Secretary Antony J. Blinken with Yalda Hakim of Sky News

QUESTION:  Secretary Blinken, thank you so much for your time.  We heard you earlier today talk about Iran shipping ballistic missiles to Russia.  You said they’re going to be used on Ukrainians in the next few weeks.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  That’s right.

QUESTION:  We’re also hearing about economic sanctions being imposed on Iran.  I guess it makes me think, are you just kicking the can down the road?  What exactly is the Iran strategy?  Because it doesn’t feel like economic sanctions is going to cut it.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, two things.  First, let’s look at what they’re doing, which is providing Russia with ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine.  These are missiles that have a relatively short range, but what it means is that the Russians can free up their own longer-range ballistic missiles, which they’ve been using on near-in targets, to range even more of Ukraine, including all the way west to Lviv, civilian targets of one kind or another, energy infrastructure.  So this is a material difference that’s not a good one.

I think you’ve seen just in the last few hours the United States come out and now, just in recent minutes, European partners making it clear that we are taking and will take additional actions against Iran in response to what they’re doing.  We’ve been clear with the Iranians as we saw this brewing that this would have consequences if they went ahead and did it.  There will be consequences.  And —

QUESTION:  And they have done it, though.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  They have done it.  But the consequences will be there.  And this is at a time when we know from the new Iranian president that they desperately need and want some economic relief, that there’s a very heavy burden on the country, and that they’re looking for that.  This is exactly the opposite way to get what they purport to want – better relations with other countries and some relief from the sanctions that have been imposed on them for their conduct.

QUESTION:  Secretary, we could see, though, Pokrovsk fall, which would mean effectively Donetsk falls, and that is one of Vladimir Putin’s objectives.  So I guess taking all that into account, and now the Iranians are sending ballistic missiles, what more are you going to do other than these economic sanctions?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, I think if you look at what we’ve already done and what we’re committed to continuing to do, it’s been quite extraordinary.  And of course, it starts, first and foremost, with the Ukrainian people. 

But let’s not forget where we were and where we’ve come.  When Russia proceeded with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, there were predictions that it would march over the entire country, erase it from the map, which was Putin’s objective, subsume it into Russia.  And of course, that hasn’t happened.  To the contrary, the Russians were pushed back, pushed back dramatically, all the way to the east.

Now, the costs that have been imposed on Russia are significant and they’ve been sustained.  More than 50 countries have come together in support of Ukraine.  That support remains.  We’ve seen further manifestations of it, including 23 countries that have signed long-term security agreements with Ukraine, to make sure that it can build a military that can deter and, if necessary, defend against future aggression.

But here’s what matters the most, I think.  Of course, Ukraine wants and we want to see it get back the territory that Russia has seized from them.  Fundamentally, success will come – and I believe is very much achievable – with a Ukraine that can stand strongly on its own two feet militarily, economically, democratically.  The military support that’s there from dozens of countries will help it do that militarily, as well as its path toward NATO.  Economically, we’re driving private sector investment into Ukraine.  We’ve seen it have real success continuing to export through the Black Sea.  In fact, its exports are what they were before February of ’22.  And its democratic trajectory through the process of the accession to the European Union, through the process of accession to NATO, that will deep-root the reforms that are necessary.

So Ukraine is on a trajectory to succeed.  That will be the strongest possible rebuke to Vladimir Putin.

QUESTION:  I guess the Ukrainians are pushing to be able to use long-range missiles deep into Russian territory.  Is this something now that President Biden is not going to rule out?  Is it on the table?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  At every step along the way over these last several years, we have adjusted and we’ve adapted, trying to make sure that Ukraine had what it needed, when it needed it, to be effective in repelling the Russian aggression.  And you’ve seen from the different highly sophisticated weapons systems we’ve provided, intelligence sharing, and many other forms of support, we’ve worked with many other countries to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs.

But one of the things that – Yalda – that’s so important is it’s not simply saying, oh, should they have this weapon system or that weapon system?  There are a lot of things that go into it.  Do they know how to use it?  And some of these sophisticated systems take training, and that’s one of the other things we’ve done.  Can they maintain it?  Because if you give them something that falls apart in seven days because it can’t be maintained, that doesn’t do you a lot of good.  And then, is it part of a coherent strategy to achieve a very clear objective?  All of those things have to go into these decisions.

But what I can tell you is we’ve adapted and adjusted every step along the way.  We’ll continue to do that.

QUESTION:  So not ruling out at this stage?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  We don’t – we never rule out, but when we rule in, we want to make sure it’s done in such a way that it can advance what the Ukrainians are trying to achieve.

QUESTION:  Secretary Blinken, I want to turn your attention to the war in the Middle East.  I was just in Israel.  I spent a week in Israel over the last couple of days.  I spoke with the security establishment, the defense establishment.  I spoke to politicians, former prime ministers.  All of them have said to me, including – I mean, the prime minister didn’t say this to me, but he has said publicly that he doesn’t believe that there is a deal on the table, that there is zero plan at this stage.  That is in sharp contrast to what you’re saying.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  When we look at where we are with the work that we’ve done on a ceasefire agreement, along with Qatar and along with Egypt, in terms of what’s on paper right now, more than 90 percent of it has been agreed.  Now, people can change their minds, but at this moment more than 90 percent of that agreement reached between both sides.  Almost by definition, the closer you get to the finish line, the harder it gets, because the toughest things usually remain until the end.

A couple of months ago, when President Biden put before the world a framework agreement for a ceasefire, the entire world rallied behind it.  Israel endorsed it, and ultimately Hamas came around as well after about three weeks.  Since then, we’ve been working to fill in some of the details, because it didn’t cover everything, and you also have to do a lot of work to make sure that you agree on how it’s implemented. 

Now, the challenge of course is with every passing day there’s the risk of an intervening event that sets you back or makes things more difficult.  But I’m convinced, based on what’s on paper that’s already been agreed, that we’re close.  But does that mean that we’ll get there?  No, because there remain hard issues, and ultimately people have to decide.  Leaders have to decide.

QUESTION:  But surely the United States can put more pressure on Israel.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  It’s not a question of pressure.  It’s a question of what is in the interest of the parties and do they see that interest and are they prepared to act on it.  It’s manifestly in the interest of Israel, the Palestinian people, every country in the region for there to be a ceasefire.  For Israel, not only bringing the hostages home but also opening up opportunities to defuse other crises, including in the north with Hizballah and Lebanon; the opportunity to pursue with Saudi Arabia the normalization of relations; the opportunity to move forward and actually integrate Israel into the region in ways that it’s sought from the first day of its existence – those are all possibilities.  They’re real possibilities.

We saw on April 13th when Iran attacked Israel directly, for the first time, countries come together in defense of it.  But in order to do that, to move forward, the conflict in Gaza has to be over.  And there also has to be a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.

QUESTION:  And we’ll get to the humanitarian situation in a moment.  But Benjamin Netanyahu has said, “There is not a deal in the making… unfortunately it’s not close.”  And the security establishment I’ve spoken to said it’s close to zero, very broad pessimism at the moment.  I spoke to Ehud Olmert last week, and he said to me, I’ve known President Biden for a long time – I’m a great admirer, he’s a friend – but I feel disappointed because he hasn’t put the kind of pressure that will make this prime minister understand what’s at stake and what’s – what the risks are.  He said, preferably, I’d like him to take him into a room alone with a baseball bat.  I mean, how would you respond to that?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Ultimately, in a democratic system leaders make decisions, and they have to be responsive to their people and they have to be responsive to the interests of their country.  We can’t compel anyone to do that.  All we can do is point out the clear benefits of doing that.

When it comes to Mr. Sinwar, no one can tell you what he’s going to do from one day to the next.  Anyone who says that they can I wouldn’t listen to.  And the fact of the matter is we’ve seen additional issues come up on all sides that need to be resolved. 

QUESTION:  Are you frustrated, though?  I mean, you’ve made almost half a dozen trips to the region, have spoken to various parties.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  It’s unfortunately, tragically, the nature of diplomacy in general, and particularly in this region.  George Mitchell, the great United States senator, he negotiated the Northern Ireland peace process with – for President Clinton, and that was a tremendous labor.  And to this day we continue to focus on it.  But I say this for a reason.  He described that process as 700 days of failure and one day of success.  It’s the responsibility of those of us who are in the business of diplomacy to keep striving for that one day of success, because the stakes are so high that we simply can’t throw up our hands and say it’s not possible.

QUESTION:  I mean, just today we saw 40 Palestinians killed in a displacement camp.  In July, 57 civilians were killed in al-Mawasi, which is considered a humanitarian zone.  I mean, these – we can dispute the death toll and where these numbers come from, but the fact is a lot of Palestinians are dying. 

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  It’s horrific.  The suffering of innocent men, women, and children in Gaza is gut-wrenching, and it hits me every day, and I think most of us think of our own children.  And it’s one of the reasons we’ve been determined to do everything we can to make sure that they get the assistance they need.  Right now, we’re in the midst of a – what seems to be a successful polio vaccination campaign, thankfully.  But it’s not enough, and every day we’re working to do more.  The quickest way to make sure that people stop dying and start getting what they need is through a ceasefire. 

Now, it’s also true – and one of my frustrations has been – just as I fully understand the hue and cry from so many parts of the world about Israel needing to do much better by Palestinians who are suffering, if maybe 10 percent of that time was actually spent demanding that Hamas get out of the way, that it put down its arms, that it stop hiding behind civilians, that it stop using civilian sites to do its operations and planning, that it get out of the schools, get out of the safe areas, that would be helpful too.  I’ve heard virtual silence since October 7th on that.  That doesn’t —

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  That is not to justify any actions that Israel may have taken, but it is to say there is silence. 

QUESTION:  Do you think, though, this is a failure on the part of American leadership?  And do you worry this is part of your legacy now?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Everything we’re doing around the world because of the unique role that the United States plays is something that gets factored into how people think about the United States, and I won’t talk about individuals.  And so whether it’s rallying 50 countries in support of Ukraine and its defense and preventing it from being erased from the map; whether it’s the massive effort we made that’s now forgotten, I think, for all of us on COVID and getting free vaccines, effective vaccines, safe vaccines to countries and millions of people around the world; whether it’s the fact that we’re the number one provider of food aid and food security to countries who desperately need it, and continue to do that – what —

QUESTION:  But an American can get killed in the West Bank and it doesn’t feel like America can do anything about it.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, we’ve seen this horrific loss, the killing of a young American-Turkish woman.  Just today we got a preliminary investigation that was provided to us.  And the actions that were taken are totally unacceptable.  I think it goes to, among other things, the rules of engagement that Israel has. 

QUESTION:  What will you do about it?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  We will, first of all, make sure that we have fully understood the facts, and we’ll draw conclusions from that, and there’ll be consequences to follow from those conclusions. 

QUESTION:  Can I ask what consequences?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, look, let me give you some examples, not specific to this instance.  We have been and remain deeply concerned about settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.  We’ve taken action in recent months against those who’ve been responsible for that violence – individuals, organizations.  That’s just one example of actions that we have taken.  We continue to review every incident that comes before us and, as necessary, following the law, we’ll take action.

But I believe the single best way forward, the place that would move us – the thing that would move us the quickest to relief for people who so desperately need it is through a ceasefire.  And keep in mind, a couple of months ago, President Biden put this ceasefire proposal – the framework for the proposal – in front of the entire world and he laid out much of what was in it, and the entire world rallied behind it.

QUESTION:  But we’re 11 months in and nothing.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  So this was a couple of months ago.  Since then, we’ve been working on the details that are required to implement the agreement.  We’ve seen intervening events that do make things more difficult.  Any given day, that’s the biggest challenge of all: something else happens that sidelines things, stops things, potentially derails things.  We have to keep working through that, and we are.

QUESTION:  I’ve got a couple more questions.  I know we are short of time.  But do you think that you will reach some kind of agreement before President Biden’s term is up?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  I believe we need to reach an agreement urgently, and by that I mean not in two months but in days or certainly weeks.  The fierce urgency of now is real for every individual who is suffering as a consequence of this conflict.  We feel that urgency, and we – and so we have a determination.

Now, at the end of the day, people have to make decisions.  Leaders have to make decisions.  We can’t make those decisions for them. 

QUESTION:  You can pressure them, though.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  You can pressure; you can reason; you can do all sorts of things.  But you can’t – fundamentally, you can’t make the decision.  They have to make it.  And we’re looking to them to do exactly that. 

QUESTION:  You’ve dealt with this ongoing war for the past year.  You’ve – in your time in office you’ve dealt with the Ukraine war.  We spoke when you first arrived into office, and you spoke about America is back.  That’s what you said to me at the time.  Are you worried, if there is a change in leadership in November in the United States, that America could take the isolationist approach that it had before President Biden came to power?

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Look, in democracies elections have consequences.  I don’t do politics, but I do do policy.  And I think the policy that we pursue – starting with renewing, reinvigorating, in some cases reimagining our alliances and partnerships – has borne tremendous fruit across the world and around the world, real benefits for the United States and the American people, benefits for other countries too.  I still believe that there’s actually a strong bipartisan support for that approach, for an approach that has America engaged in the world and leading, but also working in cooperation with others, because we simply can’t do what we need to do for our own people doing it alone. 

We need the collaboration, the cooperation of others.  We’ve demonstrated that across the board.  We’ve been talking about Ukraine.  It’s not just the United States there helping Ukraine; more than 50 countries are doing it, countries that we helped bring together.  Around the world in so many different places and so many different ways, we’ve put together alliances and partnerships of countries to deal with everything from food security to synthetic drugs, which are wreaking havoc in so many communities, including in our own country.  Energy, infrastructure – you name it.  And in each instance, there’s been a clear benefit to Americans but also to other people.  I think that model is demonstrating results.  At the end of the day, all you can do is do the best you can to actually deliver, and people will have to decide. 

I believe that there is a strong bipartisan consensus in the United States for our engagement, for our leadership in the world, and my hope and expectation is regardless of the outcome of our election that that fundamental conviction of the American people remains.

QUESTION:  Secretary Blinken, always good to talk to you.

SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thanks.  Good to be with you all.