State Department Spokeperson: This Arrangement Cements An ‘Economic Partnership Between The US And Ukraine’

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During Thursday’s State Department press briefing, Spokesperson Tammy Bruce answered questions about Trump's deal with Ukraine.

Transcript

00:00MS NAUERT- Now – right after him now?

00:01We'll continue, sir.

00:02Go ahead.

00:03MS NAUERT- Go ahead.

00:05Thanks so much.

00:06In light of your tupper on Ukraine mineral steel, I have two questions.

00:08MS NAUERT- Yes.

00:09May I get – please get your response to Russia's reaction as Medvedev criticized

00:15the President for a deal and called Ukraine, quote-unquote, a nation that will soon disappear.

00:21MS NAUERT- I'm not going to comment on that particular remark.

00:29What we do know from this deal and what the President has said and what has been made

00:32clear now in this arrangement is that it cements a partnership, an economic partnership, between

00:38the United States and Ukraine.

00:40And it is something that also speaks to the nature of how Ukraine will rebuild after this

00:45catastrophe.

00:47It is a terrific deal.

00:49I think that it is – and again, it's the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund,

00:55and it involves much more than just the critical minerals.

00:59And I think some of the – certainly what I think Ukraine understands and what we intend

01:06is that this is not just a financial arrangement.

01:10This is a bonding between two countries that will make a difference for a nation, certainly

01:15in Ukraine's situation where they have a friend.

01:19And the rest of the world will notice that when you have a friend like the United States

01:22and when we are in business with you and in your nation, it creates a stronger national

01:27security for everyone involved.

01:30And certainly in this case, when it comes to the profits that are generated, that that

01:34is then reinvested into Ukraine for the rebuilding dynamic that is going to obviously

01:40have to happen.

01:42It's a time where, as the Secretary's noted just a few days ago, as I mentioned to you

01:47as a matter of fact on Tuesday, that it's time for both of the nations involved in this

01:52conflict to come up with concrete proposals about how this conflict ends.

01:58And this relationship now with Ukraine reinforces the commitment of the United States to that

02:03nation.

02:04And it's – for the world, it's – better off, it also reminds the American people and

02:10the world, that support of another country can take many forms, and that national security

02:15can be reinforced in many different ways.

02:18And that's what this arrangement accomplishes.

02:20And on that line, Tammy, the President last week was explicitly clear when he tweeted out

02:25– posted out, you know, a clear message to Putin saying Vladimir, stop.

02:30Is there any disappointment on your end that Vladimir has not stopped?

02:33Well, this is, again, why the President is the President.

02:37The American people wanted Donald Trump in office.

02:41He has shown, certainly in his first term, that he is willing and capable of taking the

02:45action that's necessary to achieve his goals.

02:48He has done more than one would expect on the issue of diplomacy, because he truly believes

02:55that people can come to a decision here to stop carnage and a meat grinder in that area,

03:01and for the world and for the American people to see what that outreach has been and how

03:07certain people have responded, which then clearly informs the President and those who

03:12work with him, including Secretary Rubio, about the decisions that they need to make.

03:17So I think that it's – certainly the Secretary has been clear that we are watching Putin's

03:24actions, right, not his words.

03:26And in the process, he's refined a very specific timeline.

03:31Weeks ago it was weeks, a few days ago it was days, that this would be a pivotal week.

03:36And look at that, it has been.

03:38All right.

03:39Yes.

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