On Wednesday, Sec. of State Antony Blinken spoke at a press conference with Moldova’s President Maia Sandu.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Mr. President, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:18Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:24Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:26Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:28Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:30Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:32Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:34Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:36Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:38Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:40Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:42Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:44Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:46Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:48Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:50Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:52Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:54Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:56Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
00:58Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:00Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:02Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:04Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:06Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:08Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:10Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:12Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:14Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:16Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:18Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:20Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:22Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:24Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:26Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:28Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:30Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:32Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:34Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:36Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:38Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:40Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:42Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:44Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:46Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:48Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:50Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:52Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:54Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:56Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
01:58Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:00Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:02Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:04Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:06Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:08Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:10Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:12Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:14Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:16Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:18Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:20Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:22Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:24Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:26Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:28Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:30Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:32Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:34Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:36Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:38Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:40Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:42Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:44Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:46Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:48Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:50Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:52Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:54Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:56Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
02:58Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:00Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:02Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:04Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:06Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:08Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:10Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:12Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:14Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:16Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:18Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:20Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:22Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:24Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:26Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:28Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:30Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:32Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:34Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:36Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:38Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:40Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:42Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:44Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:46Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State,
03:48Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State
04:18, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
04:48of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
04:55of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
05:02of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
05:09of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
05:16of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
05:23of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
05:30of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
05:37of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
05:44of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
05:51of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
05:58of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
06:05of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
06:12of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
06:19of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
06:26of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
06:33of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
06:40of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
06:47of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
06:54of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
07:01of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
07:08of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
07:15of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
07:22of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
07:29of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
07:36of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
07:43of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
07:50of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
07:57of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
08:04of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
08:11of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
08:18of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
08:25of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
08:32of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
08:39of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
08:46of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
08:53of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
09:00of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
09:07of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
09:14of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
09:21of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
09:28of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
09:35of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
09:42of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
09:49of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary of State, Mr. Secretary
09:57President Ukraine, I want to start off by saying that I am grateful for your leadership and
10:04I have to say in the beginning how grateful we are for your leadership. And I see this
10:04in so many other countries too. An admiration for everything you are doing in challenging
10:11times, challenging circumstances, to lead Moldova forward.
10:16Two years ago when I was here, as you mentioned, we discussed how to build a vibrant, inclusive
10:23country, anchored in Europe, anchored in the West, living in peace with Moldovans deciding
10:31their own future.
10:33And despite the many challenges that you face, you've taken important, strong, concrete steps
10:40further down that path in a direction that will create a strong, positive future for
10:47Moldova.
10:48It's strengthening the energy sector, combating corruption, beginning the process of acceding
10:53to the European Union.
10:56Here today, we want to continue to build on all the progress that you've made.
11:02I'm glad that we'll soon conclude negotiations for a new embassy compound here.
11:07I think that both symbolically and practically reflects the depth of our relationship and
11:14provides a foundation with which to deepen it and to continue to move forward together.
11:21Now what's so powerful here is the deep and deep-rooted commitment to democracy and, again,
11:30to Moldovan society and their own future.
11:33And this in the face of bullying from Russia, of interference, efforts to spread misinformation,
11:39disinformation, weaponizing corruption, manufacturing anti-government protests.
11:46Despite that, we've seen extraordinary resilience from Moldova's leadership and especially from
11:52its people.
11:53The United States and many of our partners and your partners have deployed sanctions
12:00against those who are seeking to undermine Moldova's democracy.
12:04And as important, we've also been working with many other countries to provide you the
12:09support that you need to continue to move the country forward.
12:12Just going back to February of 2022, following the Russian reinvasion of Ukraine, the United
12:18States has provided $774 million to strengthen Moldovan institutions, to build resilience,
12:27and to enable you to push back more effectively against destabilizing actions coming from Russia.
12:34I mentioned already disinformation.
12:37Some of the things that we've been working on together with you include training, providing
12:41analytical tools under a memorandum of understanding that we signed in October of last year.
12:46We're helping to harden Moldova against cyberattacks, supporting a cybersecurity academy to train
12:52the new generation of Moldovans in cybersecurity.
12:55I think that would be to the benefit of the government, but also the private sector, where
12:59the skills that they acquire will make them very attractive candidates for good jobs.
13:04And then, of course, strengthening and bolstering free media and helping to support your efforts
13:10to clean up the justice system.
13:13Today, I'm announcing that we'll be working with our Congress to provide an additional
13:18$50 million to further advance these efforts, from reforming the energy and agricultural
13:22sectors to pushing back further against disinformation.
13:26That in turn will bolster the ability of Moldovans to resist Russian interference, to hold free
13:31and fair elections, to continue down the path to the European Union and Western integration,
13:37to create more economic opportunity.
13:41We're partnering closely to support economic and energy security.
13:47The Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy grid have exacerbated Moldova's own energy
13:53challenges, raising electricity prices, spurring business, and harming consumers.
13:59The partnership that we have to reduce Moldova's dependence on Russian energy, to enhance connectivity
14:06with Europe, to increase the use of renewables – all of that is moving forward.
14:12And we've seen you take remarkable steps in a short period of time to move away from
14:18this dependence.
14:21Over the last couple of years, we've provided about $110 million in direct budget support
14:27to help compensate for the fact that you have to deal with higher electricity prices.
14:33A little later today, I'll have a chance to tour one of your main substations here.
14:38And I'm happy to announce that we will also be dedicating $85 million, part of a $300
14:45million USAID effort to support energy infrastructure, to help you enhance things like battery storage,
14:56as well as the high-voltage transmission lines that we've already dedicated some funds to.
15:00And that, in turn, will strengthen your energy resilience, strengthen your grid.
15:04The gas corridor as well, from Greece to Moldova, will further help wean you off of Russian energy.
15:12And all of this is also a shift to a more diversified economy.
15:19Right now, 80 percent of Moldova's exports go to Europe, the United States, to countries
15:26other than Russia.
15:29And we want to now use some of the support that we're giving to help you grow sectors
15:34for export, including the agricultural sector, the IT sector, and also to offer entrepreneurs
15:40training, investing in technology, so that young people can have a future here in Moldova.
15:48Finally, let me just say how grateful we are for the incredible solidarity that Moldova
15:53has shown to Ukraine in its hour of need.
15:55Moldova is a first-hand experience with these challenges, and it's why they've stood so
16:02strongly with the Ukrainian people – truly a small country with a big heart.
16:09Welcoming over a million Ukrainian refugees since the war began, giving them access to
16:14shelter, to jobs, to health care, to education, facilitating the shipment of Ukrainian grain
16:19and goods, training Ukrainian deminers and border officials.
16:24I think Moldovans are acutely aware that what happens in Ukraine matters not just to Ukrainians,
16:32but to Moldovans too, and for that matter to people around the world, in Europe and
16:37well beyond.
16:39Because we know that if we allow this aggression against Ukraine to proceed with impunity,
16:45then there would be aggressors everywhere.
16:47We believe it's open season for them to commit aggression.
16:52And of course, Russia would not stop at Ukraine.
16:55That's why we've been standing so strongly with Ukraine.
16:58And I'm happy to get into more of that later, but I think we're having a strong
17:04and very positive effect.
17:06Madam President, when I was last here, you said, and I quote,
17:12a stronger, more resilient Moldova can become a pole of stability,
17:17a pole of development in the region,
17:19a trustworthy partner, as well as a stronghold for the free world.
17:24I think that the path that people of Moldova are on is exactly that.
17:30And I'm here to reaffirm on behalf of the President of the United States
17:35our commitment, the strong commitment of the United States to Moldova's sovereignty
17:40and to Moldova's success.
17:42Thank you.
17:49Thank you for your questions and answers.
17:51So let's start with colleagues of the American media.
17:56Hi, good evening.
17:57Thank you for this opportunity.
17:59Mr. Secretary, you just mentioned that Russia would not stop at Ukraine.
18:03So I'm going to follow up on some of the things that have happened in recent days.
18:06Of course, there's been a battlefield situation in Ukraine.
18:09There's been an issue of border demarcation in Estonia,
18:12the foreign influence law in Georgia.
18:15To both of you, Madam President and Mr. Secretary,
18:18what is the risk factor you now see from Russia?
18:20Are you concerned about a more direct challenge to Moldova at this time?
18:24And more specifically, Mr. Secretary, in recent days, a number of leaders –
18:29President Macron, Chancellor Schultz, Secretary General Stoltenberg –
18:32have spoken about potentially letting Ukraine use Western arms
18:37to strike directly at Russian soil when Russia is directly targeting Ukraine.
18:41You've been publicly reported to be the most forward-leaning
18:44senior American official to be pushing for that.
18:46Do you think President Biden can be persuaded to agree on that?
18:49Thank you.
18:51Do you want me to start?
18:53Thank you, Sean.
18:55So first, let's focus on what we're actually seeing in Ukraine,
19:01and not only where we are but where we're going.
19:04First, when it comes to the Russian offensive in the northeast
19:10directed at Kharkiv, taking advantage in part of the fact
19:15that the supplemental budget request the President made
19:18was so long delayed in its passage by our Congress.
19:21But happily now, that budget request was passed.
19:25And not only was it passed, the actual arms equipment support
19:30that comes with it is on the move and being delivered to Ukrainians.
19:34And we're seeing that have a real effect,
19:36including in stabilizing the front
19:38and in clearly denying Putin what he was after,
19:42which is to try to take Kharkiv to create, at the very least,
19:49massive flight from the city.
19:51We do not see that happening.
19:53On the contrary, I think what we see, again,
19:57is a stabilization of the front and a failure
20:01in terms of Putin's objectives if it comes to taking Kharkiv
20:05or causing the flight of its citizens.
20:09And as we look forward to the weeks ahead and the months ahead,
20:15we now have 32 countries that have either completed
20:19or will soon complete bilateral security agreements with Ukraine.
20:23And that will help ensure over an extensive period of time
20:26that Ukraine can develop a future force
20:29that can effectively deter aggression or deal with it
20:32if it comes anyway.
20:35And you will see those come to conclusion in the coming weeks.
20:38We're heading to the NATO summit in the United States,
20:41where, without getting into the details,
20:44and I'll be going to the foreign ministers' meeting
20:47to help prepare for that summit,
20:49I think you'll see very strong deliverables,
20:53we would call them, for Ukraine
20:56in terms of its further integration with NATO.
21:00You're seeing on the battlefield
21:03the effect of different weapons systems
21:05that we and others have provided to Ukraine.
21:09We're working hard as well to make sure that we can find ways
21:12to access the sovereign assets of Russia
21:16that are now frozen primarily in Europe.
21:19And there again, I anticipate that in the coming weeks and months,
21:22certainly by the G7, we'll see further steps in that direction.
21:29We are working hard to deliver more air defenses,
21:32to Ukraine,
21:33and I'm confident we'll see progress in that area as well.
21:36It's a long way of saying that in the coming weeks,
21:40in the coming months,
21:41I think you're only going to see greater resilience
21:45coming from Ukrainians and all those who support Ukraine.
21:49And if you project out over the next period of time,
21:54we are on the path to help ensure that Ukraine is a success,
21:59a country that stands strongly on its own feet
22:01militarily, economically, democratically.
22:05And that's the ultimate rebuke to Mr. Putin.
22:10And it also tells us very clearly that he cannot
22:15and will not outlast Ukraine, outlast Ukraine's supporters.
22:20So I think that's a reality, a trajectory
22:25that people should have well in mind
22:28and that should give them real confidence in the future.
22:31And again, the support that I see
22:33and that will manifest itself among so many countries for Ukraine
22:36remains strong, remains resolute, matched only,
22:40or maybe even surpassed only,
22:42by the resolve of the Ukrainian people themselves.
22:47We're committed to Ukraine succeeding as a country.
22:51We're committed to Ukraine winning the war,
22:53and I think we've shown that through the support
22:55that we've provided and many other countries have provided.
22:57We haven't encouraged or enabled strikes outside of Ukraine.
23:03But Ukraine, as I've said before,
23:05has to make its own decisions
23:07about the best way to effectively defend itself.
23:10We're going to make sure that it has the equipment
23:12it needs to do that.
23:13And another hallmark of our support for Ukraine
23:17over these now more than two years
23:19has been to adapt.
23:21As the conditions have changed,
23:24as the battlefield has changed,
23:25as what Russia does has changed
23:27in terms of how it's pursuing its aggression,
23:30escalation,
23:31we've adapted and adjusted, too,
23:34and I'm confident we'll continue to do that.
23:37Thank you, Mr. President.
23:39Given that we have presidential elections
23:42and we have presidential elections
23:45and the tender for the European integration,
23:49we expect to see even more interventions
23:53and, of course, this is resignation,
23:56this is cyber threats,
23:59this is destabilization,
24:01this is using the criminal groups,
24:04the corrupt groups in Moldova
24:05to bring into Moldova Russian money
24:08and then to use this money for destabilization
24:11but also trying to bribe the elections.
24:15We have seen what happened last year
24:18in the Google's autonomy
24:21when Kremlin, using dirty money,
24:24managed to get control over the autonomy
24:27and now Kremlin is trying to use
24:30this group of people in the Google's autonomy
24:33to destabilize the country.
24:35So we have seen, we have dealt with
24:38some of these attempts in the past.
24:40We've managed to resist
24:43and to make our institutions more resilient
24:46but we do expect the situation
24:50to get more difficult in the next few months
24:52given that we have elections.
25:01Thank you very much, Madam President, Mr. Secretary.
25:04Just to be clear, Mr. Secretary,
25:06when you say the U.S. will adapt
25:08and adjust to conditions on the battlefield in Ukraine,
25:10are you signaling a greater openness
25:12by the United States to allow Ukrainians
25:15to strike legitimate military Russian targets in Russia?
25:19And as the U.S. has hesitated
25:21about where the Ukrainians can strike,
25:23numerous credible reports say
25:25that the U.S. provided the very precision munitions
25:28that resulted in the deaths
25:30of dozens of innocent Palestinian civilians
25:33including children at that refugee camp
25:36outside of Rafah.
25:38The NSM report that your department largely issued
25:42already assessed that Israel's military
25:44is likely not doing all that it can
25:46to minimize civilian harm.
25:49So were American weapons used in Sunday's strike?
25:53And are you urging President Biden
25:55to re-evaluate any U.S. weapons shipments to Israel
25:58in light of its recent actions in and around Rafah?
26:01And if I may, sir, today Israel's national security advisor
26:04said that the military offensive in Gaza
26:06would last at least through the end of this year.
26:08Is that acceptable to your administration,
26:10to the Biden administration?
26:13Madam President, the U.S. has been accused
26:16of moving too slowly to meet
26:18the urgent battlefield needs of Ukraine,
26:20even now apparently resisting calls by Kyiv
26:23and other Western allies to loosen conditions
26:26on where U.S. weapons can be used.
26:28Meanwhile, this virtually unconditional support
26:31for Israel has prompted some of its allies
26:33to say the U.S. is evincing a double standard.
26:36Do you see it that way?
26:38And how confident are you in the reliability
26:41of American support for countries like yours,
26:44known to be in President Putin's sights
26:46now and after U.S. elections in November?
26:49Thank you.
26:52Thanks, Lillian.
26:53With regard to Ukraine,
26:55adapt and adjust means exactly that.
26:58I think what you've seen over the last two-plus years
27:02is as the nature of the battlefield has changed,
27:07as the locations,
27:10the means that Russia is employing have changed,
27:14we've adapted and adjusted to that,
27:17including, for example,
27:19by the different kinds of weapons systems
27:22that we and allies and partners have provided to Ukraine.
27:26Before this started, before the Russian aggression,
27:29when we saw it coming,
27:31President Biden made sure, for example,
27:34in drawdowns that he did months before the Russian aggression,
27:39the Ukrainians had stingers and javelins
27:41which were instrumental in making sure
27:43that they could ward off the effort to take Kiev
27:45and erase the country from the map.
27:47And at every step along the way,
27:49we've adapted and adjusted as necessary.
27:52And so that's exactly what we'll do going forward.
27:55We're always listening, we're always learning,
27:58and we're always making determinations
28:00about what's necessary to make sure
28:03that Ukraine can effectively continue to defend itself.
28:07And we'll continue to do that.
28:10With regard to RAFA,
28:18the incident a couple of days ago was horrific.
28:23I don't think anyone who has seen the images
28:28cannot be deeply affected by them.
28:32Just on a basic human level,
28:38we have been very clear with Israel
28:43on the imperative in this instance,
28:46as in other instances,
28:48to immediately investigate and determine
28:52exactly what happened and why it happened,
28:55and if accountability is necessary
28:58to make sure that there is accountability.
29:02I can't tell you, as we meet here this evening,
29:06what weapons were used or how they were used.
29:11All of that needs to be the product
29:14of a deliberate but also fast investigation,
29:20and we'll await the results.
29:26I think we also know something else.
29:30We've heard from the Israelis,
29:33but again, absent a complete investigation,
29:36I can't verify any of this,
29:38that small-diameter weapons were used
29:42in a targeted fashion
29:44to go after specific terrorist leaders of Hamas.
29:48Again, I can't vouch for that in this moment.
29:51We have to see what the investigation shows.
29:54But just assuming for a moment that that's the case,
29:58I think we also see that even limited,
30:04focused target attacks
30:08designed to deal with terrorists
30:12who have killed innocent civilians
30:15that are plotting to kill more,
30:17even those kind of operations
30:20can have terrible, horrific, unintended consequences.
30:24And I think it's very important in this moment,
30:30after Israel has had real success
30:34in helping to destroy Hamas's capacity
30:40to repeat October 7th,
30:43which was a very appropriate and very righteous objective,
30:48it has to ask whether,
30:53and especially in the absence of a plan
30:57for the day after in Gaza,
31:00further incremental gains against Hamas,
31:05but gains that may not be durable
31:08in terms of Hamas's defeat in the absence of a plan,
31:12how that stacks up against
31:16some of the, again, unintended but horrific consequences
31:21of military action in a place where
31:25the people you're going after
31:27are so closely embedded with civilians.
31:31And I think this underscores the imperative
31:34of having a plan for the day after,
31:38because in the absence of a plan for the day after,
31:42there won't be a day after.
31:44And this is where we need to go,
31:48and we need to get as quickly as possible
31:52a plan for the day after that does not leave Israel
31:54responsible for Gaza,
31:56which it says it does not want to be.
31:58But if it is, it will simply have
32:00an enduring insurgency on its hands
32:02for as far as one can see into the future.
32:04Or not, if not, Hamas will be left in charge,
32:07which is unacceptable.
32:09Or if not, we'll have chaos, lawlessness,
32:12and a vacuum that eventually will be filled again by Hamas,
32:17something that's possible to imagine even worse, jihadis.
32:22So I think the imperative, the urgency
32:28of having a clear plan,
32:31one that can actually help ensure
32:34the enduring defeat of Hamas,
32:36which is a shared objective,
32:38and should be everyone's objective,
32:40is urgent, is imperative,
32:42and a plan that accounts for security in Gaza,
32:45that accounts for governance in Gaza,
32:47and that accounts for rebuilding
32:49the lives of the Gaza people.
32:58Again, let me leave it at that,
33:00and with regard to the remarks,
33:03I think what I've just said
33:05underscores in our judgment
33:07the urgency and importance of developing a plan
33:13that can actually produce the results
33:17that Israel, we, and so many others believe are necessary,
33:21which is the effective, durable defeat of Hamas.
33:25And we've shared many ideas with Israel
33:28about how to do that
33:30in an effective and sustainable way.
33:36We do appreciate all the support
33:39that is provided to Ukraine by the U.S.
33:41and by other countries.
33:43We do see that Ukraine needs more support.
33:46Ukraine didn't start this war.
33:48Ukraine is defending itself,
33:50and Ukraine is defending Moldova.
33:53And we believe that Ukraine should be offered
33:57all the support it needs,
33:59not just to resist,
34:01but also to win this war.
34:04Now we're going to pick up
34:06two questions from the Moldovan media.
34:08So, good day.
34:10Svetlana Gore from Moldova.
34:12A question for Mr. Secretary of State.
34:14Recently, the Republic of Moldova
34:16and the European Union signed
34:18a pact for the security and defense
34:20through which they expect
34:22to protect the Republic of Moldova
34:24against the hybrid threats
34:26of the Russian Federation.
34:28The question is,
34:30have the United States considered
34:32signing a similar pact
34:34with the Republic of Moldova?
34:36Another question is,
34:38if the power in Washington
34:40changes after the presidential elections,
34:42will that affect somehow
34:44the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine?
34:46And for Mr. President,
34:48do you request from the United States
34:50some guarantees of security
34:52for the Republic of Moldova
34:54and under which conditions?
34:56Thank you.
34:58Thank you.
35:00With regard to hybrid attacks,
35:02the Moldovan people
35:04are on the receiving end
35:06of those attacks on a regular basis.
35:08Russia is trying
35:10to undermine Moldova,
35:12undermine its democratic institutions,
35:14undermining its ability
35:16to make decisions
35:18about its own future
35:20using a whole variety
35:22of hybrid means.
35:24And I think Moldova
35:26has done a remarkable job
35:28fighting many of those attacks
35:30in a very professional manner.
35:32Much of the assistance that we've provided
35:34over the last two and a half years,
35:36about $775 million,
35:38has gone to helping
35:40Moldova build resilience
35:42against these kinds of attacks.
35:44And so I think we're already engaged
35:46in a, whatever we want to call it,
35:48in committed,
35:50sustained support
35:52for Moldova
35:54to do, among other things,
35:57effective resistance against these attacks.
35:59Now, one of the other things
36:01that's so important
36:03is sharing information
36:05about disinformation
36:07and misinformation,
36:09which is one of the most potent
36:11hybrid tools that Russia uses.
36:13And that's something that we are doing.
36:15We have an agreement
36:17that we reached, a memorandum of understanding,
36:19that allows us
36:21to do that,
36:23to both share the information,
36:25to make clear
36:27what we're seeing,
36:29also to help Moldova develop
36:31even more tools,
36:33more effective tools
36:35to deal with misinformation,
36:37to deal with manipulation of information.
36:39And this is something
36:41we discussed again
36:43just this evening.
36:45With regard to elections,
36:47I don't do politics.
36:49I just do policy.
36:51But what I can say is this.
36:53I look at Ukraine.
36:55Yes, it was delayed.
36:57It should have gone more quickly.
36:59There are supplemental.
37:01But when it passed,
37:03it passed on an overwhelming
37:05bipartisan basis,
37:07both houses of our Congress,
37:09Senate and the House.
37:11And if you look at public opinion
37:13surveys, you see
37:15strong, enduring support
37:17for Ukraine,
37:19and more broadly,
37:22more than defending democracies
37:24when they're under attack,
37:26when they're under threat.
37:28And I think that is very much
37:30where the American people are,
37:32and that's where I believe
37:34they'll remain.
37:36Indeed, the Republic of Moldova
37:38has a strategic partnership
37:40with the United States.
37:42Our whole cooperation takes place
37:44within this various framework.
37:46At the same time,
37:48our cooperation is guided
37:50by the constitutional framework
37:52of the Republic of Moldova.
37:54This is additional
37:56to all those
37:58facts and interventions
38:00which have been mentioned by the Secretary of State.
38:02We have indeed a substantial cooperation
38:04in the field of defense,
38:06in the field of protection.
38:08So this cooperation started some years ago.
38:10So speaking about
38:12those elements of cooperation,
38:14we'll continue exactly those ones.
38:20Good evening, Mr. Secretary of State,
38:22Ms. President,
38:24I represent the
38:26Ambassador of the United States
38:28in the Republic of Moldova,
38:30stated that currently
38:32you work on the more
38:34expanded package of sanctions
38:36against the Moldovan oligarchs.
38:38Can you elaborate what sort of sanctions
38:40do you expect to see in the context
38:42of where we can
38:44see that some of those pro-Russian
38:46oligarchs, which, by the way,
38:48are now exactly traveling
38:50in the Russian Federation,
38:52they are included in the list of sanctions,
38:54they still can promote
38:56their very propagandistic discourses
38:58using some American platforms
39:00like Meta.
39:02They paid hundreds of thousands of dollars
39:04to those platforms.
39:06Do you intend to intervene into that?
39:08Do you intend to do well with that?
39:10Thank you very much.
39:12It's
39:14pretty straightforward.
39:16We have used sanctions
39:18to
39:20go against those who seek
39:22or try to undermine
39:24Moldova's democracy.
39:26As we develop information
39:28necessary to
39:30support
39:32sanctions, we'll continue to do
39:34just that.
39:41The institutions
39:43in charge of
39:45the set of information in the Republic of Moldova
39:47are collecting this information, this intelligence
39:49and pass it over to the authorities
39:51in Washington. And, of course,
39:53the decision comes from Washington.
39:55Depending upon
39:57their documentation
39:59and depending upon how
40:01elaborate those informations are,
40:03I've seen some decisions already
40:05in the past. This element of cooperation
40:07is extremely important.
40:09Our fight against corruption,
40:11especially in the context
40:13when the Republic of Moldova is
40:15now undergoing a full-fledged
40:17reform of all the institutions
40:19which are meant to combat corruption,
40:21but also in
40:23a full-fledged reform of the
40:25judiciary. In this phase,
40:27our institutions are not
40:29fully efficient yet.
40:31Or, let me say,
40:33they're not efficient
40:35to an extent to be capable to take
40:37alone these set of issues.
40:39Therefore, the support of the United States
40:41is very important in this context,
40:43especially since all issues
40:45related to corruption,
40:47they're crossing
40:49borders of all the countries. This is why
40:51we need to find some joint solutions.
40:53Excuse me, Mr. Secretary
40:55of State, Mr. Blinken,
40:57are there any ways
40:59through which United States could
41:01step in
41:03in order to stop, in order to prevent
41:05matter in denoting this sort of
41:07information, or rather
41:09information?
41:11So, this is
41:13a question
41:15that's
41:17very complicated and in some ways
41:19beyond my own
41:21jurisdiction and my own remit.
41:23We always urge
41:25any of the social
41:27media platforms to make sure that
41:29they're applying their own rules
41:31and most
41:33of them have
41:35the necessary rules. Terms of service
41:37is their call.
41:39And so, certainly we look
41:41and expect platforms to do
41:43just that. And where it's
41:45appropriate for us to share any
41:47information with
41:49them, of course we'll do
41:51that. But they act
41:53independently, they make their own decisions
41:55and again
41:57we hope and expect that they'll
41:59follow their own rules and if
42:01information is brought to them about the abuse
42:03of their platforms
42:05that they'll take necessary action.
42:11Dear colleagues, our event
42:13is over. Now I'll invite the two
42:15officials to take a joint photo.
42:35...
42:37...
42:39...
42:41...