GENERAL, AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU.
>> IT’S GREAT BEING WITH YOU,
BRETT.
>> DEPUTY SECRETARY WENDY
SHERMAN.
MADAM SECRETARY, WELCOME TO FOX
NEWS SUNDAY.
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
I WANT TO START WITH WHERE WE
LEFT OFF THEIR.
THAT IT IS THESE BALLISTIC
MISSILES FIRED ON THE U.S.
CONSULATE IN IRAQ FROM INSIDE
IRAN JUST IN THE PAST FEW
MINUTES IRAN IS NOW CLAIMING
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT ATTACK.
WHAT IS THE REACTION TO THAT AND
IS THERE GOING TO BE A RESPONSE.
>> THIS WAS A VERY CONCERNING
ATTACK AS A GENERAL POINTED OUT.
INDEED WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT
THE CONSULATE WAS ACTUALLY THE
TARGET OF THIS MISSILE ATTACK.
WE ARE VERY GLAD THAT OUR
FACILITIES ARE SECURE, THAT
EVERYBODY IS ACCOUNTED FOR, THAT
NO ONE HAS BEEN HURT OR KILLED,
BUT ALL THAT SAID, THIS IS GREAT
CONCERN.
THERE WILL INDEED BE A
STATEMENT, I AM SURE COMING OUT
SHORTLY AS WELL AS CALLS IN.
THIS WAS HE AND I ATTACK ON IRAQ
SOVEREIGNTY AMONG OTHER THINGS
AND OF GRAVE CONCERN TO ALL OF
US.
WE WILL BE FOLLOWING THIS
CLOSELY.
>> U.S. PERSONNEL THAT WORK AND
LIVE THERE.
NO CASUALTIES AS OF YET THAT WE
HAVE HEARD OF.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE U.S. IS
CLOSING IN ON THIS NUCLEAR DEAL
WITH IRAN.
IS THAT TRUE?
IS IT CLOSE?
>> WE WOULD LIKE ALL THE PARTIES
INCLUDING RUSSIA, AS INDICATED
IT HAS SOME CONCERNS TO BRING
THIS TO A CLOSE.
WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT
IRAN IS DOING.
IMAGINE THESE IRANIANS WITH A
NUCLEAR WEAPON.
WE NEED TO GET THAT OFF THE
TABLE SO WE CAN ADDRESS THEIR
BEHAVIOR IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND
WE WILL DO ALL OF THE ABOVE.
FIRST WE HAVE TO GET THIS DEAL
AND IT IS NOT YET CLOSED.
>> MADAM SECRETARY, YOU CAN
UNDERSTAND THE AVERAGE
DISCONNECT FROM THE AMERICANS
WATCHING THIS.
SITTING AT THE TABLE WITH THE
RUSSIANS AND BEYOND.
GETTING FIRED UPON BY IRAN.
THE TARGET WAS NOT THE U.S.
CONSULATE, BUT THAT IS WHERE IT
ENDED UP HELP PEOPLE SQUARE THIS
CIRCLE BECAUSE IT DOES NOT
SEEMED LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE
THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT.
>> IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND.
I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT HERE IS THE DEAL.
IF IRAN HAS A NUCLEAR WEAPON,
ITS ABILITY TO PROJECT POWER
INTO THE MIDDLE EAST AND DETER
US IS ENORMOUS.
SO, PRESIDENT BIDEN, WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT IRAN NEVER
OBTAINS A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
AND THEN WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE
DEAL WITH THEIR BEHAVIOR IN THE
REGION.
BUT, FIRST, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY CANNOT OBTAIN A
NUCLEAR WEAPON.
>> TO MORE QUESTIONS.
DO YOU THINK THIS DEAL IS AS
GOOD AS A 2015 DEAL?
>> I THINK WE DO NOT KNOW YET.
IT IS NOT CLOSED.
IT IS NOT FINISHED.
WE ARE URGING ALL PARTIES TO DO
WHAT THEY NEED TO AND THERE IS A
LOT OF ONUS ON IRAN TO DECIDE
WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO MOVE
FORWARD OR NOT.
COME INTO COMPLIANCE AND ENSURE
THAT IRAN NEVER HAS A NUCLEAR
WEAPON.
>> REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A DEAL
IS REACHED OR NOT, IS THERE A
PLAN TO DEAL WITH IRAN’S
REGIONAL BEHAVIOR, PROXIES,
TERRORISM FIGHTING THESE
MISSILES, DRONES, WHETHER THERE
IS A DEAL WITH REMOVING
SANCTIONS ARE NOT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
VERY HIGH PRIORITY.
WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AND
ALLIES TO DO EXACTLY THAT.
>> THERE IS REPORTING THAT TWO
IRANIANS BELONGING TO A FORCE
PLOTTING TO ASSASSINATE FORMER
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JOHN
BOLTON ACCORDING TO THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT.
THIS IS THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
REPORTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT
POSSESSES EVIDENCE AGAINST
IRANIANS AT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION RESISTING
PUBLICLY INDICTING THE MAN.
DO YOU KNOW THAT TO BE TRUE?
>> WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE AS WE
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT
AMERICAN CITIZENS FROM HARM.
WE DO THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY AND
THAT IS TRUE OF ALL PRESENT AND
PAST AMERICAN OFFICIALS AND THAT
IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.
>> NOTHING IS BEING HELD BACK.
WE WILL PROTECT AMERICANS
WHEREVER THEY ARE, HOWEVER WE
CAN.
>> THESE NEW STRIKES OVERNIGHT
IN THE WEST, JUST MILES FROM THE
POLISH BORDER.
THE DEATH TOLL NOW AT 35.
135 WOUNDED THERE.
NOTHING NATO OR THE U.S. HAS
DONE SO FAR HAS STOPPED VLADIMIR
PUTIN.
HOW DOES THIS INTO?
>> RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE IT
ENDS VERY BADLY ALREADY FOR THE
UKRAINIAN PEOPLE.
I THINK WE ALL SPEND EVERY DAY
JUST HORRIFIED AT THE SUFFERING
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AS YOUR
REPORTER ON THE GROUND
DISCUSSED.
IT IS JUST AWFUL.
PEOPLE WILL EITHER STARVE TO
DEATH OR FREEZE TO DEATH OR DIE
BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE THEIR
MEDICINE.
IT IS TRULY HORRIFYING.
THERE ARE TWO OBJECTIVES THAT WE
HAVE.
ONE IS TO SUPPORT UKRAINE IN
EVERY WAY WE CAN AND SINCE THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS BEGAN,
WE HAVE PUT $1.2 BILLION FORWARD
AND SECURITY ASSISTANCE THAT
HELPED UKRAINE DEFEND ITSELF
AGAINST THIS HORRIBLE ATTACK.
THE SECOND IS TO PUT ENORMOUS
PRESSURE ON VLADIMIR PUTIN TO
TRY TO CHANGE HIS CALCULUS TO
END THIS WAR TO GET A CEASE-FIRE
IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, TO GET
HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS AND TO
END THIS INVASION.
THAT PRESSURE IS BEGINNING TO
HAVE SOME AFFECT.
WE ARE SEEING SOME SIGNS OF A
WILLINGNESS TO HAVE REAL SERIOUS
NEGOTIATIONS, BUT I HAVE TO SAY
AS YOUR REPORTER SAID, SO FAR,
IT APPEARS THAT VLADIMIR PUTIN
IS INTENT ON DESTROYING UKRAINE.
WE NEED TO HELP UKRAINIANS IN
EVERY WAY WE CAN.
>> MADAM SECRETARY, EVERYONE IS
WARY OF WORLD WAR III.
ON CAPITOL HILL, NOW MORE AND
MORE LAWMAKERS.
IT SEEMS TO BE SAID THAT THEY
ARE TIRED OF GIVING PUTIN THE
UPPER HAND HERE.
AT LEAST PUBLICLY.
HERE IS SENATOR MITT ROMNEY.
>> PRESIDENT PUTIN HAS ACTUALLY
SAID THE THINGS THAT WE ARE
DOING OUR PROVOCATIVE.
HE’S ALREADY SAID THAT THE
SANCTIONS WE PUT IN PLACE ARE
LIKE DECLARING WAR.
HE WILL CONTINUE SAYING THAT.
WE ARE FEARFUL OF PROVOKING HIM.
IT IS TIME FOR HIM TO BE FEARFUL
OF US.
>> AS OUR WAY TO FLIP THE SCRIPT
HERE?
>> I THINK WE’VE ALREADY STARTED
TO FLIP THAT SCRIPT, BRETT.
$1.2 BILLION IN SECURITY
ASSISTANCE, ANTITANK,
ANTI-ARMOR, ANTI-AIRCRAFT IS
REALLY HELPING UKRAINE TO RESIST
WHAT YOUR REPORTER SAID IS A
ARMY OF RUSSIA WHERE PUTIN VERY
BADLY MISCALCULATED HOW THIS WAR
WOULD GO.
IT IS NONETHELESS HORRIFYING FOR
RICK RAINEY -- UKRAINIAN PEOPLE.
WE WANT TO TRY TO MEDIATE AND
THIS TERRIBLE TERRIBLE
SITUATION.
>> SUPPORTIVE IN EVERY WAY.
THESE JETS FROM POLAND REALLY
SEEM TO BE A MIXED MESSAGE.
REPUBLICANS ARE NOW TALKING
ABOUT THAT OPENLY.
CRITICIZING THE ADMINISTRATION.
HERE IS SENATOR TOM COTTON.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> THEY ARE SAYING ON THE ONE
HAND UKRAINE IS NOT EFFECTIVELY
USING ITS CURRENT AIRCRAFT AND
CANNOT EFFECTIVELY USE THIS
AIRCRAFT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, VLADIMIR
PUTIN WILL USE THIS AT SUCH AN
ESCALATION HE MAY STRIKE THE
UNITED STATES OR STRIKE NATO.
BOTH OF THOSE THINGS CANNOT BE
TRUE.
>> UKRAINIANS DO NOT NEED
APPLAUSE, THEY NEED JETS.
>> UKRAINIANS SAY THAT THEY DO
WANT THESE MEGS, WHETHER WE
ASSESS THAT THEY ARE GOOD OR NOT
FOR THE BATTLEFIELD, WHY NOT GET
THEM THAT.
>> IF I WERE PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR
ZELENSKY I WOULD WANT EVERYTHING
AND ANYTHING I COULD POSSIBLY
GET.
SO I UNDERSTAND THIS.
THE PENTAGON, HOWEVER, MADE AN
ASSESSMENT THAT TRYING TO MOVE
THESE PLANES WAS VERY
COMPLICATED.
BACKFILLING THEM WAS VIRTUALLY
IMPOSSIBLE.
THAT WHAT UKRAINIANS REALLY
NEEDED WERE ANTI-AIRCRAFT,
ANTITANK ANTIARMOR WEAPONS WHICH
IS WHAT WE ARE SUPPLYING THEM IN
GREAT MEASURE AND COORDINATING
WITH OTHER COUNTRIES TO DO THE
SAME.
I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK HAS
BEEN REALLY HORRIFIC AS THERE IS
BEEN BOGGED PARTISAN SUPPORT FOR
UKRAINE.
I AM REALLY GRATEFUL THAT
CONGRESS RECENTLY PASSED THE
LEGISLATION.
PROVIDING AN ADDITIONAL
$200,000, SECRETARY LINCOLN
SIGNED YESTERDAY.
THIS IS THE BIPARTISAN EFFORT AT
THE CONFERENCE.
A STRONG BIPARTISAN DELEGATION
IN SUPPORT OF UKRAINE AND THERE
IS THAT KIND OF SUPPORT ON
CAPITOL HILL WHICH I THINK SENDS
AN IMPORTANT SIGNAL, NOT ONLY TO
UKRAINE, BUT TO PUTIN THAT HE
CANNOT DIVIDE AMERICA, HE CAN’T
DIVIDE NATO, HE CAN’T DIVIDE
EUROPE, KEY CANNOT DIVIDE THE
WORLD.
141 COUNTRIES SIGNED UP AT THE
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ANNOUNCING
WHAT VLADIMIR PUTIN IS DOING.
THIS IS ONE MAN’S CHOICE TO WAGE
A PREMEDITATED, UNJUST,
UNPROVOKED WAR AGAINST A
SOVEREIGN COUNTRY.
WE CANNOT LET IT STAND.
>> QUICKLY.
HAS A RUSSIA CHINA RELATIONSHIP
SUFFERED OR STRENGTHENED AS A
RESULT OF THIS INVASION?
>> I THINK THAT THAT IS AN OPEN
QUESTION, BRET, TO BE PERFECTLY
HONEST.
WE SELL RUSSIA AND CHINA COME
CLOSER TOGETHER CERTAINLY BEFORE
THE OLYMPICS PUTTING OUT ALONG
MANIFESTO ABOUT THEIR
PARTNERSHIP AND HOW THEY WOULD
MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE SEE CHINA
PRETTY UNCOMFORTABLE WITHIN
INVASION OF A SOVEREIGN COUNTRY.
THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
HAS OFTEN SAID THAT SOVEREIGNTY
IS KEY.
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY IS KEY.
COUNTRY SHOULD DECIDE THEIR OWN
POLITICAL FUTURE.
WE AGREE WITH THOSE PRINCIPLES.
WE HOPE THAT CHINA DOES AS WELL.
IN TWO WEEKS, LATIMER PUTIN
UNDID 30 YEARS OF ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT.
THERE WAS AN INTERNATIONAL ORDER
THAT CHINA AND RUSSIA BOTH
SUBSCRIBE TO THAT HELPED BOTH
COUNTRIES DEVELOP RUSSIA.
THAT IS NOW GONE.
WE ARE SEEING THEM TAKE OUT OF
EVERY ORGANIZATION.
THE PRESIDENT WILL MOVE FORWARD
WITH THE CONGRESS ON REMOVING
THEM FROM THE MOST FAVORED
NATION STATUS AT THE WTO, THE
WTO.
I THINK THE PRC IS WATCHING VERY
CLOSELY.
>> YET THEY ARE SOUNDING VERY
BOLD, MADAM SECRETARY.
CHINA WARNED ANY COUNTRY
SUPPORTING TAIWAN MILITARILY
WOULD FACE BOTH THE WORST
CONSEQUENCES, ADDING NO ONE, NO
FORCE WOULD BE ABLE TO STOP THE
COMMUNIST PARTY IF IT ATTACKS
TAIWAN.
THAT DOES NOT SOUND POSITIVE.
THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE FOR
YOU, HAS RUSSIA’S INVASION
CHANGE IN CALCULUS AS IT COMES
TO TAIWAN?
>> I HOPE THAT CHINA IS LOOKING
VERY CAREFULLY AT WHAT IS
HAPPENING.
WE HAVE A UNITED WORLD WITH VERY
GREAT AND VERY CONSEQUENTIAL
SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA.
WE UNDERSTAND AND SUPPORT A ONE
CHINA POLICY.
BUT WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT CHINA
PRC OUGHT TO TAKE TAIWAN BY
FORCE AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING
THAT WE CAN TO DETER THAT EFFORT
BY THE PRC AND I THINK THEY ARE
WATCHING VERY CLOSELY.
IN FACT, I THINK THEY MADE THAT
STATEMENT, BRET, BECAUSE THEY
HAVE SEEN WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND