Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Press Availability

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good afternoon.  Let me simply begin by saying how fantastic it’s to be again in Germany for what’s I feel my sixth time as Secretary of State.  There are reminders of my nation’s partnership with Germany all over the place on this metropolis, together with proper right here on this constructing.  This financial institution administered the Marshall Plan funds that helped rebuild Germany and Europe after World Conflict II.

We knew {that a} safe, affluent, and democratic Europe was strongly within the pursuits of america, Europe, and the world.  That was true then.  It stays true at present.  Right here in Berlin 5 months in the past, I gave a speech about Russia’s impending aggression towards Ukraine.  Our intelligence revealed that President Putin was mobilizing for battle, and to border the stakes and put together our companions, I laid out why that will be so harmful for the individuals of Ukraine, for the individuals of Europe, certainly for individuals around the globe.

I mentioned that Russia was taking goal not solely at Ukraine, however on the basic ideas of peace and safety that had been established within the wake of two world wars and the Chilly Conflict that one nation can’t merely change the borders of one other by pressure or subjugate a sovereign nation to its will or dictate its decisions or insurance policies.  A number of weeks later, the battle started.  At present, it enters its fifth month.

Hundreds of civilians, tens of 1000’s of troopers have been killed or wounded.  Cities have been flattened.  Thousands and thousands of Ukrainians have fled their houses.  Past Ukraine, the worldwide meals disaster has spiked as a result of battle.  Russia has destroyed Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure, together with its second-largest grain terminal earlier this month.  It’s blockading Ukrainian ports within the Black Sea, stopping crops like grain and corn from being shipped worldwide.

There are about 25 million tons of grain caught in Ukraine due to this Russian blockade.  We spent a while at present within the G7 assembly after which within the extraordinary session convened by my German colleague on the rising meals insecurity disaster that has been accelerated by Russia’s battle of aggression and the steps that nations are taking to handle it.  These months have been brutal for Ukraine.  They’ve been very tough for nations and folks around the globe, and the reality is it’s prone to keep that manner for a while.

So let’s recall for a minute what we’re working to do and why we’re working to do it.  First, we’re serving to Ukraine survive as a democratic, impartial, sovereign state.  The UN Constitution guarantees that to each nation.  Russia, as a everlasting member of the Safety Council, is violating that constitution each single day.  Ukraine is preventing with extraordinary braveness.

A battle that President Putin thought can be over in a matter of days has now stretched on for months.  They’re preventing not only for themselves, however for all of us, as a result of if Russia will get away with violating the elemental ideas which might be at stake, it’s not simply the Ukrainian individuals who will undergo.  It’s going to drag us again to a way more harmful time, a way more unstable time.  It’s going to ship a message that these ideas are by some means expendable, and that will make many nations around the globe susceptible to the very aggression to which Ukraine is now topic.

Yesterday, I approved a drawdown of as much as $450 million in arms and different gear from the U.S. Protection Division inventories, together with high-mobility artillery rocket techniques, tens of 1000’s of extra rounds of ammunition for artillery techniques that Ukraine has already acquired, together with howitzers and patrol boats to assist Ukraine defend its coast and its waterways.  That is now our thirteenth drawdown for Ukraine’s protection since August of 2021.  That brings our complete navy help to Ukraine to greater than $6.1 billion because the battle started.  We’re giving Ukraine the assist it must defend itself.  For so long as it takes, we are going to proceed to take action.

There have been current experiences that Russia’s restricted navy positive factors in japanese Ukraine are sparking considerations in Europe and past concerning the battle’s trajectory, so let me be clear about just a few issues.

First, Ukraine is defending itself with extraordinary braveness and resilience, and Russia has already misplaced.  President Putin’s goal, in his personal phrases, was to remove Ukraine as a sovereign, impartial nation.  That effort has failed.  A sovereign, impartial Ukraine goes to be round loads longer than President Putin is on the scene.

When it comes to its navy marketing campaign, Russian forces failed badly of their try to seize Kyiv.  As a result of stiff Ukrainian resistance, Russia has dramatically altered its technique.  It scaled again its near-term goals and targeted as a substitute on capturing territory within the east to attempt to shift the momentum and permit President Putin to falsely declare victory.

However whereas Russia has made sluggish, painful positive factors in a single area, these positive factors have been removed from decisive, and so they’ve come at terribly excessive price.  Public experiences point out that tens of 1000’s of Russian troops have been killed or wounded because the aggression started, and Russia continues to lose a lot of tanks, plane, ships, gear, munitions.  Even when Russia succeeds in capturing extra territory, it’s going to inherit cities and cities that its personal artillery have turned to rubble and a neighborhood inhabitants that hates it.  It must content material with an more and more assertive and well-armed Ukrainian pressure.

Russia’s turn into mired in a battle of attrition of its personal making, and regardless of what you hear from propagandists within the Kremlin, our intelligence signifies that Russian navy continues to undergo from low morale, excessive casualty charges, gear failures, and leaders who’re afraid to inform the reality about what’s actually taking place on the bottom.

Second, we’re elevating the prices on Russia to convey the battle to an finish extra swiftly by unprecedented sanctions and export controls.  Economists predict that Russia’s GDP will contract by between 10 and 15 % this yr.  Moscow’s prevented an financial meltdown thus far by taking extraordinary measures to prop up its foreign money, however these ways are unsustainable as the complete impression of Western sanctions and commerce restrictions begins to take maintain.  Entry to credit score will dry up.  Manufacturing will decline.  Cabinets will stay empty.  Unemployment will rise.  With out entry to international finance, know-how, and commerce, Russia’s long-term financial potential, its capacity to mission navy energy, its capability to ship a excessive lifestyle for its individuals, will badly degrade.

Whilst Russia advantages from greater oil costs within the close to time period, it gained’t over time as Europe considerably reduces its oil imports and Moscow can’t change power manufacturing gear due to export controls.  Likewise, the Kremlin can’t spend its cash on the issues that it actually desires, like superior protection and aerospace parts, which have additionally been restricted by export controls.

In the meantime, we’ve seen now greater than a thousand international corporations flee the nation, withdraw their investments.  Extra will seemingly make the identical determination because the impact of sanctions and export controls continues to compound.  We’ve additionally seen a lot of Russia’s greatest and brightest go away the nation as properly, together with extremely educated professionals within the tech and power fields and international specialists who used to name Russia dwelling.  Possibly all of because of this the Russian Authorities stopped publishing key financial knowledge in April.

Our data signifies that round half of Russians not too long ago reported that their family financial scenario has worsened because the battle started.  Finally the Russian individuals must ask themselves:  Is that this battle price the price?  Why are we doing this?  How is that this in any manner bettering my life, my youngsters’s lives?

Third, we’re working to finish international dependence on Russian power, which the Kremlin has used as a device of coercion for a lot too lengthy.  The EU pledge to chop Russian oil imports by 90 % by the top of the yr and to ban EU corporations from carrying Russian crude is a powerful and brave act.  We all know that carrying it out won’t be simple.  Germany, for instance, has simply taken new measures to preserve power to assist handle rising gas costs.  However ultimately, transferring away from Russian oil and Russian power means breaking free from Moscow’s grip, and that may finally make life higher for the individuals of Europe.

Fourth, we’re strengthening our personal defenses.  On the NATO Leaders Summit subsequent week, we are going to endorse a brand new Strategic Idea to make sure that NATO is ready to face rising threats over the subsequent decade.  We’ll announce new pressure posture commitments to strengthen NATO’s japanese flank and its protection and deterrence.  And, after all, we’ll pursue Finland and Sweden’s functions to hitch the Alliance in gentle of the Kremlin’s battle on their neighbor.  President Putin needed to weaken NATO with this battle.  As a substitute, NATO is stronger, extra united, and on the cusp of enlarging.

All of us want that let’s imagine with certainty when this battle will finish.  The times forward usually are not going to be simple.  However we should and we are going to keep resolved to face as much as Russian aggression and defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence.  President Putin used to assert that this battle of aggression towards Ukraine was by some means a few menace that Ukraine or NATO posed towards Russia.  However that’s not what that is about; it by no means has been, and President Putin now forthrightly acknowledges it.  He not too long ago in contrast himself to Peter the Nice and mentioned that when Peter waged a battle with Sweden, he was merely taking again what belonged to Russia.  Now, he mentioned, Russia is once more trying to take again what’s theirs.  He stopped pretending this battle of selection is about Russia defending itself from a manufactured menace by NATO.  It’s about conquest.  It’s about subjugating Russia’s neighbor.  We are able to’t let that occur.

From the beginning of this brutal battle, america and our allies and companions have been united to a outstanding diploma, and that continues.  At each step there have been doubts about whether or not our shared resolve would final, and at each step we’ve proved that it might.  Some doubted that we’d impose sanctions that will have a significant impression on the Russian financial system; we did.  Some have doubted whether or not we’d construct a big coalition behind these sanctions; we did.  Some doubted whether or not nations in Europe would offer deadly defensive help to Ukraine; they did.  Some doubted that Ukraine may stand up to Moscow’s onslaught; it has, it’s going to, and we’ll stand with them.

Within the coming week, we’ll strengthen our unity but once more, each on the NATO Leaders Summit and on the G7 Leaders Summit, the place we’ll reaffirm our assist for a democratic, impartial, sovereign, and affluent Ukraine; handle the impression that this battle of aggression by Russia is having on rising international costs for meals and fuel; and roll out a set of concrete actions to proceed to extend the prices on Russia.

President Zelenskyy mentioned that this battle will solely definitively finish by diplomacy.  We stand able to assist any diplomatic answer.  And but, Russia has proven no curiosity.  We’ll hold discussing diplomatic methods with Ukraine, with our allies and companions.  We’ll hold strengthening Ukraine’s place on the battlefield so it has the strongest attainable place at any negotiating desk that emerges.

As President Biden not too long ago reiterated, we search a democratic, impartial, sovereign, and affluent Ukraine with the means to discourage and defend itself towards any additional aggression.  We’ll assist Ukraine’s efforts to realize a negotiated finish to the battle as a result of our precept all through this disaster has been nothing about Ukraine with out Ukraine, and that may proceed.

The US is grateful to our allies and companions for extremely shut coordination each step alongside the best way.  We be part of individuals around the globe in standing resolutely with the Ukrainian individuals as they combat for his or her nation and for the ideas that make the world safer and extra free for everybody.  Thanks.

MR PRICE:  We now have time for just a few questions.  We’ll begin with Missy Ryan of The Washington Put up.

QUESTION:  Hello, Mr. Secretary.  Thanks for doing this.  I’ve two questions on Ukraine.  First, you talked about Russia’s restricted navy positive factors in japanese Ukraine, however on the identical time Russia has – I assume you had been referring to the autumn of Sievierodonetsk or the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from that metropolis.  However Russia has additionally managed to take different components of japanese Ukraine, and I’m simply questioning if you happen to see the altering of management in Sievierodonetsk as probably an indicator of the bounds of Ukraine’s battlefield attain or functionality and an indicator of this probably settling into frozen battle.

After which yesterday you talked about the 450 million, the newest drawdown.  In response to that, the rating Republican on the Senate Armed Providers Committee welcomed the drawdown but additionally mentioned that the administration, in his view, remains to be failing to go far sufficient in offering weapons that Ukraine has requested like longer-range drones and tanks.  What’s your response to the concept america and its allies, regardless of this huge quantity of help that’s being rolled out, are arming Ukraine sufficient to keep up a stalemate or maybe have this sluggish degrading of its territory however not sufficient to win?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thanks, Missy.  So first, what we’re seeing within the Donbas, in japanese Ukraine, after Russia’s failure to realize its goals of taking your entire nation, eliminating its sovereignty and independence – that failed.  It failed largely due to the extraordinary braveness of the Ukrainian individuals.  It additionally failed as a result of for a lot of, many months, properly earlier than the aggression, we had been doing every thing we may to make it possible for Ukrainians had of their arms the instruments that they wanted, the weapons that they wanted to repel Russian aggression.  And that’s what they so successfully did round Kyiv and pushed your entire battle to japanese Ukraine and southern Ukraine.

The preventing is intense within the Donbas all through.  We’re seeing horrifically giant numbers of casualties on each side, Russia and Ukraine, and what we’ve mentioned all alongside is that the trajectory of this battle was not going to be linear.  It could transfer forwards and backwards.  The progress that we’ve seen Russia make within the Donbas, as I mentioned, has come at extremely excessive price to Russia in lives and materiel.  And as I discussed a second in the past, in lots of instances, to the extent that Russia does take some extra territory, the territory that it’s taken has actually been bombed to the rubbles by Russia itself.  And to the extent the native populace stays, it’s – as I mentioned, it hates Russia.  In order that’s not a scenario that implies there can be stability in any components of Ukraine that Russia seizes by pressure.

However once more, I feel we deal with the tactical on the expense of trying, once more, on the strategic.  And it’s price emphasizing that Russia’s goals, Putin’s goals, had been to remove Ukraine as a sovereign and impartial state.  That has failed.  And now there’s a extremely harmful battle happening in a single a part of Ukraine.

With regard to the help, what we’ve executed at each step alongside the best way is to make the perfect dedication we are able to about what it’s that Ukraine wants and may successfully use to repel the Russian aggression.  And that evolves over time; that’s modified over time.  A number of the techniques that we and lots of others had been offering to the Ukrainians to take care of the Russian assault on Kyiv had been completely different from what is important now as a result of the character of the battle has modified, the character of what’s wanted has modified.

As I discussed, that is now the thirteenth drawdown that we’ve executed, properly over $6 billion in help simply from america, and naturally dozens of allies and companions are additionally collaborating in an effort coordinated by us – Secretary Austin in Ramstein simply a few months in the past introduced everybody collectively to actually additional coordinate these efforts.  And we make determinations day by day about what we consider could be handiest in serving to the Ukrainians take care of the Russian aggression and the specifics of that aggression.

Two issues are essential: the gear itself, which is being supplied very quickly, to incorporate most not too long ago the HIMARS, to incorporate most not too long ago the MLRS – and that considerably will increase the vary that the Ukrainians have in coping with Russian artillery positions and different issues.  It’s additionally vital, although, that – within the case of weapons techniques being supplied by many, many nations, together with america – that the Ukrainians be successfully skilled to make use of the system in addition to have the flexibility to keep up them.  So all of that needs to be put collectively.  We’re doing that, and once more, we’re doing that in very shut coordination with allies and companions, and I feel you’ll see, as extra gear continues to get the place it must get – into Ukrainian arms – that that may have an effect on the battlefield.

MR PRICE:  Vivian.

QUESTION:  Thanks.  Thanks, Mr. Secretary.  I do have a meals safety query, however if you happen to’ll indulge me in gentle of the historic information again dwelling, I needed to ask you – after all, you might have heard that the Supreme Courtroom has overturned Roe v. Wade, imposing potential restrictions that will largely buck worldwide traits.  Yesterday the court docket additionally mentioned that People can – have the appropriate to hold firearms in public for self-defense on the heels of a collection of mass shootings.  In fact, we all know this isn’t essentially your portfolio, however the Biden administration has repeatedly touted its need to enhance America’s picture overseas with allies and companions and to make sure them that on main points and ideas, America is on the identical web page.  Does this complicate your efforts to try this?

After which I can ask you immediately the meals safety query.  You and your counterparts have repeatedly pushed again on Russia’s feedback that sanctions are answerable for the meals disaster, and there’s proof to assist that, however sanctions have brought about large challenges that can not be denied, and thus far, regardless of discussions with allies around the globe, these efforts haven’t but seen a big impression so far as easing a few of these logistical disruptions which might be taking place.  And so how will you change that?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Certain, thanks.  With regard to the Supreme Courtroom’s determination, I consider the President goes to be chatting with that very shortly, perhaps within the subsequent hour or so.  So I’m definitely not going to get forward of the President.  I’ll let him converse to the choice.

With regard to grain, first, it is rather necessary to proceed to clarify, as I did earlier at present once I was standing with my German counterpart, that this narrative that Russia has been pushing out that by some means our sanctions are contributing to meals shortage, that that’s totally incorrect and it’s Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine that has exacerbated what was already a horrible pre-existing situation.  We’ve seen rising meals insecurity over the previous few years, largely pushed by local weather change and COVID; now we have now battle and Russia’s aggression.

And once more, to be completely clear about this, from day one, as we imposed sanctions on Russia for its aggression towards Ukraine, we exempted from these sanctions meals, meals merchandise, fertilizer, and in addition issues essential to maneuver them out of Russia, together with insurance coverage and delivery.  And we have now been going around the globe every time a query, a sensible query is raised about some perceived obstacle to transferring meals to reply these questions, and if any complication has resulted that was unintended, we’re coping with it and ensuring that we are able to facilitate the export of meals.

Russia itself has been taking part in horrible video games with its personal meals, imposing its personal export controls on itself, placing quotas on, deciding when and the place it’s going to make meals obtainable for political causes.  As I mentioned earlier than, there’s nothing stopping the export of meals, meals merchandise, fertilizer from Russia apart from Russia itself.  And the one factor that’s stopping the export of meals from Ukraine, the breadbasket of Europe, is Russia.  Blockading Odessa – as I mentioned earlier, there are about 25 million tons of grain caught in silos in Ukraine, on ships within the Odessa port, that may’t go away due to Russia.

So once more, Russia has been spreading this false narrative, we’re batting it down in each place that we are able to, and if any sensible issues emerge, we take care of them.

MR PRICE:  Fred Pleitgen, CNN.

QUESTION:  Thanks, sir.  I simply bought again from Russia; I used to be there for about two and a half weeks.  And fairly frankly, the Russians consider that they’re profitable.  They are saying that their financial system has been hit, however it definitely hasn’t been crippled.  They’re making tons of cash off oil and fuel.  They’re really making an attempt to show the offensive in Ukraine into an employment program by providing individuals as much as 5, six thousand {dollars} a month to combat there, particularly individuals from lower-income areas of Russia.  And so they’ve outlined or they’ve referred to as the battlefield losses that you just say are horrific – they’ve referred to as these acceptable.  Doesn’t that imply that the U.S. basically must step up loads so far as financial stress is worried and navy help to Ukraine is worried if it actually desires to dissuade Russia from persevering with to assault Ukraine?

I do wish to additionally comply with up on what Vivian was saying or asking, as a result of I did have the prospect to talk to Dmitry Peskov and he instructed me that the Russians can be completely positive with permitting items to get out of the port of Odessa, however the Ukrainians need to take away the mines and the Russians wish to examine each ship.  Do you give any credence to calls for like that?

And eventually – that is most likely only a yes-or-no reply – is there any probability that you just’ll stumble upon or meet Sergey Lavrov on the G20 in Bali?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  So let me take these in a barely completely different order.  Thanks.

First, with regard to Odessa, once more, the one factor stopping Ukrainian grain from leaving is the Russian efficient blockade of the port.  When Russia says that it could be ready to let ships out, that probably creates the chance of Russian ships entering into and attacking Odessa instantly.  So the Ukrainians need to believe that in doing something that will enable their ships to get out of port, that the Russians gained’t reap the benefits of that and permit Russian ships to go in and assault Odessa.

With regard to inspections, by what proper or by what logic does Russia insist on inspecting Ukrainian sovereign ships leaving Ukrainian ports going to different nations?  That is senseless.  Having mentioned that, the United Nations, the secretary-general have been working very persistently to see if some type of settlement could be reached that will enable a channel out of Odessa for Ukrainian ships, and so meals and grain.  We very a lot assist that effort.  They’re making an attempt to convey Russians, Ukrainians collectively.  Turkey’s concerned additionally in supporting this effort.  If they will come to an settlement, that will be an excellent factor, however I’ve doubts about whether or not Russia is admittedly severe about doing this.  It retains kind of kicking the can down the street regardless of the perfect efforts of the UN secretary-general, however we hope that that may obtain one thing.

In the meantime, there’s – extra grain is transferring out of Ukraine by rail, by land by to Poland, Romania, and different locations.  We’ve seen the quantity go up month to month.  It’s nonetheless not wherever close to the place it was earlier than the Russian aggression, however that’s – that’s growing.  We’re working to assist facilitate that.  One of many different large issues that Ukraine has – and the President addressed this the opposite day – is that as a result of a lot grain is caught in silos, as the brand new harvest is available in there’s no place for it to go.  So we’re some artistic options to that drawback.

Once more, with regard to the sanctions and the stress, Putin has developed over time one of the crucial efficient 24/7 propaganda techniques of any nation on earth, and so the regular food plan of propaganda that Russians are fed each single day with out different sources of knowledge that Putin over a few years has sought to remove makes it typically tough for the reality to penetrate instantly.  However as I mentioned earlier, the sanctions have already had a dramatic impression on Russia’s financial fortunes.  A lot of what it’s doing, for instance, to prop up the ruble is unsustainable, and I feel you’ll see modifications there.

As I discussed, whereas oil revenues are coming in due to greater costs, the export controls are such that the issues that Russia most desires to purchase, together with know-how to modernize its protection sector, to modernize its capacity to extract power somewhere else, they will’t purchase it.  In the meantime, this exodus of greater than a thousand corporations from Russia – that additionally has an impression over time.  For instance, corporations which have been concerned in promoting issues that Russians wish to purchase, that they had stock in Russia, so whilst they left or mentioned they had been leaving, the stock was nonetheless there, so Russians may nonetheless purchase an iPhone.

As these inventories are depleted, I feel you’ll see that the Russian individuals won’t be able to purchase what they’ve been in a position to purchase for the final 20 or 30 years since Russia’s opening to the world, and what Putin has forfeited amongst many different issues with this aggression towards Ukraine is every thing that’s been achieved by way of Russian’s openness to the world and the alternatives that creates for the Russian individuals.  He’s forfeited that with this aggression towards Ukraine.

It will chunk increasingly and extra.  We’re seeing a downgrading of Russian bonds to junk standing.  We’re seeing expectations for Russian development to be someplace between minus 10 and minus 15 this coming yr, and all of that has a cumulative impression.  And as I mentioned, sooner or later, regardless of the propaganda system, the Russian individuals are really going to really feel this of their each day lives.  I want that weren’t the case.  I want that these penalties of Putin’s aggression weren’t going to additionally trigger struggling in Russia, however that may be a reality.  It’s a results of Putin’s aggression, and I simply come again to this easy query that if one may converse to Russians instantly – and perhaps you probably did in your time there – what is that this probably doing to enhance their lives?  How is that this horrific aggression that’s costing so many Ukrainian lives and so many Russian lives – how is that doing something to truly handle what the Russian individuals need?

I feel with time they’re going to be asking these questions increasingly and extra.

MR PRICE:  Kristin Becker, ARD.

QUESTION:  (Off-mike.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Oh.  I gained’t get forward of that.  We’ll – keep tuned.

MR PRICE:  Kristin Becker, ARD.

QUESTION:  Thanks.  Mr. Secretary, in your assertion, you mentioned we are going to proceed to assist Ukraine so long as it takes, kind of.  I used to be questioning, like, additionally in Germany nowadays solidarity is the large phrase, however in Germany and as properly within the U.S., you have got kind of a worsened scenario for the traditional individuals by way of inflation, fuel costs.  So how lengthy do you suppose you possibly can sustain this solidarity?  Is there a restrict?

And if you happen to enable me, simply – I do perceive that you just can’t supply an official place on the Roe v. Wade case, however in Germany we have now a giant day at present on abortion rights as properly as a result of parliament voted for extra liberalization on that.  And I used to be simply questioning if you happen to may supply not less than a private be aware.  Your ex-boss – ex-President Obama mentioned it’s an assault on “the important [freedom] of tens of millions of People.”  Do you agree?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Second half first, once more, as a result of President Biden can be chatting with this very shortly, I’m not going to have something to say.  I need – I don’t wish to get forward of the President.

With regard to the sustainability of every thing that we’re doing, I’d say two issues.  First, as I discussed in my opening feedback, at just about each step alongside the best way on this course of ranging from earlier than Russia’s aggression by to proper now, there have been numerous doubts expressed about our capacity to do issues we mentioned we’d do, about our capacity to keep up solidarity, concerning the willingness of allies and companions to take vital steps when it comes both to sanctions or to supporting Ukraine, together with with safety help.

And so far at each step alongside the best way, the doubters have been proved incorrect, and our solidarity, our capacity to work as allies and companions in assist of Ukraine militarily, economically, and on a humanitarian foundation; to impose prices on Russia for the aggression in an effort to get it to finish the battle extra rapidly, and as we’ll see in just some days, strengthening our defensive Alliance at NATO – I feel that cohesion, that solidarity has been in contrast to any I’ve seen within the 30 or so years that I’ve been doing this.  As I mentioned earlier, too, we are able to’t predict how lengthy this battle will final, and I concern that it’ll nonetheless be a while.  We’d wish to see it – Russia’s aggression finish tomorrow, and we’ll search for any alternative to advance an finish to the aggression.

However what I heard at present from my companions within the G7 was an ongoing dedication to proceed doing what we’ve been doing in assist of Ukraine: imposing prices on Russia, strengthening our personal defenses.  I do know we’ll see extra of that at NATO and we’ll see that on the leaders’ degree on the G7.  And I feel the solidarity is powerful, it’s actual, and there’s an actual dedication to hold it by so long as is important.

`MR PRICE:  Take a remaining query from Carsten Hoffmann, DPA.

QUESTION:  Sure.  Mr. Secretary, you talked about meals safety already at present and there was the convention, however there’s one other large drawback that’s power safety.  There’s concern that Germany and different European nations could be hit very exhausting within the winter due to a scarcity of fuel.  Is there one thing that you must – that the U.S. may do?  Have you ever talked along with your companions in Europe about this?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Sure, and in reality, that’s been an ongoing dialog – greater than a dialog, lively coordination – for a number of months.  We arrange a process pressure with the European Union to have a look at power considerations which have arisen since Russia’s aggression, together with considerations concerning the availability of power for Europe.  We now have ourselves directed extra liquified pure fuel to Europe.  We’ve labored with different nations, together with in Asia, who had been contracted to take some liquified pure fuel that’s been redirected to Europe.  We’re doing every thing we are able to to assist transitions that Europe is making away from Russian oil within the first occasion, after which finally diversifying their sources of power going ahead.

This isn’t simple in any respect.  I imply, the dependence on Russia has constructed up over many years, so you possibly can’t simply flip a change and finish it simply and cleanly.  However there appears to me to be an actual dedication in Europe to try this.  And for individuals in Europe, persevering with to permit Russia to have a stranglehold by power on completely different nations in Europe, that I consider is each unacceptable and unsustainable.  And European leaders are taking very brave steps to maneuver away from that.

I feel we’ve mentioned all alongside that in standing as much as this Russian aggression, the prices would primarily be borne by the Ukrainian individuals, however we’d additionally bear prices.  And I feel leaders all through Europe and past in Asia have made the judgment that these prices are essential as a result of what’s at stake, the continued risks posed to all of us by permitting the Russian aggression to go ahead with impunity, are huge.  And so there are sacrifices which might be being made, however we’re taking very lively steps to attempt to handle them, to finish them, to mitigate them wherever we are able to.  And once more, there’s an ongoing work that’s being executed just about day by day to have a look at what we are able to do to assist make it possible for Europe has the power it wants when it wants it.

Thanks.

MR PRICE:  Thanks, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thanks, everybody.