>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
( APPLAUSE )
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY GUEST TONIGHT HAS WORKED IN GOVERNMENT
FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS AND CURRENTLY SERVES AS
OUR 71st SECRETARY OF STATE.
PLEASE WELCOME SECRETARY ANTONY BLINKEN!
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I DON'T TAKE THIS LIGHTLY.
YOU DON'T GET A SECRETARY OF STATE ON A LATE-NIGHT SHOW EVERY
DAY.
( APPLAUSE )
>> THIS IS THE FIRST ONE.
>> Stephen: THIS IS THE FIRST ONE?
>> IT IS.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT.
( LAUGHTER )
LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT THE-- BASICALLY, THE STATE DEPARTMENT
IN GENERAL.
I THINK PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND IT'S MISSION OFTEN AND HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS.
BUT THE FIRST THING I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS THAT YOU'RE
THE MOST INFORMED PERSON RIGHT NOW I CAN TALK TO ABOUT WHAT'S
GOING ON IN THE WAR IN UKRAINE.
BEFORE I ASK YOU MY QUESTIONS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO
KNOW ABOUT WHAT THE STATE OF THAT CONFLICT IS RIGHT NOW?
>> STEPHEN, THIS IS DAY 82 OF WHAT WAS AN UNPROVOKED,
UNJUSTIFIED AGGRESSION BY RUSSIA AGAINST UKRAINE.
AND I THINK WHAT THE WORLD ALREADY KNOWS IS WE'VE SEEN THE
REMARKABLE COURAGE, RESILIENCY OF THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE.
OVER-MATCHED--
>> Stephen: EVERYONE SAID THREE OR FOUR DAYS, AND IT WOULD
BE OVER.
EVERYONE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE OVER IN THREE OR FOUR DAYS.
>> THERE WAS A LOT OF EXPECTATION THAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
BECAUSE OF THEIR COURAGE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE ASSISTANCE
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH DOZENS OF OTHER COUNTRIES,
THEY'VE NOT ONLY HELD THEIR GROUND.
THEY'VE BEEN PUSHING THE RUSSIANS BACK.
THEY WON THE BATTLE FOR KYIV.
NOW, THERE'S AN INTENSE FIGHT GOING ON IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN
UKRAINE.
AND THE OTHER THING IS THE COUNTRY'S BEEN TERRIBLY
BRUTALIZED BY THIS RUSSIAN AGGRESSION.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD THAT-- THE TOWN OF BUCHA NEAR KYIV, THE RUSSIANS
MOVED OUT.
WHEN THAT TIDE RECEDED, WE SAW WHAT WAS LEFT IN ITS WAKE, AND
I'M AFRAID AS THAT HAPPENS IN OTHER PARTS OF UKRAINE, WE'LL
SEE IT.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THIS-- 82 DAYS IN, THE
UKRAINIANS ARE STANDING UP FOR THEIR FREEDOM.
THEY'RE STANDING UP FOR THEIR SOVEREIGNTY.
THEY HAVE SO MUCH OF THE WORLD WITH THEM AND HERE'S WHAT I CAN
TELL YOU-- WHAT VLADIMIR PUTIN WAS TRYING TO DO WAS TO TAKE
AWAY THEIR INDEPENDENCE, THEIR SOVEREIGNTY.
IN HIS MIND, UKRAINE IS NOT AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY.
IT NEEDS TO BE SUBSUMED INTO RUSSIA.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
AND WHAT I THINK WE CAN SAY WITH A LOT OF CERTAINTY AND
CONVICTION, IS THAT A SOVEREIGN, INDEPENDENT UKRAINE IS GOING TO
BE AROUND A LOT LONGER THAN VLADIMIR PUTIN IS ON THE SCENE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: NOW-- YOU WERE...
YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY BRIEF ZELENSKY
BEFORE THE WAR EVER STARTED ABOUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF THIS
INVASION.
YOU WERE FIRST WARNED THE PUBLIC ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION
OF WHAT MIGHT BE GOING ON OVER THERE.
YOU'RE NOW LEADING THE U.S.
EFFORTS TO...
HAVE A JOINT RESPONSE FROM NATO COUNTRIES.
AND SET THE TONE FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD.
ALL OF THAT SEEMS LIKE THE RIGHT THICK TO DO.
ONE THING THAT WORRIES ME, HOWEVER RIGHT I THINK THE FIGHT
FOR THE UKRAINIANS IS, IS THAT IS THERE A CHANCE THAT THIS
COULD TIP OVER TO A HOT WAR WITH RUSSIA?
BECAUSE, CERTAINLY, PUTIN AND ALL OF HIS-- THE PEOPLE IN HIS
CIRCLE HAVE SAID THEY CONSIDER THIS A HOT WAR WITH THE WEST,
WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO CALL IT THAT.
SO HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN?
>> STEPHEN, THE PRESIDENT'S BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT THIS, ABOUT
WHAT THIS IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T.
AND WHAT IT ISN'T IS IT ISN'T A WAR WITH RUSSIA.
THIS IS THE UNITED STATES -- >> Stephen: NOT A PROXY WAR.
>> AND IT'S NOT A PROXY WAR.
IT'S ABOUT US GIVING THE UKRAINIANS THE HELP THAT THEY
NEED TO DEFEND THEMSELVES, TO STOP THE AGGRESSION, TO HOLD ON
TO THEIR FREEDOM, TO HOLD ON TO THEIR SOVEREIGNTY.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND WE'RE ALSO PUTTING PRESSURE ON RUSSIA TO TRY TO GET IT STOP
THE AGGRESSION.
WE HAVE SANCTIONS WE'VE BEEN LEADING WITH DOZENS OF OTHER
COUNTRIES THAT ARE MAKING LIFE PRETTY DIFFICULT FOR THE
RUSSIANS.
MORE THAN 800 COUNTRIES, BIG-- BIGGEST BRAND NAMES IN THE
WORLD-- HAVE LEFT RUSSIA BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT THE REPUTATIONAL
COST OF DOING BUSINESS THERE, GIVEN THIS AGGRESSION.
THAT'S HAVING A REAL IMPACT.
( APPLAUSE )
REPORTS-- WE SEE REPORTS ABOUT THE FALL OF MARIUPOL AND THE
UKRAINIAN FIGHTERS PUT UP A FIERCE RESISTANCE THERE.
NOW THAT THAT CITY-- IS THAT ACCURATE-- THAT MARIUPOL HAS
FALLEN TO THE RUSSIANS?
>> RUSSIANS HAVE TAKEN MARIUPOL.
>> Stephen: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO THE RUSSIAN EFFORTS NOW?
>> THE FIGHT NOW, AFTER THE RUSSIANS GOT PUSHED BACK FROM
KYIV AND AROUND KYIV AND NORTHERN UKRAINE AND PARTS OF
WESTERN UKRAINE, THIS HAS MOVED ALL THE WAY EAST AND ALL THE WAY
SOUTH, PRETTY NEAR RUSSIA ITSELF.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE FIGHTING OVER.
AND, AGAIN, AS I SAID, WHAT'S SO HEARTBREAKING ABOUT THIS IS WHEN
THE WORLD ACTUALLY SEES WHAT'S HAPPENED IN MARIUPOL-- WHICH IT
WILL ONE DAY-- I'M AFRAID THE PICTURES THAT WE'VE SEEN COMING
OUT OF BUCHA A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO ARE GOING TO BE NOTHING BY
COMPARISON.
SO, THIS IS WHY I THINK PEOPLE-- THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
INCREDIBLY GENEROUS, BECAUSE THROUGH CONGRESS, SO MUCH
SUPPORT GIVEN TO THE UKRAINIANS.
BECAUSE I THINK IT IS TOUCHING PEOPLE'S HEARTS.
THEY'RE SEEING A BIG COUNTRY AGGRESS A SMALL ONE.
THEY'RE SIGHING ONE COUNTRY TRY TO CHANGE THE BORDERS OF ANOTHER
BY FORCE.
THEY'RE SEEING ONE COUNTRY TRY TO SAY TO ANOTHER COUNTRY,
"WE'RE GOING TO DECIDE WHAT YOUR FUTURE IS GOING TO BE, NOT YOU."
AND WE CAN'T HAVE A WORLD THAT WORKS THAT WAY.
>> Stephen: AND THERE'S A BIPARTISAN RESPONSE WHICH IS
UNUSUAL.
>> THIS HAS BEEN REMARKABLE.
>> Stephen: ANYTHING THAT ANYONE CAN AGREE ON.
>> IT'S BEEN REMARKABLE.
( APPLAUSE )
MOTIVATION FOR THE WAR, AS, YOU KNOW, I SEE IN THE REPORTING,
PART OF PUTIN'S MOTIVATION FOR THE WAR IS TO WEAKEN NATO.
NOW TUESDAY FINLAND AND THEN SWEDEN SIGNED THE APPLICATIONS.
IS PUTIN HIMSELF THE GREATEST ADVERTISEMENT FOR NATO IN A
GENERATION JIVES GOING TO HAVE A POSTER FOR-- WELL
( LAUGHTER )
LOOK AT THIS, STEPHEN, PRESIDENT PUTIN HAS MANAGED TO PRECIPITATE
EVERYTHING HE SOUGHT TO PREVENT.
HE WANTED TO PREVENT NATO FROM GETTING BIGGER WITH UKRAINE.
NOW, IT ACTUALLY IS WITH FINLAND AND WITH SWEDEN.
HE WANTED TO DIVIDE THE WEST, DIVIDE THE ALLIANCE.
IT'S MORE UNITED THAN IT'S EVER BEEN.
AND, AS I SAID, HE WANTED TO SUBJUGATE UKRAINE, MAKE IT PART
OF RUSSIA.
THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO EVERYTHING WE'RE SEEING IS PUTIN ACHIEVING THE EXACT
OPPOSITE OF WHAT HE SAYS HE WANTS.
>> Stephen: NOW, MY BUDDY, POPE FRANCIS HAS SAID...
( LAUGHTER )
FOR THIS BY BASICALLY STRESSING OUT RUSSIA BY EXPANDING EAST UP
AGAINST RUSSIA'S BORDERS.
DO YOU THINK HE'S GOT A CASE?
>> SO, NATO -- >> Stephen: HE'S THE POPE.
HE'S THE POPE.
>> AND I HAVE GREAT REVERENCE FOR HIM.
I HAD THE-- HE TOLD ME THAT YOU WERE VERY CLOSE.
>> Stephen: YES, THANK YOU.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> I-- HAVE GREAT REVERENCE FOR HIM, BUT LET ME SAY THIS-- NATO
IS A DEFENSIVE ALLIANCE, COUNTRIES COMING TOGETHER TO
MAKE SURE IF ONE OF THEM WAS ATTACKED ALL THE OTHERS WOULD
COME IN AND DEFEND THAT COUNTRY.
THAT'S WHAT IT IS ABOUT.
IT HAS NO AGGRESSIVE INTENT AGAINST RUSSIA.
IT NEVER ATTACKED RUSSIA.
IT WON'T ATTACK RUSSIA.
>> Stephen: I HAVE A CRAZY IDEA-- INVITE RUSSIA TO BE PART
OF THE NATO.
WHAT'S HE GOT TO BE WORRIED ABOUT?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT, BACK IN THE 1990s, THAT WAS ACTUALLY
SOMETHING PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT.
>> Stephen: AND?
>> WELL, THE RUSSIANS DECIDED THAT WASN'T WHAT THEY WANTED TO
DO.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN WE COME
BACK, I WILL ASK THE SECRETARY ABOUT WHAT ZELENSKY IS LIKE IN
PERSON.
STICK AROUND.
♪ ♪ ♪