in confronting Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine and in imposing real costs on Putin and his cronies.


Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Scottish First Minister Sturgeon
05/16/2022

Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Scottish First Minister Sturgeon
05/16/2022 05:55 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today in Washington, D.C. Deputy Secretary Sherman and First Minister Sturgeon discussed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine and the humanitarian and refugee crisis it has spread across Europe. Deputy Secretary Sherman also thanked Sturgeon for Scotland’s support of COP-26 and the ambitious, historic results the international community achieved in Glasgow to address the global climate crisis.


Norway National Day
05/17/2022

Norway National Day
05/17/2022 12:01 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the Norwegian people as you celebrate Constitution Day. This year, I also send a hearty congratulations for setting a new record for the largest number of gold medals won by a single country at a Winter Olympics.

As Norwegians celebrate their Constitution of 1814, Americans are reminded of the cherished democratic values that our two countries share that bind us together. The close relationship between our two nations stems in part from waves of Norwegian emigration to the United States from 1825 to 1940, giving the United States today nearly as many people of Norwegian ancestry as the population of Norway. The United States and Norway have been NATO Allies for more than 70 years, and we stand together in our shared commitment to freedom, collective security, and human rights. As Allies, we defend against threats to democratic values and address global challenges. The United States appreciates the close coordination with Norway as we respond to the actions of regimes that seek to repress fundamental freedoms and undermine the international rules-based order. This coordination is all the more important as we work together to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine. As partners, we will deepen our collaboration to combat the climate crisis and strengthen our vibrant people-to-people ties in the years to come.

I join you in celebrating this anniversary and send best wishes for health and prosperity to all Norwegians. Gratulerer med dagen!

Promoting Accountability for War Crimes and Other Atrocities in Ukraine
05/17/2022
Promoting Accountability for War Crimes and Other Atrocities in Ukraine
05/17/2022 12:41 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson

The U.S. Department of State is announcing the launch of a new Conflict Observatory to capture, analyze, and make widely available evidence of Russia-perpetrated war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine. The program encompasses the documentation, verification, and dissemination of open-source evidence regarding the actions of Russia’s forces during President Putin’s brutal war of choice. The Conflict Observatory will analyze and preserve publicly and commercially available information, including satellite imagery and information shared via social media, consistent with international legal standards, for use in ongoing and future accountability mechanisms. This includes maintaining rigorous chain-of-custody procedures for future civil and criminal legal processes under appropriate jurisdictions. An online platform will publicly share the Conflict Observatory’s documentation to help refute Russia’s disinformation efforts and shine a light on abuses.

This program is being established with an initial $6 million investment, with future funding to come from the European Democratic Resilience Initiative (EDRI). In March, the White House announced at least $320 million in funds for EDRI to bolster democratic resilience, advance anti-corruption efforts, and promote respect for human rights in Ukraine and its region. This new Conflict Observatory program is part of a range of U.S. government efforts at both national and international levels designed to ensure future accountability for Russia’s horrific actions.

The Conflict Observatory is a collaborative endeavor with Esri, a leading geographic information systems company, Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab, the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative, and PlanetScape Ai. The U.S. government has also contributed commercial satellite imagery to these efforts. We expect other international partner organizations to join as the program proceeds. Reports and analyses will be available online through the ConflictObservatory.org website.

The Conflict Observatory is a further demonstration of the United States’ steadfast support for the people of Ukraine as they valiantly defend their country and their freedom in response to President Putin’s premeditated, unjustified, and unprovoked war.


Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias before their Meeting
05/17/2022
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias before their Meeting
05/17/2022 03:59 PM EDT

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Benjamin Franklin Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. It’s a great pleasure to have my friend, the Greek foreign minister, here at the State Department. This has been an important and incredibly productive couple of days, notably with the prime minister’s visit, his meeting with President Biden yesterday, the prime minister’s appearance before Congress today. And it’s upon us now – Nikos and myself – to follow up on all the instructions we’re getting from President Biden and Prime Minister Mitsotakis to continue to do the work that has brought partnership between the United States and Greece – at least in my judgment – to its highest point ever.

We are grateful for that partnership: the work that we are doing together to stand against Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and to stand with Ukraine; and the work that we’re doing together to strengthen and diversify energy security, including in the Eastern Mediterranean; the work we’re doing together through the Strategic Dialogue that we conducted and that we’re going to continue across so many different areas in the relationship between Greece and the United States.

So I’m grateful to have this opportunity with Nikos to follow up on the meeting between the President and the prime minister, to continue the important work we’re doing together to build the strongest possible relationship between Greece and the United States.

Nikos.

FOREIGN MINISTER DENDIAS: Thank you. It’s a great opportunity to be here today after a spectacular meeting with President Biden yesterday, and, if you allow me to say, a historic speech of my prime minister —

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yes.

FOREIGN MINISTER DENDIAS: — Prime Minister Mitsotakis – to Congress today. I’m looking forward to discussing Ukraine. After the Russian invasion, I think it’s good to compare notes and see where we’re going from here. Also, I will brief you on the situation in the southeast Mediterranean, and see how the United States could be more present in the region – the 3+1 model, for example. It’s something that is of huge importance for us, and I would like to discuss how we can enhance it, and also discuss challenges to a rules-based international order all around.

I have to say it is important for us that the United States understands that no ground should be left to revisionist power who try to change this rules-based international order.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER DENDIAS: Thank you so much for the opportunity, and I’ll say it’s great to see you well again after the COVID.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, my friend. Appreciate it. Come on in.


Assistant Secretary Donfried’s Travel to the Republic of Bulgaria
05/17/2022
Assistant Secretary Donfried’s Travel to the Republic of Bulgaria
05/17/2022 05:06 PM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

On May 18-19, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Dr. Karen Donfried will visit Sofia, Bulgaria, for a series of high-level meetings to reaffirm the strong bilateral partnership between the United States and Bulgaria. During her visit, Assistant Secretary Donfried will meet with senior Bulgarian government officials and leaders of political parties, and discuss a range of key issues, including our robust bilateral security cooperation, NATO’s unified response to Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, the U.S. commitment to supporting Bulgaria’s energy security and efforts to combat corruption, and other regional issues.

This is the latest in a series of high-level engagements between the United States and Bulgaria. Most recently, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Department of State Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Kirill Petkov during his May 9-10 visit to Washington, D.C. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Bulgaria in March, and State Department Counselor Derek Chollet visited Sofia in February. Assistant Secretary Donfried’s visit will build on these recent engagements and set the stage for the next meeting of the U.S.-Bulgaria bilateral strategic dialogue later this year.


The United States Leads Days of Action on Global Food Security at the United Nations
05/18/2022
The United States Leads Days of Action on Global Food Security at the United Nations
05/18/2022 07:32 AM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

The United States is committed to ending hunger and malnutrition and building more sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems around the world. In support of these ongoing efforts, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is traveling to New York City May 18-19 to convene meetings to mobilize action on global food security.

In 2021, more than 193 million people worldwide experienced acute food insecurity, an increase of 40 million people from the year before. It is estimated that as many as 40 million people are projected to be pushed into poverty and food insecurity by the end of the year. Shortages of fuel and fertilizer in many countries and accelerating spikes in food prices threaten to destabilize fragile societies, increase hunger and malnutrition, drive migration, and cause severe economic dislocation. Conflict has greatly exacerbated food security issues globally.

The “Days of Action on Global Food Security” is one component of the United States’ multi-pronged strategy to help mitigate the food security crisis through humanitarian assistance, multilateral engagements, and increased food production. We are taking action to end hunger and malnutrition and build more sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems at home and abroad.We have announced over $2.3 billion in new global humanitarian food assistance since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February, with a particular focus on countries hardest hit by food price hikes.
We will announce additional new emergency food assistance at the May 18 Food Security Ministerial, bringing the U.S. total for emergency food assistance since February to nearly $2.6 billion.
The United States is doing its part at home to mitigate the global fertilizer shortage by acting to boost domestic production of fertilizer through a $500 million USDA program.
Through Feed the Future and our nutrition commitments, we are committing over $5 billion over the next five years to address food security threats and nutrition across the globe in addition to the over $4 billion in humanitarian assistance funding, recently signed into law, for Ukraine and its neighbors.
We will issue a Roadmap for the Global Food Security Call to Action to reflect the outcomes of the May 18 Food Security Ministerial, outlining commitments that participants have made to address these challenges.
We will strengthen resilience by building inclusive and equitable food systems that empower women, youth, and disadvantaged communities to weather the effects of climate change, conflict, and supply chain disruptions, as noted at the UN Food Systems Summit last year.
The United States is working in multilateral fora with our Group of Seven (G7) partners to target the work of international finance institutions, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), to mitigate food security challenges.
The United States recognizes the critical role so many around the world are currently playing to address food insecurity – from governments to the UN to civil society organizations. This current crisis requires a global, collaborative response, and the United States is committed to helping to coordinate these efforts.


Possible Death Penalty against Pro-Democracy Activists and Anti-War Protesters in Belarus
05/18/2022
Possible Death Penalty against Pro-Democracy Activists and Anti-War Protesters in Belarus
05/18/2022 11:16 AM EDT

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Amidst Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine, the Lukashenka regime in Belarus has found new ways to intimidate and punish its own citizens, including by approving legislation to apply the death penalty to pro-democracy activists and those opposing Russia’s war in Ukraine. Specifically, new amendments to the criminal code permit the use of the death penalty for individuals convicted of “attempted acts of terrorism.” The regime has levied politically motivated charges of “extremism” and “terrorism” against many of the more than 1,100 political prisoners and used such labels to detain tens of thousands more. These are citizens of Belarus seeking to freely exercise their fundamental freedoms – peaceful protesters, civil society members, journalists, political opponents and those arrested for opposing Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine and Belarus’s enabling role in it. These citizens now also face the threat of the death penalty.

The Lukashenka regime continues to repress, including through violence and these recent amendments to the criminal code, the pro-democracy and anti-war movements in Belarus. These actions are those of an authoritarian leader desperate to cling to power through fear and intimidation. The world has observed for almost two years the strength and bravery of the Belarusian people who continue to stand up for their rights in the face of brutal authoritarianism, often at grave personal costs. The Belarusian people have demonstrated time and time again that the regime cannot silence their calls for democracy. Only a national dialogue inclusive of civil society and the democratic movement will lead Belarus out of its current political stalemate to a future democratic and prosperous Belarus.

Ahead of the May 21 commemoration of the Day of Political Prisoners in Belarus, we reiterate our calls for the unconditional release of all political prisoners, an end to the regime’s violence against its own citizens, and a national dialogue inclusive of civil society and the democratic movement, leading to free and fair elections under international observation. We are committed to promoting accountability, and to that end have designated hundreds of Belarusian entities and officials for sanctions or visa restrictions for their involvement in human rights abuses, the undermining of democracy in Belarus, electoral fraud, or corruption. The perpetrators of these human rights abuses will be held to account.


Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Pakistani Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari Before Their Meeting
05/18/2022

Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Pakistani Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari Before Their Meeting
05/18/2022 11:39 AM EDT

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

New York, New York

United Nations Headquarters

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good morning, everyone.

PARTICIPANT: Good morning, sir.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: It’s good to see you all. It’s particularly good to see the foreign minister. This is our first opportunity to meet face-to-face. We’ve spoken on the phone. We are very pleased to be working with the foreign minister, with a new government in Pakistan.

We’re both here, of course, first and foremost for the ministerial meeting we’re having a little bit later today on food security. This is a challenge that we’re seeing around the world. There was a pre-existing condition, as it were, when it comes to food insecurity in many places. It’s been exacerbated dramatically by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, adding another 40 million people to those who are food insecure.

So we’re coming together and I’m grateful for Pakistan’s participation and engagement on this to look at concrete steps we can take to address the food insecurity issues, to help people in need around the world. But beyond that, this is an important opportunity for us to talk about the many issues where we’re working together. We want to focus on the work we’re doing to strengthen our economic and commercial ties between the United States and Pakistan; of course, focus on regional security. And Pakistan is now in the chairmanship of the G77 and the United States is looking forward to strengthening our own relations and dialogue and communication with the G77. I look very much forward to speaking to the foreign minister about that.

But in short, welcome to New York. It’s very good to have you here, very good to be with you at the United Nations.

FOREIGN MINISTER ZARDARI: Thank you so much, Secretary Blinken. It is such a pleasure to be here at the United Nations, and where I really look forward to engaging on this series of events on global food security. We are aware that recent geopolitical events have indeed aggravated the situation, and countries like Pakistan have already been facing challenges in food security, water security, energy insecurity because of a whole host of issues ranging from climate change to issues in our neighborhood. So this particular initiative is most welcome and most important.

I also look forward to the opportunity to increasing engagement between Pakistan and the United States, working with yourself and your administration to improve trade relations between Pakistan and the United States and create opportunities for American investors, and Pakistani investors, and Pakistani businessmen, and American entrepreneurs to work together. And I really look forward to working with you on both these issues.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Great to have you here. Thanks, everyone.

FOREIGN MINISTER ZARDARI: Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you.

Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari
05/18/2022
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bhutto Zardari
05/18/2022 12:37 PM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in New York City to affirm the shared desire for a strong and prosperous bilateral relationship. The Secretary and the Foreign Minister discussed expanding partnership in climate, investment, trade, and health as well as people-to-people ties. They underscored the importance of U.S.-Pakistan cooperation on regional peace, counterterrorism, Afghan stability, support for Ukraine, and democratic principles. The Secretary welcomed Pakistan’s Chairmanship of the G77 and committed to advancing climate action and global food security.


Raising the Flag at U.S. Embassy Kyiv
05/18/2022
Raising the Flag at U.S. Embassy Kyiv
05/18/2022 01:49 PM EDT

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Three months ago, we lowered our flag over the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, just days before Russian forces streamed across Ukraine’s border to carry out President Putin’s unprovoked, unjustified war of choice. When we suspended operations at the embassy, we made the point clear: while we would relocate U.S. embassy personnel for their safety and security, this would in no way prevent our engagement with, and support for, the Ukrainian people, government, and civil society as well as our allies and partners. We underscored our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, pledged to continue our assistance, and started working toward the day we could return to Kyiv.

Now, that day has come. Today we are officially resuming operations at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. The Ukrainian people, with our security assistance, have defended their homeland in the face of Russia’s unconscionable invasion, and, as a result, the Stars and Stripes are flying over the Embassy once again. We stand proudly with, and continue to support, the government and people of Ukraine as they defend their country from the Kremlin’s brutal war of aggression.

As we take this momentous step, we have put forward additional measures to increase the safety of our colleagues who are returning to Kyiv and have enhanced our security measures and protocols.

We are committed to confronting the challenges ahead. The war rages on. Russia’s forces inflict death and destruction on Ukrainian soil every day. Millions of Ukrainians are displaced from their homes and mourn the loss of their loved ones. With strength of purpose, we reaffirm our commitment to the people and government of Ukraine, and we look forward to carrying out our mission from the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv.


Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Stephen Colbert
05/19/2022

Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Stephen Colbert
05/19/2022 10:34 AM EDT

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

New York

Ed Sullivan Theater

QUESTION: Ladies and gentlemen, my guest tonight has worked in government for nearly 30 years and currently serves as our 71st Secretary of State. Please welcome Secretary Antony Blinken. (Applause.)

Thank you for being here. I don’t take this lightly. You don’t get a secretary of state on a late-night show every day. (Cheers.) Have you done many of these?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: This is the first one.

QUESTION: This is the first one?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: It is.

QUESTION: You’re going to love it. (Laughter.)

Now, I want to talk to you a little bit later about basically the State Department in general. I think people misunderstand its mission often and how important it is. But the first thing I want to talk to you about is that you’re the most informed person right now I could talk to about what’s going on in the war in Ukraine. And – but before I ask you my questions, what would you like people to know about what the state of that conflict is right now?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Stephen, this is day 82 of what was an unprovoked, unjustified aggression by Russia against Ukraine. And I think what the world already knows is we’ve seen the remarkable courage, resiliency of the Ukrainian people. Overmatched – (cheers).

QUESTION: Everyone said three or four days and it would be over. Everyone thought it would be over in three or four days.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: There was a lot of expectation that that might happen. But because of their courage, because of their resilience, but also because of the assistance that we’ve been able to provide them with dozens of other countries, they’ve not only held their ground, they’ve been pushing the Russians back. They won the battle for Kyiv.

Now, there is an intense fight going on in eastern and southern Ukraine. And the other thing is the country has been terribly brutalized by this Russian aggression. We had that – the town of Bucha near Kyiv. The Russians moved out. When that tide receded, we saw what was left in its wake, and I’m afraid that as that happens in other parts of Ukraine, we’ll see it.

But the most important thing is this: 82 days in, the Ukrainians are standing up for their freedom. They’re standing up for their sovereignty. They have so much of the world with them. And here’s what I can tell you: What Vladimir Putin was trying to do was to take away their independence, their sovereignty. In his mind, Ukraine is not an independent country; it needs to be subsumed into Russia. That’s what this is about.

And what I think we can say with a lot of certainty and conviction is that a sovereign, independent Ukraine is going to be around a lot longer than Vladimir Putin is on the scene. (Cheers.)

QUESTION: Now, you were one of the first people to actually brief Zelenskyy before the war ever started about the likelihood of this invasion. You were first to warn the public on behalf of the administration of what might be going over there. You’re now leading the U.S. efforts to have a joint response from NATO countries and set the tone for the entire world. All of that seems like the right thing to do.

One thing that worries me, however right I think the fight for the Ukrainians is, is that: Is there a chance that this could tip over to a hot war with Russia? Because certainly, Putin and all of his – the people in his circle have said they consider this a hot war with the West, whether or not we want to call it that. So how do you make sure that that doesn’t happen?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Stephen, the President’s been very clear about this, about what this is and what it isn’t. And what it isn’t is it isn’t a war with Russia. This is the United States —

QUESTION: Not a proxy war.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: And it’s not a proxy war. It’s about us giving the Ukrainians the help that they need to defend themselves, to stop the aggression, to hold onto their freedom, to hold onto their sovereignty. That’s what we’re doing. And we’re also putting pressure on Russia to try to get it to stop the aggression. We have sanctions that we’ve been leading with dozens of other countries that are making life pretty difficult for the Russians. More than 800 companies, big – the biggest brand names in the world – have left Russia because they don’t want the reputational cost of doing business there given this aggression. That’s having a real impact. (Applause.)

QUESTION: Now, we see reports about the fall of Mariupol, and the Ukrainians fighters put up a fierce resistance there. Now that that city – is that accurate, that Mariupol has fallen to the Russians?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: The Russians have taken Mariupol. It is —

QUESTION: What does that mean to the Russian efforts now?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: The fight now is – after the Russians got pushed back from Kyiv and around Kyiv and from northern Ukraine and parts of western Ukraine, this has moved all the way east and all the way south, pretty near Russia itself. And that’s what they’re – that’s what they’re fighting over.

And again, as I said, what’s so heartbreaking about this is when the world actually sees what’s happened in Mariupol, which it will one day, I’m afraid the pictures that we’ve seen coming out of Bucha a few – a couple months ago are going to be nothing by comparison.

So this is why I think people – and the American people have been incredibly generous, because – through Congress – so much support given to the Ukrainians, because I think it is touching people’s hearts. They’re seeing a big country aggress a small one. They’re seeing one country try to change the borders of another by force. They’re seeing one country try to say to another country: we’re going to decide what your future’s going to be, not you. And we can’t have a world that works that way.

QUESTION: And there’s a bipartisan response, which is —

SECRETARY BLINKEN: This has been remarkable.

QUESTION: Is unusual these days.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well —

QUESTION: Anything that anyone can agree on.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: It’s been remarkable. (Applause.)

QUESTION: Part of Putin’s motivation for the war – as I see in the reporting that part of Putin’s motivation for the war is to weaken NATO. Now, this was Monday and then Tuesday, Finland and then Sweden —

SECRETARY BLINKEN: That’s right.

QUESTION: — signed the applications.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: That’s right.

QUESTION: Is Putin himself the greatest advertisement for NATO in a generation? (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN: If I was going to have a poster for – well. (Laughter.) What’s remarkable is when you look at this, Stephen, President Putin has managed to precipitate everything he sought to prevent. He wanted to prevent NATO from getting bigger with Ukraine. Now it actually is with Finland and with Sweden. He wanted to divide the West, divide the Alliance. It’s more united than it’s ever been. And as I said, he wanted to subjugate Ukraine, make it part of Russia. That is not going to happen. So everything we’re seeing is Putin achieving the exact opposite of what he says he wants.

QUESTION: Now, my buddy Pope Francis – (laughter) – has said that NATO takes some blame for this by basically stressing out Russia by expanding east up against Russia’s borders. Do you think he’s got a case?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: So NATO —

QUESTION: I mean, he’s the Pope. He’s the Pope. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN: And I have great reverence for him. I had the – now, he told me that you were very close when I saw him.

QUESTION: Thank you. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN: I have great reverence for him, but let me say this. NATO is a defensive Alliance, countries coming together to make sure that if one of them was attacked all the others would come in and defend that country. That’s what it’s about. It has no aggressive intent against Russia. It’s never attacked Russia; it won’t attack Russia. It doesn’t intend to attack Russia.

QUESTION: I’ve got a crazy idea. Invite Russia to be part of NATO.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well —

QUESTION: Then what’s he got to be worried about?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: You know what? Back in the 1990s that was actually something that people talked about.

QUESTION: And?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, the Russians decided that wasn’t what they wanted to do. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Okay. We have to take a quick break, but when we come back I will ask the Secretary about what Zelenskyy is like in person. Stick around.

(Break.)

QUESTION: Hey, everybody. We’re back here with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. You’ve met Zelenskyy. After speaking to him many times, I assume, as Secretary of State, you went over there and visited with him over in Kyiv.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: I did.

QUESTION: What’s he like? He seems very impressive as a leader from a distance, but we know he was an actor and a comedian so he could just be acting impressive. (Laughter.) But what’s he like in person?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: I’ve got to say, Stephen, he is – he is quite literally the embodiment of the courage of the Ukrainian people. Because this is a guy who, when the bombs started coming in, the missiles started flying, he could have left town. He could have gotten out of Kyiv. He didn’t; he stayed. He led his people. And that’s both incredible personal courage, but it’s also because I think he felt that he had to represent Ukrainians, he had to stand up for the country’s freedom and independence.

So he’s really inspired people all around the world. And I’ve had the occasion to meet him – meet with him half a dozen times. Before the war, when we had this information that Russia was likely to do this, I had to tell him. We were at the COP26, the climate meetings, and I sat with him and shared the information. Telling someone that Russia may be about to invade your country is definitely an eye-opener, but he has proven to be remarkably resilient.

And of course, he’s also, I think, made a powerful fashion statement out of the green t-shirt. (Laughter.)

So when we visited – (applause). When we visited, I went with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. And if you’re going to go into a conflict zone with anyone, you want to go in with Lloyd Austin.

QUESTION: Because you can stand behind him. He’s a huge man.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yes, exactly. He’s a big guy. And we went and we had a remarkable three hours with President Zelenskyy, with his team. We went in on this train that took about 12 hours to get from the Polish border into Kyiv. And actually, Kyiv itself looks, now at least, remarkably normal – people on the streets going to coffee shops, et cetera. Now, that doesn’t stop the Russians from still firing missiles that hit Kyiv, but the city has come back to life.

QUESTION: I understand that the embassy is going to reopen there.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: The embassy – the flag went up today. Embassy —

QUESTION: The American flag.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: American flag. (Applause.)

QUESTION: What does that mean? What’s the significance – well, two things. What is the – and this will get us into what I want to talk to you about the State Department. What is the significance of an embassy having to be evacuated and that moment of return? What’s the significance of both those events?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: My first responsibility in this job as Secretary is to look out for the well-being of the men and women of the State Department. I’ve got to have their security uppermost in mind. So when the attack was coming, we had to make a really hard decision to suspend our operations and to get folks out of harm’s way. Let me tell you this: They didn’t want to go. But we moved them to Poland.

They took the flag that was flying over the embassy that day with them, and that is the same flag that’s now flying over the embassy again in Kyiv today. (Applause.)

QUESTION: We have to take a little break. We’ll be right back with Secretary Antony Blinken, everybody. (Applause.)

(Break.)

QUESTION: Hey, everybody. We’re back here with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. We’re talking about a war, and we talked earlier about, like, the munitions that might go over and the tactical and intelligence help the United States may give. But the State Department is not the Department of Defense; it’s not the Department of War. Richard Holbrooke called it the department of peace. And General Mattis said, “If you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition.”

SECRETARY BLINKEN: That’s right.

QUESTION: What do people not understand about the mission of the State Department?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, you’ve got it exactly right. Our job is to try to prevent war; if we fail at that, to try to make peace; and if we fail at that, to make sure that our diplomacy is doing everything it can wherever necessary not just to make life better for people around the world, but also to make life better for our own people, for the American people. Because everything that we’re trying to do is to try to make the world just a little bit safer, a little bit more prosperous, a little bit healthier, a little bit wiser, a little bit more tolerant, and that’s going to benefit us.

QUESTION: What’s the state of the State Department right now? We only have a minute here. I’m just very curious. It was sort of famously reported as being sort of denuded during the previous administration, that people who were leaving were not being replaced, that the halls were empty. Is the State Department being restaffed?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, President Biden said early on, as we started to move around the world again, America’s back. And I can tell you this: The State Department’s back. We have – our men and women throughout the world – (applause) – even as we’re relentlessly focused – relentlessly focused on Ukraine and on helping the Ukrainian people, we’re doing a lot of other things too.

We’ve gotten a truce in Ethiopia so that humanitarian assistance can get to people up in Tigray. (Applause.) We got a truce in Yemen after eight years of war so that there’s a chance at a lasting peace. We’ve helped get now more than 500 million COVID vaccine shots to people around the world, on our way to 1.2 billion shots the United States is giving away free, no strings attached, so that we can get ahead of COVID around the world. That’s the work we do every day.

And here’s the thing, Stephen. What we know is this: If the United States is not engaged, if we are not trying to lead, then one of two things. Either someone else is – maybe it’s China, and that might not go forward in a way that reflects our interests and our values – or no one is, and that usually leaves a vacuum that’s filled by bad things before it’s filled by good things. So that’s why it’s so important that we engage, that we lead, and we’re leading with diplomacy. That’s what President Biden said he wanted. That’s why the State Department is front and center. That’s what we do. We’re leading with diplomacy, we’re leading for America, and we’re trying to make things a little bit better around the world. (Applause.)

QUESTION: Well, thank you so much for being here. As important as that work is that you just described, I think perhaps you’ll be – you’ll best be remembered as the lead guitarist for the band Ablinken. (Laughter.) And this is an actual photo. We did not mock this up. (Applause.) Tell me about your band. What do you get out of it and where are you guys gigging next? (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Stephen, I long wanted to be a musician. As a kid, as a teenager, that’s what I wanted to do, and I see some real musicians over there. (Laughter and applause.) There was just one – one missing ingredient.

QUESTION: Yes.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Talent. (Laughter.) But it has been a constant thread in my life, so I’ve been in a bunch of “bands,” in quotation marks. Coalition of the Willing.

QUESTION: Oh, sure, with András Simonyi, yeah, (inaudible), yes.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: With – yes, that’s right, among others. Big Lunch.

QUESTION: Don’t know that one. (Laughter.) That’s on me.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Name because we kind of make you feel the way you do after you’ve had a big lunch. (Laughter.) A little bit drowsy.

QUESTION: Logy.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Exactly.

QUESTION: A little logy. Okay, sure.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: A little – exactly.

QUESTION: Logy dance band, yeah.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: And what we found – at least what I’ve found in my experience is that the best audience we have tends to be very young children who haven’t developed critical faculties. (Laughter.) That —

QUESTION: Well, just in case there are any of them watching right now, as we go out, would you care – do you guys have a guitar that the Secretary might be able to use? (Applause.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN: (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: Secretary Blinken, thank you so much. Antony Blinken, everybody. We’ll be right back with a performance by Twice. (Applause.) Please, sir. Won’t you, please.


Chair’s Statement: Roadmap for Global Food Security–Call to Action
05/19/2022
Chair’s Statement: Roadmap for Global Food Security–Call to Action
05/19/2022 10:43 AM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

The following statement is issued by the United States as Chair of a Global Food Security Ministerial Meeting held at United Nations Headquarters and endorsed by Albania, Australia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mauritania, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ukraine, and Yemen: 

Begin Text:

We issue this Roadmap for Global Food Security–Call to Action to affirm our commitment to act with urgency, at scale, and in concert to respond to the urgent food security and nutrition needs of millions of people in vulnerable situations the world.  We commit to provide immediate humanitarian assistance, build resilience of those in vulnerable situations, support social protection and safety nets, and strengthen sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems in line with the objectives of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, and the objectives of the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit.

We note with grave concern that the newly-released 2022 Global Report on Food Crises indicates that the number of people facing acute food insecurity greatly increased from 135 million in 2019 to 193 million in 2021 in the 53 countries most in need of assistance, and that nearly 40 million people across 36 countries experienced emergency levels of acute food insecurity, just one step away from famine.  Driven by conflicts, extreme climate-related events, such as historic multi-season droughts and floods; economic shocks, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on livelihoods, incomes, and food prices; and a multitude of other threats to human, animal and crop health, the food security outlook for 2022 and beyond is grim.  This is compounded by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is further exacerbating this already dire situation.  We call on all United Nations Member States, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society and academia to urgently support the emergency response to address humanitarian needs and to also focus on building resilient and sustainable food systems particularly for those most vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition.

We reaffirm the vital role of the United Nations system, its implementing partners, and non-government organizations in responding to the global food security crisis, in particular through the work of the World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, International Fund for Agricultural Development, United Nations Children’s Fund, and the Global Network against Food Crises.  We strongly support the swift initiative of the UN Secretary-General in ensuring a coordinated and comprehensive response through the UN Secretariat’s Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance (GCRG).  We thank the UN Secretary-General for his consistent leadership to raise collective awareness and action on food security and food systems transformation.

We welcome the G7’s efforts under the German Presidency’s leadership to prioritize and respond to the escalating global food security crisis, most prominently the shaping of a Global Alliance for Food Security. We recall the G7 Famine Prevention Compact agreed during the United Kingdom Presidency and we look forward to addressing food security as a core component of social, economic, and environmental development under Indonesia’s G20 Presidency, recalling also the G20 Matera Declaration on Food Security, Nutrition and Food Systems promoted under the Italian G20 Presidency. We welcome the different initiatives taken by the African Union (AU) for the elimination of hunger and food insecurity in Africa under the Senegalese presidency’s leadership. In this regard, we recall the AU theme of the year 2022: Strengthening Resilience in Nutrition and Food Security on the African Continent: Strengthening Agro-Food Systems, Health and Social Protection Systems for the Acceleration of Human, Social and Economic Capital Development.” We take note of various other international initiatives, such as the Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM).

We welcome the commitment of the multilateral development banks and international financial institutions to combine their expertise and financing to quickly increase policy and financial support to countries and households vulnerable to the food security crisis and to increase domestic agricultural production in, and supply to, affected countries in line with a transition to sustainable food systems. We are pleased that these commitments have been encapsulated in the IFI Action Plan to Address Food Insecurity.

Recognizing that the impacts of and capacity to respond to global food insecurity are unevenly distributed across countries, and that conflicts, climate change, and macroeconomic shocks threaten global food security both immediately and into the future, we call on all UN Member States to commit to addressing immediate humanitarian needs and disruptions, including guaranteeing full, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access to populations in need.  We ask that UN Member States rapidly provide additional contributions to urgent humanitarian appeals to the areas most affected by acute hunger, which are experiencing the compound effects of multiple historic shocks and where the greatest number of lives are under immediate threat due to food insecurity and malnutrition.

We also call on all UN Member States to work together to mitigate the mid-term and long-term impacts of recent shocks to global agriculture and food systems.  We must collectively mitigate fertilizer shortages and the subsequent threat to food production, increase investments in agricultural capacity and resilience, buffer those in vulnerable situations from impacts to their food security, nutrition and well-being, and sustain high-level global political engagement on these critical issues.

As part of the Roadmap for Global Food Security–Call to Action, we call for the following actions:UN Member States with available resources to make new, additive financial donations to key humanitarian organizations providing immediate life-saving humanitarian assistance, including cash, food and nutrition supplies, health and nutrition programming, water and sanitation, and humanitarian protection to populations at the most severe risk, while at the same time strengthening their resilience to multiple shocks wherever possible.UN Member States with available resources, including those with large emergency food stockpiles, to provide in-kind donations and necessary associated costs to key humanitarian organizations for transportation and delivery of food commodities, based on assessed needs by governments of affected countries or humanitarian organizations.All UN Member States to keep their food and agricultural markets open and to avoid unjustified restrictive measures, such as export bans on food or fertilizer, which increase market volatility and threaten food security and nutrition at a global scale, especially among those in vulnerable situations already experiencing increased poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, and call on all members to ensure safe maritime transportation in the Black Sea.UN Member States with available resources to temporarily increase fertilizer production in order to compensate shortages, support fertilizer innovations and promote methods to maximize fertilizer efficiency, invest in diversifying sustainable production of fertilizers, and increase the use of residues as fertilizers to create longer-term supply chain resilience for this key input.UN Member States with available resources to increase efforts to support the sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems to make them more resilient and available to smallholder farmers, and strengthen the infrastructure, logistical support, and innovation needed to cultivate, store, and distribute food.All UN Member States to increase their investments in research to develop and implement science-based and climate-resilient agricultural innovations, including seeds, that contribute to building sustainable and resilient agricultural sectors and food systems.All UN Member States and regional organizations to closely monitor markets affecting food systems, including futures markets, to ensure full transparency, and to share reliable and timely data and information on global food market developments, especially through the relevant international organizations.

We note the many commitments made today in response to this Roadmap for Global Food Security–Call to Action and urge the mobilization of additional resources to implement this roadmap on an urgent basis.

We will regularly review actions outlined in this Roadmap for Global Food Security–Call to Action, and will coordinate commitments and their implementation with UN System agencies, the G7, G20, multilateral development banks and international financial institutions, and other partners as appropriate.

Enhanced coordination at country level is key, including to support the work of the GCRG in partner countries. We will step-up our efforts in this regard, including strengthened reporting concerning the actions and impact on the ground to avert further socio-economic shocks and risks.


Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Meeting with U.S. Mission to the United Nations Personnel
05/19/2022
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Meeting with U.S. Mission to the United Nations Personnel
05/19/2022 11:05 AM EDT

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

New York, New York

United States Mission to the UN

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: Good morning, everyone, and thank you. Thank you for sitting. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I want to start by thanking all of you for making time together today as one mission, and I’m so delighted to see all of you here at one place, at one time. I think this is our first time getting together officially in person, Mr. Secretary, here on the 22nd floor as a team. And I can think of no better occasion than to mark our presidency of the Security Council and to welcome Secretary Blinken back to USUN.

Let me take this opportunity to say, as I try to with fervent regularity, how proud I am of every single one of you here in this room. We’re not done yet, but already it’s been an enormously successful month, from our important meeting on Ukraine, to a renewed focus on Syria, to honoring Secretary Albright at a moving memorial, to shining a spotlight on food insecurity throughout the week.

But I also don’t want to forget what we’ve done for the past year. We have been on a rollercoaster, sprinting, and we are winning every single race. And it’s only because of all of you. So let me just thank all of you and encourage you to give yourself a hand of applause. (Applause.)

Don’t get too comfortable. (Laughter.) Because we’ve got a lot more to come, including our second signature event on the world of digital technologies and the annual debate on the protection of civilians in conflict. So thank you all for the work that you’ve done this month, every month, to make our work here a success and to advance our values at the UN and around the world.

Now, I’m pleased to introduce a person who needs no introduction, Secretary Blinken, for his second town hall meeting with us. And I know Secretary Blinken is thrilled to be back in New York today and not just because this is his hometown, but he’s deeply invested in our mission here at the UN. The Secretary’s eager to share his thoughts and to hear from you, so I’ll turn the floor over to him. So everyone, please join me in welcoming our Secretary of State. (Applause.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. It is wonderful to see everyone in the same place in this spectacular room. For me, it is always great to be back in New York for that. Yankees, Giants, Knicks, Rangers. (Laughter.)

AMBASSADOR THOMAS-GREENFIELD: There you go. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Got to get that on the table. (Laughter.)

I just want to start by saying, first of all, thank you to this extraordinary leadership team – Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Ambassador Mills, DeLaurentis, Lu, Carty, and somewhere in here the heart and soul of USUN in Washington, Jeff Prescott. To each and every one of you, as Linda said, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Virtually everything that we are doing, trying to do around the world to benefit the American people, our fellow citizens for the most part, comes together here in this mission. Whether it’s dealing with COVID, whether it’s dealing with climate, whether it’s figuring out how we shape these emerging technologies, whether it’s grappling with a food security crisis that is taking hold of the world, exacerbated by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine – all of these things and so many more come together here at the United Nations.

And we know, and you know from what you’re doing every single day, that what we’re trying to accomplish for our country, for the American people, can’t effectively be done alone. We need to be working with others. We need to find cooperation; we need to find coordination; we need to do consultations. And again, all of that is happening here.

And as Linda said, it is happening at extraordinary speed, an extraordinary pace. I know that the – sometimes the worst words in the English language is “Washington’s coming to town.” So I know how much has gone into just these couple of days and the extraordinary work that’s been packed into a couple of days, particularly the food security work that we’ve been doing yesterday and again today at the Security Council. And I deeply appreciate all of the effort that’s gone into that.

Getting together with some 30 countries yesterday, also with African ministers, 10 countries, the Security Council meeting today, the migration forum on top of that – all of this made possible, by the way, by the remarkable protocol team, Matthew Miller – are you here, Matthew? (Applause.) Protocol is vital everywhere, but probably no more so than right here, and it’s multiplied by almost 200, so we’re really grateful for that.

So many of you also worked this spring to do what many people thought was impossible, which was, again, to help rally the world in opposition to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and in support of Ukraine. UN resolutions at the General Assembly that got extraordinary support, 140, 141 countries – again, that doesn’t just happen. It’s because of so much of the work that you’re doing, not just in the moment, but it’s also the product of the work you’re doing every day to build relationships, to build confidence, to build trust. So again, I deeply appreciate that.

Let me say, too, that I know that even as we’re intensely focused on Ukraine, as I mentioned, there are so many other things going on that you’re taking on every single day. I have a really hackneyed acronym that my colleagues in Washington are tired of hearing me talk about, but it is, nonetheless, important – ROW, R-O-W, rest of world. Even if something very intense is going on, like Ukraine, we are, we have to be, focused on the rest of the world, and you’re doing that. And for those of you who are working different portfolios that may not be in the spotlight at the moment, thank you for what you’re doing.

As I mentioned before, even as we’ve been dealing with Ukraine, our diplomacy, including diplomacy that’s been centered here at the UN, has helped get a truce, for the time being at least, in Ethiopia. And as result, humanitarian assistance is getting up into Tigray. We helped get a truce in Yemen after eight years, and again, as a result, humanitarian assistance is flowing. We have maybe a chance for a longer-lasting peace. More than 500 million COVID vaccines have gotten through to other countries, free of charge, through COVAX, and – with no strings attached. I could go down a list, but it shows that we are ROW, you are ROW. You are making a difference every single day.

So I’m grateful to the work that you’re doing. I really wanted to just come by and say thank you. I also wanted to say, as Linda said, this the first gathering that you’ve had in this room in a while. That is because, of course, we’ve all been living with COVID-19 for the last two years. And I know the disruptive effect that it’s had not only on the way you’ve had to do your work, but for so many of you in your own personal lives. And some people have been affected directly, and it makes everything that we all do more challenging. And yet, you’ve come through that with tremendous professionalism and tremendous skill.

So to all of you here, I know being in New York you have the great benefit of being in the city, but I also want you to know you’re a crucial part of what we’re doing in Washington. We couldn’t do our diplomacy, we couldn’t do our foreign policy, we couldn’t be as effective as we are being without the work that you’re doing. So simply put, thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.)


Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the UNSC Meeting on Food Insecurity and Conflict
05/19/2022
Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the UNSC Meeting on Food Insecurity and Conflict
05/19/2022 01:45 PM EDT

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

New York, New York

United Nations Headquarters

SECRETARY BLINKEN: I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the Secretary of State of the United States of America.

And again, good morning to everyone. Thank you all very much for being here. My thanks to the secretary-general, to Executive Director Beasley, to Director General Chew, and to Gro Intelligence CEO Sara Menker. Thank you for the superb briefings of the council today that bring powerfully before us the facts and the challenge that we have to meet. And thank you for your work every day on an issue that is truly critical to humanity.

We do meet at a moment of unprecedented global hunger, fueled, as we’ve heard, by climate change, by COVID-19, and made even worse by conflict.

Indeed, conflicts around the world are increasingly driving this crisis. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program, the number of people affected by food insecurity due to conflict rose from about 100 million people in 2020, to 139 million or so people in 2021, to an estimated 161 million people in 2022. The World Bank believes that Russia’s war in Ukraine could add another 40 million people to this total.

Yesterday, we had ministers from more than 30 countries come together here at the United Nations to address the drivers of – and advance solutions to – global food insecurity, including by meeting the urgent need for food, for fertilizer, humanitarian financing, investing more in the resilience of agriculture and vulnerable populations. For our part, the United States announced another $215 million in emergency food assistance to add to our $2.3 billion in humanitarian food aid since February. I want to thank all of the countries that stepped up, and I want to encourage others to join us.

In 2018, this council adopted Resolution 2417, which condemned the use of starvation of civilians as a tool of war, and noted that such a use may constitute a war crime.

Yet, in the years since that resolution, the problem has only grown worse. The Russian Federation’s flagrant disregard of this resolution is just the latest example of a government using the hunger of civilians to try to advance its objectives. It’s also another example of how Russia is violating the rules-based international order that is integral to the shared security and prosperity of all UN member states – an order this council, and in particular its permanent members, have a responsibility to uphold, to defend, and to strengthen.

In this council, a few members have repeatedly used language lamenting the suffering caused by this war and calling on “all sides” to bring it to a stop. Let’s not use diplomatic speak to obfuscate what are simple facts: The decision to wage this war is the Kremlin’s, and the Kremlin’s alone. If Russia stopped fighting tomorrow, the war would end. If Ukraine stopped fighting, there would be no more Ukraine.

Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression has halted maritime trade in large swaths of the Black Sea. It’s made the region unsafe for navigation, trapping Ukrainian agricultural exports, as we’ve heard, jeopardizing global food supplies.

Since February 24th, Russian naval operations have demonstrated the intent to control access to the northwestern Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, to block Ukrainian ports. Our assessment is that this is a deliberate effort, evidenced through a series of actions taken by the Russian Government.

On the first day of the invasion, Russia issued an official warning to all members that significant areas of the Black Sea were closed to commercial traffic, essentially shutting them down to shipping.

Since then, the Russian military has repeatedly blocked safe passage to and from Ukraine by closing the Kerch Strait, tightening its control over the Sea of Azov, stationing warships off Ukrainian ports. And Russia has struck Ukrainian ports multiple times.

These and other actions have effectively cut off all commercial naval traffic in and around the port of Odessa.

The Russian Federation has mirrored these attacks on land, repeatedly attacking Ukrainian civilian infrastructure that is critical to the production and transport of food, such as water, power, rail lines; destroying Ukrainian grain storage facilities; stealing stocks of food in the parts of Ukraine that it illegally occupies.

The consequences of these actions have been devastating: The food supply for millions of Ukrainians – and millions more around the world – has quite literally been held hostage by the Russian military.

The World Food Program recently estimated that a third of all Ukrainians are facing food insecurity, with children, pregnant women, the elderly at heightened risk of malnutrition.

In besieged cities like Mariupol, Russian forces have repeatedly blocked the delivery of food and other lifesaving aid to tens of thousands of trapped civilians. A mother who recently escaped from the city talked about the agony of watching her six-year-old daughter suffer the daily pang of hunger and being powerless to do anything about it. “I just sobbed,” she said, “screaming into a pillow when no one could see.” She and her children eventually escaped. Countless thousands of others are still trapped.

The Russian Government seems to believe that using food as a weapon will help accomplish what its invasion has not: to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people.

Still, Ukrainians are going to great lengths to feed their own people and to feed the world. Farmers in Ukraine continue to risk their lives to produce wheat and other crops. Many have returned to fields that are filled with mines. They wear bulletproof vests and helmets as they harvest.

And as we’ve heard already – powerfully – this morning, it’s not only Ukrainians who are suffering.

As a result of the Russian Government’s actions, some 20 million tons of grain sit unused in Ukrainian silos as global food supplies dwindle, prices skyrocket, causing more around the world to experience food insecurity.

This includes countries already under enormous duress – the secretary-general alluded to a number of them – like Lebanon, which usually gets 80 percent of its wheat imports from Ukraine; Somalia, already on the brink of a famine even before Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine and which must now deal with rising wheat and flour costs.

The Russian Federation claims falsely that the international community’s sanctions are to blame for worsening the global food crisis.

Sanctions aren’t blocking Black Sea ports, trapping ships filled with food, and destroying Ukrainian roads and railways; Russia is.

Sanctions are not emptying Ukrainian grain silos and stealing Ukrainian farm equipment; Russia is.

Sanctions aren’t preventing Russia from exporting food and fertilizer; the sanctions imposed by the United States and many other countries deliberately include carveouts for food, for fertilizer, and seeds from Russia, and we’re working with countries every day to ensure that they understand that sanctions do not prevent the flow of these items.

No, the decision to weaponize food is Moscow’s and Moscow’s alone.

Don’t take my word for it. Even Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, former Russian president, recently said that Russia’s agricultural products were, and I quote, its “quiet weapon,” end quote. He then added, and I quote, “Quiet but ominous,” end quote.

This council has a unique responsibility to address the current crisis, which constitutes a serious threat to international peace and security.

That starts by strongly and unequivocally calling the Kremlin out for its atrocities in Ukraine, and for worsening the global food crisis through an unprovoked war of aggression.

More concretely, members of the council – and, for that matter, every UN member state – should press Russia to stop actions that are making the food crisis in Ukraine and around the globe worse than it already was.

Stop blockading the ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Allow for the free flow of ships and trains and trucks carrying food out of Ukraine.

Stop preventing food and other lifesaving supplies from reaching civilians in besieged Ukrainian towns and cities.

Stop threatening to withhold food and fertilizer exports from countries that criticize your war of aggression.

All of this is essential to save lives in Ukraine and to save lives around the world.

The Russian Federation is not the only government or organization to exploit food insecurity for its own cynical ends.

In South Sudan, armed groups and warring parties have for years blocked humanitarian assistance to civilians. Experts estimate that up to 7 million people will face crisis levels of food insecurity in the country in this year.

In Syria, with the Kremlin’s ongoing support, the Assad regime has besieged communities like Eastern Ghouta, and caused the widespread starvation of its own people. It also routinely obstructs the cross-border delivery of lifesaving humanitarian aid, robbing and even attacking United Nations convoys, as we’ve discussed repeatedly in this council.

This council must consistently call out governments and armed groups when they use similar tactics, like attacking the means of food production and distribution, blocking humanitarian aid from reaching those in need, besieging civilian populations.

The United Nations was created with the aim of advancing human rights and preventing atrocities, including, including the atrocity of using starvation as a weapon against civilians, like during the Siege of Leningrad by the Nazis, during which an estimated 1 million Russians lost their lives, including many who starved to death. Among the victims was the 1-year-old brother of President Putin; or during the Holodomor, during which millions of Ukrainians died of hunger due to a Soviet campaign of forced collectivization and terror.

It is on us to prevent this history from repeating itself, to make sure that the past is not prologue. It’s simple: The lives of millions of people depend upon it.


$100 Million in Additional U.S. Military Assistance for Ukraine
05/19/2022
$100 Million in Additional U.S. Military Assistance for Ukraine
05/19/2022 02:10 PM EDT

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

For nearly 12 weeks, Russia has waged its unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine, its sovereignty, its territorial integrity, and its people. Beaten back from its failed attempt to seize Kyiv, Russia continues a grinding offensive across Ukraine’s south and east. Ukraine’s courageous defense forces remain firmly in the fight. The United States, as well as more than 40 Allies and partner countries, are working around the clock to expedite shipments of arms and equipment essential to Ukraine’s defense.

Pursuant to a delegation from the President, I am authorizing our tenth drawdown of additional arms and equipment for Ukraine’s defense from U.S. Department of Defense inventories, valued at up to $100 million. This brings total U.S. military assistance to Ukraine to approximately $3.9 billion in arms and equipment since Russia launched its brutal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

U.S. and international military assistance continues to complement direct U.S. financial support to Ukraine, support for documenting evidence of Russia’s atrocities against the people of Ukraine, and measures to continue ratcheting up the pressure on Russia and its remaining enablers. Taken together, these efforts strengthen Ukraine’s position at the negotiating table while continuing to isolate Russia from the world until it ends its senseless and brutal war of choice against Ukraine.  The United States is committed to helping Ukraine continue to meet its defense needs and build its future capabilities, as well as to bolster Allies and partners across NATO’s Eastern Flank and the broader region.

The United States, our allies, and our partners are proud to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in their just cause: the defense of their country and their democracy. United with our Allies and partners, we will succeed, and a democratic, sovereign, and independent Ukraine shall prevail.


Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry’s Travel to Switzerland and Germany
05/20/2022

Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Kerry’s Travel to Switzerland and Germany
05/20/2022 08:08 AM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will travel to Davos May 21-24 to engage global leaders at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting on private sector climate action including shipping decarbonization, ocean stewardship, energy security, and long-term sustainable growth. Secretary Kerry will also join global partners in announcing several expansions of the First Movers Coalition, including new company pledges, government partners, and sectoral commitments. He will then travel to Berlin May 25–27 for the G7 Climate, Energy, and Environment Ministerial meeting to discuss priorities concerning climate ambition, such as adaptation and rapid emissions reductions, including in sectors such as methane.

For media inquiries, please contact ClimateComms@state.gov.


Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Call with French Foreign Ministry Secretary General Delattre
05/20/2022
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Call with French Foreign Ministry Secretary General Delattre
05/20/2022 01:32 PM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with French Foreign Ministry Secretary General François Delattre today to discuss continued coordination to support Ukraine and its sovereignty in the face of Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified war. In addition, they highlighted the need for swift international action to confront the growing crisis of food insecurity, exacerbated by Russia’s full-scale invasion. The two also exchanged views on developments in NATO, including Finland and Sweden’s welcome request to join, and the lead up to the Madrid Summit. Deputy Secretary Sherman also discussed with Secretary General Delattre France’s plans for the final weeks of France’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, including support for EU accession paths for aspirants willing to do the hard work to qualify for membership.


U.S. Delegation on Atrocity Prevention and Response to Travel to The Hague
05/20/2022
U.S. Delegation on Atrocity Prevention and Response to Travel to The Hague
05/20/2022 02:47 PM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

A U.S. delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations Anne A. Witkowsky, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack, and Bureau of International Organization Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Allison Lombardo will travel to The Hague, the Netherlands, from May 22 to 25, 2022.

In The Hague, the U.S. delegation will hold high-level talks with allies and partners regarding our responses to atrocities committed in Ukraine, Burma, Ethiopia, and other locations experiencing violence. They will also examine how to mitigate the drivers of atrocity risk in regions where preventative efforts can effectively preempt atrocities. The delegation will review support for accountability measures and mechanisms to bring the perpetrators of atrocities to justice, including those committed in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, through the Biden-Harris Administration’s newly announced European Democratic Resilience Initiative (EDRI).

Also in The Hague, Assistant Secretary Witkowsky will meet with Dutch government counterparts to underscore our deep and longstanding transatlantic commitment to European security and coordination. She will emphasize the need for comprehensive partnerships to address shared security concerns, including to advance implementation of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability.

Follow @StateCSO and @StateDept_GCJ on Twitter for updates. For more information, please contact CSO Public Affairs at CSOPublicAffairs1@state.gov.