Beyaz Ev Sözcüsü Jen Psaki'nin 18 MArt 2022 salı günü basın toplantısının Ukrayna ile ilgili bölümü
Q That makes sense. What do you hope to achieve with the Secretary of State heading not only to Ukraine, but then later to Geneva to meet with Lavrov, especially since, you know, talks with — over Ukraine aren’t exactly going all that well right now?
MS. PSAKI: Well, let me just give you a little bit of an update on where things stand. And obviously, you’re following this closely.
But, this morning, Secretary Blinken spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. They agreed to meet in Geneva, as you — as you noted. At that meeting, Secretary Blinken will urge Russia to take immediate steps to de-escalate. He will also fly to Kyiv to consult with President Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s leaders, and to Germany for consultations.
As you also know, there is a congressional delegation that is also on their way
But where things stand right now: President Putin has created this crisis by amassing 100,000 Russian troops along Ukraine’s borders. This includes moving Russian forces into Belarus recently for joint exercises and conducting additional exercises on Ukraine’s eastern border.
So, let’s be clear: Our view is this is an extremely dangerous situation. We’re now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack in Ukraine.
And what Secretary Blinken is going to go do is highlight very clearly there is a diplomatic path forward. It is the choice of President Putin and the Russians to make whether they are going to suffer severe economic consequences or not.
Go ahead. Oh, let me go around to people who haven’t had a question.
Q That’s fine. Go ahead.
MS. PSAKI: Go ahead, Trevor.
Q Could you — when you’re talking about, kind of, this meeting that the Secretary of State is going to have with Sergey Lavrov, what is the — is there an expectation that he’s going to provide some sort of response to the issues that were raised in the January 10th meeting?
MS. PSAKI: Well, again, I don’t have anything for you to specifically preview on the behind-the-scenes negotiations and discussions.
But our position has been crystal clear from the beginning — the position of the President and the Secretary of State — that there are two paths: There’s a diplomatic path forward — we certainly hope they take that path; there’s the other path.
It is up to the Russians to determine which path they’re going to take, and the consequences will be severe if they don’t take the diplomatic path.
Q And in terms of the consequences, there has been reporting out of Europe that essentially this idea that’s been floated about taking Russia out of the SWIFT financial payment system is basically off the table at this point. Is that accurate?
MS. PSAKI: No option is off the table in our view. We continue consulting closely with European counterparts on severe counter- — consequences for Russia if it further invades Ukraine.
Q And do you have a commitment from the German government that they will end the Nord Stream 2 pipeline?
MS. PSAKI: I think, as you know, it is not functioning currently. You’ve seen the steps that they have taken recently. The pipe- — Germany’s Federal Network Agency has suspended cert- — the certification process, as well, of Nord Stream 2.
And our view continues to be that stopping the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is a critical — credible piece we hold over Russia at this point in time, especially since it is not functioning. And if sanctions are imposed right now, which some are proposing — and Russia views these sanctions as a sunk cost — then this would be one less consideration in its calculus.
So, of course, we’re consulting closely with all of our partners and allies in this. But I would just note, again, that the pipeline is not operational — that Germany’s Federal Network Agency has suspended the certification process.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks. Staying on Ukraine and Russia: What does the White House make of the evac- — the evacuation of Russian diplomatic staff from their embassy in Kyiv? And do you think the threat of invasion is getting higher or lower?
MS. PSAKI: Well, I think, as I noted a few minutes ago, we believe we’re now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack on Ukraine. I would say that’s more stark than we have been.
In terms of the decision to move — to move — to evacuate their embassy or to move personnel out of their embassy, we have information that indicates the Russian government was preparing to evacuate their family members from the Russian Embassy in Ukraine in late December and early January.
We certainly would refer you to them for more specifics about what their decision is.
But we don’t have an assessent [sic] — assessment on why and the meaning.
Q Okay. And then, another one: On reports that the White House is in talks with the FAA and wireless providers on the 5G rollout and those potential disruption to airline travel, is there anything more you can tell us on this agreement you’re working on? And are you trying to prevent any flight cancellations which could start as soon as tomorrow?
MS. PSAKI: Well, we are — those conversations are ongoing. I don’t have an update at this moment, but they’re ongoing right now, I would say.
So, we have the safest airspace in the world. We’re committed to reaching a solution around 5G deployment that maintains the highest level of safety while maintaining distruptions [sic] — while minimizing disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations, and our economic recovery.
We certainly understand what’s at stake for both industries. We are actively engaged, as you said, with the FAA, FCC, wireless carriers, airlines, and aviation equipment manufacturers to reach a solution. And we believe that with continued cooperation, we can chart a path forward. But certainly minimizing flight disruptions, ensuring safety and travel is a top priority.
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