Informal Communication

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Press Briefing Room

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Good to see you all.

I suspect that most of you are looking forward to what will be a well-deserved break.  It’s been quite a year.

When I walked into the State Department on my first day as Secretary, we had COVID-19 lockdowns around the world.

Less than 1 percent of the United States was vaccinated, compared to more than 60

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Topics: Climate and Environment, Countering Terrorism, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance, Science, Technology, and Innovation

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Four Seasons Hotel

MR BARKER:  (In progress) at this somewhat busy time.  So we need to start, I think, on the tensions between Russia and Ukraine.  Presidents Biden and Putin have just finished a virtual call.  You’ve talked in the past about your deep concerns about Russia’s renewed plans for aggression in Ukraine with obviously a lot of troops massed at the border.

After this call, are you more or less

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Via Teleconference

QUESTION:  Joining me now from Rome is the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.  Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for joining me.  I want to start by what happened here in the U.S.  President Biden went to Capitol Hill.  He asked for a deal before he left for COP26.  And Speaker Pelosi told House Democrats not to, quote, “embarrass” President Biden on the world stage.  But as you know, t

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

IBEW Local #5

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon. You all spent some quality time in Pittsburgh, I hope. I don’t want to leave. It’s been great. What’s going on?

QUESTION: So yesterday you said you were enthusiastic about the TTC meeting. Would you say the European Union and the United States are moving past their grievances or are you still concerned about European leaders feeling

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Kuwait City, Kuwait

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

FOREIGN MINISTER AL-SABAH:  (Via interpreter)  To start, I would like to welcome my friend, Mr. State Secretary Antony Blinken, in his visit, first visit to Kuwait, while I am a minister of – foreign affairs minister.  We were honored today in the morning to meet his highness the amir of the country, Sheikh Jaber (inaudible) Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and also his highness the prime – the c

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Rome, Italy

Villa Taverna

QUESTION:  Secretary Blinken, Russia is considered the mind of cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns that try to destabilize Western democracies.  What is, in your opinion, the goal of Moscow?  And what – which is the best way to fight?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, it’s hard to say what Russia’s goal is because it’s hard to put oneself in – necessarily the mind of Russian leade

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Topics: Arms Control and Nonproliferation, Climate and Environment, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy, Global Health, Human Rights and Democracy, Refugee and Humanitarian Assistance

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

MR CAPEHART: Hello and welcome to this special edition of AC Front Page, the Atlantic Council’s premier live ideas platform for global leaders. I’m Jonathan Capehart, a journalist with The Washington Post and MSNBC. Thank you for joining us today.

Across the country and around the world, the month of June is dedicated to celebrating and recognizing the LGBTQI community from all walks of life. However, both at hom

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Brussels Media Hub

Brussels, Belgium

QUESTION:  Joining me now is the U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken.  Thank you so much for joining me.  Let me first ask about one of President Biden’s key goals in this summit – uniting the Western democracies around countering China’s influence, especially around the goal of building infrastructure around the world. 

So the Whit

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Kyiv, Ukraine

Hyatt Regency Hotel

QUESTION:  Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  It’s great to be with you.

QUESTION:  Thank you for being here.  First of all, Vladimir Putin had said he would withdraw; he has not.  U.S. officials say there are 80,000 troops still on the border; he’s left his tanks and artillery, a continuing threat to Ukraine.  What is your mess

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Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

Lloyd J. Austin, Secretary of Defense

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General

Brussels, Belgium

NATO Headquarters

MODERATOR:  Good evening.  Welcome to NATO Headquarters, to this press conference with the Secretary General, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense.  They will make short introductory statements, and then we’ll be able to take a few questions.  Secretary General.

SECRETARY