Cronkite school of journalism at
Arizona state university.
Click the challenges for U.S.
Foreign policy during this fraud
moment in history are many from
Ukraine and Russia to energy
production in the Middle East to
the competition with China.
All of those issues and more are
in the portfolio for Antony
I spoke with him earlier today.
>> Thank you for joining us.
Let's start with Ukraine.
We know that they are now being
massively outgunned by the
Russian.
They say their weapons are not
being replaced quickly enough or
adequately.
They don't have close to the
amount of weapons or ammunition.
Does this mean the tide has
turned in Russia's favor?
Christ we are seeing a very
intense fight in the Dundas.
-- >> We are seeing very intense
fighting in the donbas.
There is a very intense ever
that is ongoing as we speak to
make sure the Ukrainians are
getting what they need.
It will not be linear.
There are significant casualties
on both sides.
There is a significantly
coordinated effort being
undertaken to make sure that
Ukrainians get what they need
when they needed.
This is likely to go on for some
time.
This is what we are seeing on
the ground but there is a big
difference.
Ukrainians are fighting for
their country.
They are fighting for their
future and their freedom.
It is unclear what the Russians
are fighting for.
And the bizarre belief that
Ukraine is not a sovereign
country, it needs to be subsumed
somehow into Russia.
I am convinced and confident at
the end of the day that
Ukraine's Independence,
Ukraine's sovereignty will
prevail.
>> The Ukrainians say they are
not getting what they need.
What more can the U.S. Do right
now to help them?
Christ it is happening as we
speak.
Some weeks ago, Lloyd Austin put
together a group of about 40
countries to make sure that all
of the assistance that was being
actively coordinated, that group
of countries is working every
single day to make sure it is
happening but there is
tremendous suffering on the
battlefield.
Ukrainians are feeling that.
They are suffering that.
We are deeply concerned by it.
>> What we are hearing from
experts is no longer -- no
matter how unfair or repugnant
it may seem, it is now appearing
inevitable that Ukraine will
have to make territorial
concessions in the east.
They are going to have to bow to
Vladimir Putin and give him that
territory he says he wants.
>> Ukraine's future is up to the
Ukrainian people and ultimately,
those decisions will be made by
its democratically elected
government including president
zelenskyy.
We will support that.
We are not going to be less
Ukrainian than the Ukrainians.
But it is fundamentally up to
them.
That is what this is about.
Vladimir Putin is trying to take
away from Ukrainians the right
to determine their own future.
We strongly support that right
and we will look to the
Ukrainians to decide what is in
their best interest.
>> Let me turn you to the middle
East.
President Biden's July trip to
the vision announced today,
including a stop in Saudi Arabia
and a meeting with the crown
prince who U.S. Intelligence as
you know has said had a role --
mastermind of the murder and the
dismemberment of Jamaal
khashoggi.
They called the crown prince up
her eye and said any meaning
would be antithetical to what
America stands for.
He has not done a 180.
How is this not a triumph of oil
and energy over values and human
rights?
Christ when it comes to Saudi
Arabia, there are a lot of
different things at play.
A vital partner in dealing with
extremism and contending with
the challenge posed by Iran.
When we came in, the president
made clear we were determined to
recalibrate the relationship.
When it comes to khashoggi and
his murder, one of the earliest
things we did was to release a
full report on what happened
including assessing blame for
responsibility for the murder
with a report that I released.
At the same time, we have other
values at stake.
One of them is making sure that
one of the worst wars we have
seen in the last decade, one of
the worst humanitarian
situations in the world in
Yemen, that that work comes to
an end.
Saudi Arabia has been
indispensable in helping us to
achieve something that many have
not taken much notice of but is
usually important.
We have a truce now in Yemen.
The first one in eight years.
It has now been extended for his
ninth week.
Some of the guns have stopped
firing and we also have an
opportunity to get something
sustainable and to build an
enduring peace in Yemen.
That event is our values.
>> In this meeting, what the
president confirmed -- confront
the crown prince?
If not, why not?
>> I can say this, the president
has been very clear, human
rights will remain at the heart
of our agenda.
I regularly raise human rights
in these cases.
I would respect the president to
do the same.
>> One other follow-up there.
It has been reported that the
Saudi's agreed to increase oil
production.
Is this the case and if so, how
long do you expect that to
continue?
Christ we will engage the
Saudi's on that.
Especially at a time when there
is more energy in the markets.
>> Let me turn you quickly to
China.
There are growing opinions out
there, it is less likely they
believe that China would attack
Taiwan now.
Also, with a look ahead to the
20th party congress.
Do you believe it is less likely
that China will move on from
Taiwan anytime soon?
>> I can't speculate on what
China will or won't do.
We are trying to shape the
environment.
When it comes to Taiwan, there
was a status quo that existed
and we have been determined to
see that no one unilaterally
moves to change that.
But we have seen over the past
few years is China acting more
aggressively at home and
aggressively abroad.
China has to make those
calculations.
What we can do is shake the
environment.
China has to factor in the
response.
So many countries coming
together to stand against that
aggression both by making sure
they have the support they
needed.
>>
They have to make sure that
Taiwan has the means to
effectively defend itself and to
deter the aggression.
>> Now that they have turned off
most of the cameras monitoring
their nuclear activity, does
that mean the prospects for a
deal with Iran over its nuclear
program in the U.S. Are dead?
Christ the fact is that we spent
time with European partners over
the last year seeking to get
back into compliance with the
jcpoa.
Much of that work has been done.
Iran has ought to insert
extraneous issues into the
negotiation.
It has taken actions like the
one you cited and started to
remove cameras from facilities
that would make it increasingly
difficult to get back because
those cameras are necessary for
verifying the agreement.
This agreement had probably the
most effective and intrusive
inspections of any arms-control.
>> Antony blinken, thank you
very much, allowing your play.