Secretary Blinken’s Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov
04/02/2023
Secretary Blinken’s Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov
04/02/2023 10:38 AM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Secretary Blinken conveyed the United States’ grave concern over Russia’s unacceptable detention of a U.S. citizen journalist. The Secretary called for his immediate release. Secretary Blinken further urged the Kremlin to immediately release wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan. The Secretary and Foreign Minister Lavrov also discussed the importance of creating an environment that permits diplomatic missions to carry out their work.
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Finnish Permanent State Secretary Salovaara
04/03/2023
Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meeting with Finnish Permanent State Secretary Salovaara
04/03/2023 07:02 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Finnish Permanent State Secretary Jukka Salovaara today. The Deputy Secretary congratulated Finland on its plans to become NATO’s newest Ally on April 4 and on completing free, open, and fair April 2 parliamentary elections. The Deputy Secretary and State Secretary reiterated their belief that Sweden is ready to join the Alliance now. They reaffirmed our strong, continuing support to Ukraine and underscored the importance of our close bilateral relationship.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Remarks to the Press
04/04/2023
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Remarks to the Press
04/04/2023 06:43 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Brussels, Belgium
European Council Building
HIGH REPRESENTATIVE BORRELL: Good morning. Good morning. I’m very happy to welcome you, Secretary Blinken, in Brussels. We just had a very good bilateral meeting marking our great transatlantic cooperation. Now we will co-chair the EU-U.S. Energy Council, and later we will see each other also at the NATO Ministerial.
Allow me some words about our bilateral discussion. Certainly, we start discussing and talking about the Russian war in Ukraine, the situation in Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, and the Middle East peace process.
It’s more than one year ago that Putin start destroying Ukraine, and he seems determined to continue with his brutal bloodshed and destruction, and he still escalates further despite not achieving anything. His newest nuclear gamble – with nuclear weapons moved to Belarus – constitutes a new escalation and poses a direct threat to European security. And this comes, ironically, after Chinese President Xi visited Moscow and mentioned the need for peace and they agreed on the need to not deploy nuclear arms abroad. Some days later, Russia deployed tactical weapons – nuclear tactical weapons in Belarus.
We have been discussing with Secretary Blinken about the role of China on supporting Russia’s blatant violations of the United Nations Charter. There is a clear expectation from a permanent member of the Security Council to stand up in defense of international rules-based order. And China has a moral duty to contribute to a fair peace. They cannot be siding with the aggressor. They cannot be militarily supporting the aggression.
This is our message to China, from today’s meeting and from all the European Union’s visits going to Beijing. Today, President von der Leyen will be in Beijing with French President Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez was there last week, and I will travel next week too. So, as you see, a lot of Europeans going to China.
But we have been clear with China that its position on Russia’s atrocities and war crimes will determine the quality of our relations with Beijing. In the meantime, the European Union stands united and our transatlantic community remains also united. We are committed to continue supporting Ukraine in its self-defense, and we will maintain the collective pressure on Russia to stop the widespread violations of international law. We are doing everything we can militarily, politically, and providing financial support to ensure that Ukraine prevails.
We also talked about the Middle East, and we shared our concerns about the vicious cycle of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories. The latest developments painfully demonstrate that the path towards a resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict is urgently needed. I appreciated the recent U.S. mediation efforts in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh, and I also shared with you, Secretary Blinken, about my efforts together with partners in the Arab world to try to revive peace efforts by building on the Arab Peace Initiative and adding European peace contribution to it.
We also discussed about some topics in Africa. First of all, on Ethiopia, this was a major crisis, and now, fortunately, things start to move towards solving it. That’s one of the rare good news that we have in the world. And to sustain the current progress, it is important that the EU and U.S. continue working hand-in-hand. The message to both the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigrayans is to make them understand that we are watching the settling of the conflict and will only normalize our relations in a gradual way, step by step.
On Central African Republic, we exchanged views on the ongoing international efforts, including our own efforts, to help to stabilize the country so they did not have to rely on the Wagner mercenaries. You know that the Wagner mercenaries, this destructive group, has had a negative impact on each country where they are present, be in Central African Republic and others in the Sahelian area, contributing only to further destabilization and impacting negatively in the entire region.
Finally, we are going to co-chair now the 10th EU-U.S. Energy Council, but this year is different from our previous meetings in Washington, and the past year has been marked by atrocities, war against Ukraine, and the unprecedented EU-U.S. coordination to support the country and to support our energy security in Europe. We, the European Union and its member-states, are the lead donors when it comes to energy assistance to Ukraine. We have been able to get rid of the Russian dependency on gas, and we will discuss today about how to accelerate the green energy transition, reducing methane emissions, and launching a new global energy efficiency initiative. That also is a good news.
Thank you. Thanks.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good morning, everyone. And let me just start by thanking the High Representative, my friend Josep, for another very productive and timely meeting, building on the momentum that President Biden and European Commission President von der Leyen produced at the White House just last month.
This discussion today reinforced what has been evident to us for some time: U.S.-European Union relations have never been stronger or more important for advancing our shared interests.
After more than a year of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the stakes for our partnership could not be higher – for the transatlantic relationship; for Ukraine itself; indeed, for people around the world who are bearing many of the consequences of this aggression.
The United States and the EU continue to work in lockstep, together with a broad coalition of partners around the world, to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself, its people, its territory, the right to choose its own path.
European partners have spent about $13 billion in European – in military assistance thus far, on top of tens of billions more in economic and humanitarian assistance, extraordinary support for refugees who have come from Ukraine. We very much appreciate the announcement from the EU that it will be providing an additional 2 billion in euros worth of ammunition through its European Peace Facility.
Together, we’re freezing the assets of those fueling the Kremlin’s aggression, deploying sweeping sanctions and export controls that are degrading Russia’s capacity to wage war. The Kremlin’s finances have been squeezed to devastating effect, forcing it to choose between pouring money into the war or providing for its own citizens. As one Russian billionaire starkly said of Russia’s future: “There will be no money next year.”
The United States and the European Union are further working together to defend the energy and food security of millions of people around the world who have been affected by President Putin’s war in Ukraine, to press for accountability for Russian atrocities, and to support meaningful diplomatic efforts that can achieve a just and durable peace.
Josep and I also discussed the United States and Europe’s unprecedented cooperation on energy security, and indeed, we’ll take that up in more detail in a few minutes. We share a commitment to preventing a climate catastrophe, accelerating the global clean energy transition, building resilient, secure, and diversified supply chains for renewable energy – and doing it in a way that creates good-paying jobs and lowers costs for people on both sides of the Atlantic.
Russia’s weaponization of energy has underscored the urgency of that task – and an opportunity to accelerate our progress. And so, over the past year, the United States and Europe have thrown our energy security cooperation into even higher gear.
In 2022, the United States exported 56 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas to Europe: that is 40 percent of Europe’s total imports; it’s a 140 percent increase over our LNG exports to Europe the previous year. The European Union cut dependence on Russian gas from nearly 40 percent at the start of the war to about 15 percent by the end of 2022. That is extraordinary. When we convene the council in a few minutes, we will focus on how we can further reduce European dependence on Russian energy, and boost the Euro-Atlantic region’s clean energy production.
We also spoke about our continued partnership on economic security. We have serious concerns about the challenges posed by economic coercion, by the weaponization of economic dependencies, and non-market policies and practices, including by the PRC, and we discussed ways to address these issues. Later this spring, we’ll hold another meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, where these and other priorities will be on the agenda.
As Josep mentioned, we also did something of a tour of the world of challenging places and areas where our work together, our coordination, our cooperation can make a difference, from Ethiopia to the Central African Republic to the Middle East. And in all of these areas, the coordination between the United States and the European Union is as great and, indeed, I would say greater than it’s ever been.
Finally, running through our conversation was our focus on revitalizing our democracies and our democratic values – which bind us, and which brought hundreds of partners together just this week around the world and in Washington for the Summit for Democracy.
The relationship between the United States and the European Union is the most comprehensive, dynamic relationship in the world, and I’m pleased to be here to continue our work to deliver a stronger and more secure future for people on both sides of the Atlantic.
Thank you very much.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks Before U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting
04/04/2023
Secretary Antony J. Blinken Remarks Before U.S.-EU Energy Council Meeting
04/04/2023 07:02 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Brussels, Belgium
European Council Building
SECRETARY BLINKEN: High Representative Borrell, Josep, thank you. Thank you for bringing us together today and for continuing an ongoing discussion, an ongoing action that we’ve had with the United States and the European Union on an issue that’s critical in the lives of all of our fellow citizens. I’m very much looking forward to pursuing the discussion we actually began earlier this morning. It’s great to be joined, Tobias, by you, Commissioner Simson, our Deputy Secretary of Energy Dave Turk. Very good to be with everyone this morning.
When this council met on February 7th, 2022, Russia was on the verge of invading Ukraine. Europe was on the verge of an energy crisis. President Putin bet that his threat of stopping gas supplies would deter Europe and the world from standing up to his aggression against Ukraine. He was wrong.
He then doubled down – stopping natural gas supplies to many European countries, dramatically reducing flows to others, forcing record-high prices on millions in Europe and around the world. He sought to wipe out Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure – damaging or destroying 50 percent of Ukraine’s grid, leaving millions without reliable power and heat.
And again – he failed. Ukraine stands – and stands strong. Europe stands – and stands strong. The world is reducing its dependence on Russian energy, accelerating the transition to the green economy.
This is possible, in no small part, because of the partnership between the United States and the European Union.
The U.S.-EU Energy Council has worked as never before to help make Europe more energy secure. The United States has more than doubled our supply of natural gas to the continent – exporting 56 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas last year. Because of these and other efforts, Russia’s natural gas only accounted for about 16 percent of the EU’s natural gas imports by the end of 2022 – compared to 37 percent in March of 2022. And as I mentioned, our supplies went up more than twofold – over 140 percent increase between 2021 and 2022.
The EU’s leadership has been vital in this shift – for example, with its Save the Gas for a Safe Winter program, through which citizens voluntarily lowered their electricity use and used more energy efficient appliances. These and other efforts contributed to a 19 percent reduction in natural gas demand between August of 2022 and January of 2023.
We accelerated, as I mentioned, the clean energy transition. The U.S.-EU Task Force on Energy Security is helping our governments and private sector partners share information to boost energy efficiency and diversify supply, like deploying more heat pumps and smart thermostats.
Here, too, the European Union has shown remarkable leadership, increasing its goal of energy from renewables from 40 percent to 45 percent by 2030. EU countries added roughly 50 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity last year – which together generated more electricity than natural gas in 2022.
Last year, the United States passed the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in American history, and we’re heartened that Europe too is working on ambitious clean energy incentives. Through the Clean Energy Incentives Dialogue, which President Biden and President von der Leyen launched last month, we are working together to make sure that these efforts are mutually reenforcing, so that our incentives create a positive feedback loop of innovation, investment for energy transition, jobs for our people.
We also come together to support Ukraine’s energy needs. Together, the EU, the U.S., and our G7+ partners have delivered more than 4,000 power generators, 1,000 transformers, and more than 5 million pieces of equipment, like circuit breakers and cables, to help repair and replace the country’s battered energy grid.
Today, we’ll talk about ways to continue rebuilding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. We’ll also talk about our shared work to deploy new technologies like clean hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, among other efforts, to advance the energy transition across Europe and the United States.
These collective efforts are directly benefiting people on both sides of the Atlantic through more affordable, more reliable energy, good-paying jobs, and a safer, more sustainable future.
Today’s discussions will bring us one step closer to that future, and like everyone, I’m eager to get the conversation started. So again, Josep, thanks so much for having us here today, and I look forward to our discussions.
Joint Statement on the U.S. – EU Energy Council
04/04/2023
Joint Statement on the U.S. – EU Energy Council
04/04/2023 08:38 AM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The text of the following statement was released by the Government of the United States of America and European Union.
Begin Text: The tenth United States – European Union (EU) Energy Council (“Council”) met today in Brussels, chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk, EU High Representative/Vice President Josep Borrell Fontelles and European Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson. Minister Tobias Billström of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs represented the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.The U.S.-EU Energy Council is the lead transatlantic coordination forum on strategic energy issues for policy exchange and coordination at political and technical levels. Transatlantic energy cooperation continues to contribute to the stability and transparency of global energy markets by promoting energy diversification and security, endorsing energy efficiency measures, developing technologies contributing to the transition towards net zero emissions by 2050, and through research, innovation, aligned policies, and business cooperation. Accelerating the energy transition, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and reducing energy consumption are key to strengthening energy security and countering attempts to weaponize energy.The United States and the EU are strategic partners who remain committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, and working jointly with the global community to keep a 1.5 degrees Celsius limit in global temperature rise within reach, while pursuing a just and inclusive energy transition to climate neutrality.The Council recognized the unprecedented intensification of cooperation, coordination, and exchanges between the two sides in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine since the last Ministerial Meeting of the U.S.-EU Energy Council on February 7, 2022. It also recognized the critical role of the Joint Energy Security Task Force set up in March 2022 by Presidents Biden and von der Leyen with the aim of supporting the rapid elimination of the EU’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels by diversifying its natural gas supplies, taking steps to minimize the sector’s climate impact, and reducing the overall demand for natural gas.
Responding to Russia’s Threats to Global Energy SecurityThe Council reiterated its condemnation in the strongest possible terms of Russia’s illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, which has brought immense suffering and destruction upon Ukraine and its people. The United States and the EU demand that the Russian Federation withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. Russia’s war has also triggered a global food and energy security crisis, with sharp increases in prices, market volatility and a disproportionate impact on the developing world and vulnerable populations. Russia’s actions, including massive attacks on critical infrastructure, have put unprecedented strain on the safety and functioning of Ukraine’s energy systems, including the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, leaving millions of people without electricity, heating, and water, and undermining nuclear safety and security.The Council reiterated that competitive, liquid, and transparent global energy markets remain critical to ensuring a reliable, sustainable, affordable, and secure energy supply for Europe to serve the transition to climate neutrality. The United States and the EU recognize the growing cyber and physical threats to energy infrastructure and plan to continue related cooperation, including in the context of the synchronization of the Baltic States’ electricity networks with the Continental European Network. The United States and the EU intend to continue to coordinate bilateral and multilateral responses to keep the global energy markets stable and support the energy transition required to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. The two sides reiterated their strong commitment to directly confront, with adequate measures, all efforts to further destabilize the global energy situation and to circumvent sanctions.
Bolstering Energy Security in Ukraine and MoldovaThe Council reaffirmed that the future of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova (hereafter Moldova), and their citizens lies within the European Union and would continue to support Ukraine’s and Moldova’s further integration with the EU. Following the successful synchronization of Ukraine and Moldova with the EU electricity grid, the Council intends to continue to support Ukraine’s rapid recovery and reconstruction, and support both Ukraine and Moldova by assisting with their long-term economic and clean energy transition. The Council continues to support both countries’ integration with the EU across all energy sectors, including through accelerating the development of energy infrastructure and interconnections. The Council welcomed Ukraine’s and Moldova’s reform efforts towards meeting the objectives underpinning their candidate status for EU membership, and encouraged the countries to continue on this path, notably by ensuring that institutions in the energy sector are transparent, robust, and independent.The United States, the EU and its Member States intend to continue providing emergency energy assistance to Ukraine via the support fora set up in 2022, including the G7+ coordination forum and the International Advisory Energy Council for Ukraine, and to other heavily affected countries in the region such as Moldova. The Council acknowledged the important contribution of the Ukraine Energy Support Fund set up by the Energy Community Secretariat and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism coordinated by the European Commission in providing effective and targeted support to counteract attacks against critical energy infrastructure.The Council condemned Russia’s dangerous actions at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and underlined its full support for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s work to apply safeguards to assist Ukraine in its effort to manage nuclear safety and security at its nuclear facilities, including its efforts to date to establish a nuclear safety and security protection zone at the Zaporizhzhya power plant. The United States and the EU strongly call on Russia to withdraw its personnel and military equipment from the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and return its full control to its rightful owner, Ukraine.The Council intends to intensify cooperation to reduce dependency on Russia for nuclear materials and fuel cycle services, and supports ongoing efforts by affected EU Member States to diversify nuclear fuel supplies, as appropriate.
Promoting Energy Security Through an Accelerated Energy TransitionIn its efforts to strengthen energy security while accelerating the global energy transition, the Council intends to continue coordinating transatlantic policy actions in their respective neighboring regions.The United States and the EU intend to coordinate their support for transparent, integrated, and competitive energy markets in the Western Balkans, in line with the EU enlargement policy, as well as with the climate objectives and obligations under the Energy Community Treaty. The Council reaffirmed that both sides intend to deepen their cooperation to support regional integration and investments in the development of energy infrastructure to achieve climate neutrality in the Western Balkans, which for the EU will notably include speeding up the uptake of renewables, in view of European integration, and the phasing out of dependency on Russian gas imports as soon as possible.The Council recognized the importance of energy relations and notably the role of gas and renewable energy supplies to the EU from and through regions such as the South Caucasus, Black Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, and North Africa. The pivotal role of reliable energy partners in these regions calls for mutually beneficial cooperation on security of energy supplies as well as enhanced cooperation on critical infrastructure.
Energy Policy, Technology, and InnovationIn light of current pressures caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Council underlined that energy savings, energy efficiency, and the speedy deployment of renewables are key pillars of energy transition. In this regard, the Council underlined the importance of safe and sustainable low-carbon technologies.The Council welcomed the organization of a High-Level Business to Business Forum on Offshore Wind in April 2022 and the publication of its report. Further, the Council also welcomed a Business Roundtable that took place on April 3, which was aimed at facilitating trade and the deployment in the United States and the EU, of energy savings and renewables technology solutions.The United States and the EU also intend to continue working together to foster energy investments aiding the transition towards climate neutrality in a transparent and mutually reinforcing manner avoiding zero-sum competition at the transatlantic level and around the globe. The Council noted the vital importance of diversifying and securing supply chains for critical minerals and raw materials necessary for the energy transition to net-zero emissions by 2050, and reinforced the value of U.S.-EU collaboration in fora such as the Minerals Security Partnership, the Conference on Critical Materials and Minerals, and the International Energy Agency Critical Minerals Working Party. The Council invited its Energy Policy Working Group to explore possible further cooperation areas in view of achieving shared energy and climate objectives.The Council noted the role that nuclear power can play in decarbonizing energy systems in countries that have decided or will decide to rely on nuclear energy. The United States and the EU decided to co-organize a High-Level Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Forum later this year on transatlantic cooperation in the field of SMRs and other advanced nuclear reactors.The Council intends to continue advancing the reduction of global methane emissions in line with the Global Methane Pledge and the Joint Declaration from Energy Importers and Exporters on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Fossil Fuels. The Council intends to promote domestic and international measures for reinforced monitoring, reporting, and verification, as well as transparency, for methane emissions data in the fossil energy sector, such as through the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0) standard and the development of a common tool for life cycle analysis (LCA) of methane emissions for hydrocarbon suppliers and purchasers. Building upon the Joint Declaration, the Council intends to work with Joint Declaration members and other countries to develop an internationally aligned approach for transparent measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification for methane and carbon dioxide emissions across the fossil energy value chain to improve the accuracy, availability, and transparency of emissions data at cargo, portfolio, operator, jurisdiction and basin-level. The Council recognized the International Methane Emissions Observatory as a key independent methane emissions data collector and verifier, and the Council recognized the need to develop effective global schemes to limit leakage, venting, and flaring, such as the mutually beneficial You Collect We Buy. The Council acknowledged the joint progress made on developing international standards for leak detection and quantification of methane emissions. In this respect, the Council welcomes the agreement for cooperation between the two first-of-a-kind centers of excellence, the TotalEnergies Anomaly Detection Initiatives (TADI) of the Pôle d’Etudes et de Recherche de Lacq and the Colorado State University Methane Emission Technology Evaluation Center (METEC). The Council noted its support of other centers of expertise that may wish to join TADI and METEC in their initiative.The Council endorsed the organization of joint workshops in 2023 on just transition, energy poverty, and economic and workforce development assistance for communities in transition and communities experiencing environmental hazard exposure.Building on existing dialogues and frameworks, the Council endorsed the intention of both sides to step up research and innovation cooperation in the fields of i) fusion research by finalizing the terms of a new Model Project Agreement and defining the multi-year work plan, and ii) mutual modelling capabilities for climate-neutrality transition pathways by increasing the compatibility and inter-comparability of respective data and models.
Multilateral CooperationThe Council acknowledged progress on multilateral initiatives and intends to continue discussing strategic topics and coordinating positions ahead of major multilateral events. The strong U.S.-EU relationship has paved the way for more ambitious global climate and energy actions, including at international fora such as climate COPs, G7, G20, International Energy Agency, Clean Energy Ministerial, Mission Innovation, the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC), International Renewable Energy Agency, including through advancing “Just Energy Transition Partnerships” with third countries, and in fusion through both the ITER international agreement and EURATOM research. The United States and the EU intend to intensify joint work towards making energy efficiency a global priority.
End Text.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba Before Their Meeting
04/04/2023
Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba Before Their Meeting
04/04/2023 09:31 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Brussels, Belgium
NATO Headquarters
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. As always, a great pleasure to be with my friend and colleague, Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister of Ukraine. And we’re here, of course, at NATO where we’ve seen over the last year very strong support and solidarity for Ukraine, countries coming together to make sure that Ukraine has the means to defend itself, defend its people, defend its future, and that solidarity is fully on display here. We’re looking forward to being with NATO colleagues in just a short while, and of course we’re also at NATO doing preparatory work for the Vilnius Summit with leaders coming up this summer.
But this is an opportunity, as always, for us to compare notes on where things are in Ukraine, and again, all the work that we’re doing and other countries are doing to support Ukraine.
FOREIGN MINISTER KULEBA: We remain in regular contact and we talk a lot, but it’s always a special pleasure to sit down with you in person and have this conversation. I think it’s very symbolic that this is the first time that we’re actually seeing each other at NATO. And one of the issues that we will —
SECRETARY BLINKEN: You’ve always been on the video screen prior to this, right.
FOREIGN MINISTER KULEBA: Yes, yes, but physically on the birthday of NATO, we are here at the headquarters, and I think that gives us an excellent opportunity to discuss how to make our meetings at NATO happen more often.
But seriously, a lot is on the plate, as usually. We will be discussing issues related to the deliveries of ammunition and weapons, and we very much appreciate everything that the United States have done specifically in the last months to help our army prepare itself for the – for the (inaudible). The Biden administration has fulfilled its commitment to providing Ukraine with a lot – what we need – and to set an example, to give an example to other allies.
So, as always, everything we do aims at victory – victory of democracy over authoritarianism, victory of Ukraine over Russia, and victory of security over repression.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Thanks, everyone.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Before Their Meeting
04/04/2023
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Before Their Meeting
04/04/2023 10:14 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Brussels, Belgium
NATO Headquarters
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: So Secretary Blinken, dear Tony, welcome.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you.
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: Welcome back to the NATO Headquarters. And it’s great to receive you here on such an historic day for NATO. Because the Washington Treaty, NATO’s founding act, was signed on the 4th of April, 1949, and today we are welcoming Finland as the 31st member of our Alliance. And I can hardly think about any better way to mark our anniversary than having a new member come into our Alliance.
We will have the meeting with the foreign ministers today. There’s many different and important issues. Of course, Ukraine is up on the agenda. We’ll meet with Minister Kuleba in the NATO-Ukraine council. And thank you so much for the steadfast, strong support from the United States to Ukraine. And we’ll discuss how to sustain and step up our support to Ukraine.
We’ll also meet with our Asia Pacific partners, and that reflects that security is not regional; security is global. And in a world where Russia and China stand more and more closer together, it’s even more important that we stand together as NATO Allies, but also together with our partners in the Asia Pacific – Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.
We will also address how to ensure that Allies are investing enough in defense, and we will start preparations for the summit in Vilnius, where I expect Allies to agree a more ambitious pledge, to regard 2 percent of GDP for defense not as a ceiling but a floor, a minimum, that we should all meet.
And then let me just end by saying that thank you once again, Tony, for your personal commitment, your leadership in this Alliance, for the transatlantic bond, and everything the U.S., the Biden administration, are doing every day to ensure that we all are safe and secure in NATO and as a transatlantic alliance. So welcome.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Jens, thank you so much. And I just want to say, as we would say: Right back at you. We are so grateful for your leadership at a truly historic moment for our Alliance, for the transatlantic community, indeed for the global community that stands strongly for the basic principles of the UN Charter and that stands strongly for peace, stability, and security.
This is truly an historic day, because very shortly, as the Secretary General said, we will be welcoming Finland into the Alliance, to its seat at the table. And I’m tempted to say this is maybe the one thing we can thank Mr. Putin for, because he, once again here, has precipitated something he claims to want to prevent – by Russia’s aggression, causing many countries to believe that they have to do more to look out for their own defense and to make sure that they could deter a possible Russian aggression going forward. But I think we’ll be thrilled to have Finland as the 31st member of this Alliance, so this is an important day, on an important day already in NATO’s history.
And then as the Secretary General said, we have a lot of work to do today to prepare for the Vilnius Summit, with the leaders from our countries coming together. That, too, will be a hugely important moment, both in continuing to reaffirm in both political and practical ways our support for Ukraine, to continue the work that we’ve been doing over previous summits to strengthen the defense and deterrence capacity of the Alliance itself, and as the Secretary General said, to continue to build out new partnerships between NATO and countries in other parts of the world, notably in the Asia Pacific, precisely for the reasons that the Secretary General said.
The challenges that we’re facing are global in nature, and what we’ve seen over the last couple of years is greater convergence than I’ve seen in my own experience, doing this for 30 years, between the United States and Europe, between the United States and Asian partners, and amongst all of us in how to effectively meet the challenges of our times.
So the work could not be more timely, could not be more important. And as always, it’s great to be here at NATO. Thank you.
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: Thank you.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba
04/04/2023
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba
04/04/2023 10:08 AM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The following is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba today in Brussels on the margins of the NATO Foreign Ministerial Meeting. The Secretary reaffirmed U.S. support for NATO cooperation with Ukraine and long-term commitment to building Ukraine’s defense and deterrence capabilities. The two also discussed continued U.S. bilateral support for Ukraine’s battlefield needs, and the Secretary underscored the importance of Ukraine’s future as a strong, independent, and democratic country.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the Deposit of Türkiye’s Instruments of Ratification of Finland’s NATO Accession
04/04/2023
Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the Deposit of Türkiye’s Instruments of Ratification of Finland’s NATO Accession
04/04/2023 10:34 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Brussels, Belgium
NATO Headquarters
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. It’s, as always, a pleasure to see my friend Mevlut Cavusoglu, the foreign minister of Türkiye. But this is not just any day; this is a historic day because we are soon going to celebrate Finland’s membership in our NATO Alliance, and that is truly a historic occasion. But we’ll also have an opportunity to catch up on a number of other issues.
When we last saw each other, I was in Türkiye with Mevlut, together witnessing the devastating consequences of the earthquake, something that I’ll never forget. And I said then and reiterate now our commitment to doing everything that we can to help Türkiye as it recovers now from the earthquake, as it rebuilds, and that’s an enduring commitment that we have, the United States and other countries as well. But we are working together on so many issues, notably here at NATO, but I’m looking forward to being able to formally welcome Finland as a member of our Alliance.
Mevlut.
FOREIGN MINISTER CAVUSOGLU: Thank you very much, Tony. I’m also very happy to see you, as always. And indeed, today is a historical day – a historic day for NATO; exactly 74 years ago today, the foundation of the Alliance laid down – and while celebrating, of course, the anniversary of our Alliance. And I am very happy to hand over, to submit the instrument of ratification to you today, and I would like to welcome Finland as a new Ally. And with Finland, our Alliance is much more strong. And I would like to thank you for your efforts also to that end.
And let me take this opportunity to thank you and the administration, as well as American citizens, for extending tremendous support after the earthquake. And thank you very much for visiting us. Together we had a tour in Antakya region. You saw how devastating the earthquake was there. But I’m very grateful to you personally for encouraging the business communities and NGOs to support Türkiye. Very grateful. Thank you very much.
(The deposit of Türkiye’s Instruments of Ratification of the Accession Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty for the Republic of Finland took place.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, my friend. Well, I can say with the deposit of Türkiye’s Instrument of Ratification of the Protocol for Finland’s Accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the protocol is now in force. Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER CAVUSOGLU: Congratulations.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much.
FOREIGN MINISTER CAVUSOGLU: Thank you very much.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, everyone. And in return, this is just confirmation of our receipt of the instrument.
FOREIGN MINISTER CAVUSOGLU: These are additional documents I think we have to have you – and this is the – in return, confirmation.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: This is confirmation of our receipt of the deposit of the Instrument of Ratification.
FOREIGN MINISTER CAVUSOGLU: Very good.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, my friend.
FOREIGN MINISTER CAVUSOGLU: I have it. Thank you.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you.
Finland’s Accession to NATO
04/04/2023
Finland’s Accession to NATO
04/04/2023 10:22 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
On this historic day as we mark the 74th anniversary of NATO, we also welcome Finland as NATO’s 31st Ally. Finland is stronger and safer within the Alliance, and the Alliance is stronger and safer with Finland as its Ally. Finland has a highly capable military and has been an active participant in NATO-led operations; it also shares our values and strong democratic institutions. We are confident Finland’s membership will strengthen our collective defense and enhance our ability to respond to security challenges in the Euro-Atlantic area.
Russia’s further invasion into Ukraine last year precipitated the very thing President Putin wanted to avoid: a stronger, more unified, Transatlantic Alliance. Sweden is also a strong and capable partner that is ready to join NATO. We encourage Türkiye and Hungary to ratify the accession protocols for Sweden without delay so we can welcome Sweden into the Alliance as soon as possible.
NATO has helped maintain peace and stability in Europe for over 70 years. It has also played a critical role in promoting stability and the international rules-based order around the world. Finland’s membership in the Alliance will advance these shared goals.
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at Finland’s NATO Instruments of Accession Ceremony
04/04/2023
Secretary Antony J. Blinken at Finland’s NATO Instruments of Accession Ceremony
04/04/2023 10:47 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Brussels, Belgium
NATO Headquarters
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, Secretary General, Mr. Minister, I’m delighted to report that just a few moments ago, Türkiye deposited with me, on behalf of the United States, Türkiye’s ratification of the instrument of acceding to the protocol for Finland’s accession to NATO. And with the receipt and submission of that protocol, I can say that the protocol is now in force.
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: Thanks so much. This is great news, Secretary Blinken. And with that, I can actually then hand over to you, Minister Haavisto, the formal invitation on behalf of all the Allies for the Republic of Finland to accede to the North Atlantic Treaty. So, please.
FOREIGN MINISTER HAAVISTO: Thank you.
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: And then at the same time, I’d also invite you to deposit your documents of accession to the U.S. Government, here represented by Secretary Blinken.
FOREIGN MINISTER HAAVISTO: Thank you, Mr. Secretary General. Thank you, Secretary Blinken. Now that I’ve got this invitation, it’s my great pleasure to deposit with the Secretary of State of the United States of America Finland’s Instrument of Accession to the North Atlantic Treaty.
Please, Secretary Blinken.
(The deposit of Finland’s Instruments of Accession to the North Atlantic Treaty took place.)
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much.
Well, with receipt of this Instrument of Accession, we can now declare that Finland is the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty. (Applause.)
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: Congratulations.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Welcome.
FOREIGN MINISTER HAAVISTO: And since we are now a member of NATO, we have a very important task. And the task is actually to give to you for the deposit also our ratification for Swedish membership. This is our first act as a member state. Please.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, Pekka. I’m delighted to receive this on behalf of Finland. Thank you very much.
FOREIGN MINISTER HAAVISTO: Thank you.
SECRETARY GENERAL STOLTENBERG: Thank you. And then we welcome Finland to the Alliance, and we also appreciate that you have agreed also to invite Sweden. So this ends this moment, and then we will continue outside the building in just a moment. So thank you so much.
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER HAAVISTO: Thank you.
Additional U.S. Security Assistance for Ukraine
04/04/2023
Additional U.S. Security Assistance for Ukraine
04/04/2023 12:29 PM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Pursuant to a delegation of authority from President Biden, I am authorizing our 35th drawdown of U.S. arms and equipment for Ukraine valued at $500 million. This military assistance package includes more ammunition for U.S.-provided HIMARS, air defense interceptors, and artillery rounds that Ukraine is using to defend itself, as well as anti-armor systems, small arms, heavy equipment transport vehicles, and maintenance support essential to strengthening Ukraine’s defenders on the battlefield. In addition, the U.S. Department of Defense is announcing a significant package that includes air defense capabilities, as well as artillery and tank ammunition, mortar systems, rockets, and anti-armor systems under its Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This new security assistance will allow Ukraine to continue to bravely defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war.
Russia alone could end its war today. Until Russia does, the United States and our allies and partners will stand united with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Transatlantic Quad Foreign Ministers
04/04/2023
Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Transatlantic Quad Foreign Ministers
04/04/2023 08:23 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on the sidelines of the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels. The ministers discussed enduring NATO and bilateral support for Ukraine as it continues to defend itself against Russia’s brutal war of aggression. The Secretary expressed his hope for a successful NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania in July 2023 and underlined the future work needed to enhance NATO’s deterrence and defense. The Secretary underscored U.S. concern about Iran’s nuclear escalation and noted the importance of continued close cooperation to advance shared objectives of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, in line with the rules-based international order.
Public Designations of Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Shengelia, and Valerian Tsertsvadze, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption
04/05/2023
Public Designations of Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Shengelia, and Valerian Tsertsvadze, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption
04/05/2023 12:34 PM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
Today, the U.S. Department of State is publicly designating Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Shengelia, and Valerian Tsertsvadze under Section 7031(c) visa restriction authorities, due to their involvement in significant corruption.
These individuals abused their positions as court Chairmen and members of Georgia’s High Council of Justice, undermining the rule of law and the public’s faith in Georgia’s judicial system.
The United States continues to stand with all Georgians in support of democracy and the rule of law and will continue to promote accountability for those who abuse public power for personal gain. We stand with all judges who have the integrity and courage to act impartially and independently.
Officials designated under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023 (Div. K, P.L. 117-328) (“Section 7031(c)”) and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States.
Secretary Blinken’s Call with UN Secretary-General Guterres
04/05/2023
Secretary Blinken’s Call with UN Secretary-General Guterres
04/05/2023 09:02 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today. Secretary Blinken and Secretary-General Guterres reiterated the importance of safeguarding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, in light of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. He thanked Secretary-General Guterres for his efforts to strengthen the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), and expressed his concern about continued Russian impediments to Ukraine’s food exports. The Secretary noted the United States deep concern regarding the Taliban’s latest restrictions on women’s work with the UN. He also expressed appreciation for the dedicated UN professionals working to assist the Afghan people.
Special Envoy and Coordinator for the Global Engagement Center Rubin’s Travel to Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Albania
04/07/2023
Special Envoy and Coordinator for the Global Engagement Center Rubin’s Travel to Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Albania
04/07/2023 02:45 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
Special Envoy and Coordinator for the Global Engagement Center James P. Rubin will travel from April 10-14 to Podgorica, Montenegro; Skopje, North Macedonia; and Tirana, Albania.
In Podgorica and Skopje, Special Envoy Rubin will meet with government officials to solidify support for counter disinformation initiatives. He will discuss efforts by Russia, the People’s Republic of China, and other malign actors who deploy disinformation to undermine democracy and national security around the globe, and how our nations can collectively counter threats in the information space.
While in Tirana, Special Envoy Rubin will take part in meetings with U.S. Ambassadors from the Western Balkans.
U.S. Government Mobilizing Partnership Opportunities in Ukraine
04/07/2023
U.S. Government Mobilizing Partnership Opportunities in Ukraine
04/07/2023 03:02 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
The Department of State, USAID, and the Department of Commerce, in partnership with the Government of Ukraine and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will host the U.S.-Ukraine Partnership Forum () on April 13 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Great Hall. The event will convene representatives and stakeholders from the U.S. and Ukraine private sectors including businesses, diaspora and civil society groups, non-government organizations, investment groups and foundations, in addition to representatives from the U.S. government and the Government of Ukraine.
This joint event aims to accelerate American investment and engagement in Ukraine while building opportunities for planning and collaboration to support Ukraine’s economic recovery. The event will feature conversations with high-level stakeholders on topics ranging from catalyzing investment and engagement to unleashing market potential in Ukraine and building a sustainable future through an attractive regulatory framework, entrepreneurship, and renewable energy.
UPF will be the first event in the , an array of events organized in partnership with civil society groups which will promote public-private partnerships as a vehicle to revitalize the economy of Ukraine, facilitate redevelopment, and strengthen the partnership between Ukraine and the United States.
Follow along using the hashtags: #UPF2023 and #UkraineBusinessInitiative. The keynotes and panels will all be livestreamed at: www.state.gov and on the Department’s official YouTube channel. To view the agenda, please visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s website. Journalists interested in attending, please register at: press@uschamber.com.
For further information on the U.S.-Ukraine Partnership Forum, please contact the Office of Global Partnerships at partnerships@state.gov or follow @GPatState on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
For State Department media inquiries, please contact the Office of Global Partnerships at partnerships@state.gov.
On Special Representative for International Labor Affairs Rodriguez’s Participation at the 347th Session of the International Labor Organization Governing Body in Geneva, Switzerland
04/07/2023
On Special Representative for International Labor Affairs Rodriguez’s Participation at the 347th Session of the International Labor Organization Governing Body in Geneva, Switzerland
04/07/2023 05:59 PM EDT
Office of the Spokesperson
Special Representative for International Labor Affairs Kelly Fay Rodriguez engaged in deliberations at the 347th Session of the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Governing Body, including delivering U.S. position statements for the U.S. delegation led by the Department of Labor. The U.S. delegation joined other countries to condemn the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine, and promoted U.S. priorities on country cases involving Bangladesh, Belarus, Burma, and Venezuela.
At the session, Special Representative Fay Rodriguez raised U.S. labor priorities with ILO Director-General Houngbo and other senior officials. During the session, the Governing Body worked towards advancing global worker rights in several areas – including on decent work in supply chains and on paving the way for a possible new international labor standard on the platform economy.
Looking ahead to the ILO International Labor Conference June 5-16, the Special Representative for International Labor Affairs looks forward to tripartite (government, worker, employer) discussions on the proposed Global Coalition for Social Justice and continues mobilizing support for U.S. global labor priorities, such as increased attention to non-discrimination principles in the workplace.
Terrorist Attacks in Tel Aviv and the West Bank
04/07/2023
Terrorist Attacks in Tel Aviv and the West Bank
04/07/2023 08:02 PM EDT
Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson
The United States strongly condemns today’s terrorist attacks in the West Bank and Tel Aviv. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones, and wish a full recovery to the injured. The three horrific attacks today, in which three were killed and at least eight others wounded, affected citizens of Israel, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The targeting of innocent civilians of any nationality is unconscionable. The United States stands with the government and people of Israel. We are in close contact with our Israeli partners and reaffirm our enduring commitment to their security.
