State Department Official Asked About Ukraine Negotiations One Week Into Trump's Deadline For Russia

Forbes Breaking News

During a press briefing on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce was asked about the state of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

Transcript

00:00Thank you so much.

00:01On Ukraine, if I may.

00:02Does the Secretary have any expectations from upcoming talks in Istanbul, given its timing,

00:09its format?

00:10Are you guys even part of it?

00:13I can't necessarily speak to the Secretary's thoughts dynamically, but I know that our

00:22ambassador to NATO had a number of remarks to make that he made this morning on television

00:29regarding the talks again.

00:32This would be Istanbul.

00:34First of all, I can tell you that we're aware of the scheduling of a third round of talks

00:39being negotiated between the two parties.

00:42We continue to encourage direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in pursuit of a comprehensive

00:47ceasefire and eventually negotiated peace settlement.

00:50The ambassador, Ambassador Whitaker in this case, said, I'm encouraged that both sides

00:55are going to sit down again and negotiate, because that's the only way this is going

00:59to be resolved.

01:00Getting both sides to the table is going to happen this week.

01:10It is an important next step, and I think that's all because of the leverage that the

01:14United States of America and President Trump continues to apply.

01:19He also noted that, as we've said repeatedly, constructive good faith dialogue is the only

01:24path to ending this war.

01:25That has been a hallmark of Secretary Rubio's remarks, that only the two parties can make

01:32the difference in deciding to stop this.

01:35And the President supports any mechanism that leads to a just, durable, and lasting peace.

01:41We have seen, you know, continuous missiles and, you know, drone attacks from Russia even

01:46overnight where they claim new lives.

01:48Today marks, you know, well, yesterday marked one week since the President gave the Russians,

01:52you know, seven —

01:53MS NAUERT I'm sorry, can you say who?

01:54You know, Russians, you know, have been attacking, you know, Ukraine —

01:56MS NAUERT Yes.

01:57— claiming new lives.

01:58Yesterday marked one week since the President gave them seven weeks.

02:02Are you guys doing any assessment?

02:03At this point, do you think this one-week window already allows you to draw any conclusion

02:12about their behavior?

02:13MS NAUERT I would caution when the President notes a block of time or a window that it could

02:21be any time in that window.

02:22We've already seen that in one instance.

02:25There is — at the same time with negotiations, as I mentioned before, without going into the

02:30details, if there's a genuine negotiation happening and it is in motion, then things can change

02:38rapidly.

02:39That the day you set up a window, two days later it can be different because of the conversations

02:43that have been had.

02:44So it's never a static — for most of us, if we make a plan, it's kind of a static

02:49plan for us.

02:50We have an appointment and we choose that day for the appointment next month.

02:53That's not the case here.

02:55These are opportunities that the President speaks about, which is part of an important

03:03aspect of his leadership and what the person who we are speaking with should know that there

03:10might be some options.

03:12But it's not the only thing he's looking at.

03:14It's not the only dynamic that matters.

03:17And it's — we've seen him give windows before and he's acted very quickly within a block.

03:24And I think that's why it matters.

03:27He knows.

03:28He's said very often, many times, he's not happy with what's happening and the choices

03:32that Russia is indulging in.

03:35He knows who he's doing.

03:36He's actually doing so much.

03:37He knows how the Comics is called for a website, but I'll exist.

03:38He knows the likely way that the Comics are being put into it, and he knows how

03:40he's doing it.

03:41That's true to all.

03:42We're looking for something, I'm looking for him to do so.

03:43So I can't get that.

03:44Well, I take a deep breath.

03:45I hope he's doing whatever it is.

03:46I think he's doing it all, and I'm going for you today.

03:47This is a wonderful idea.

03:48That's all for the time.

03:49But it's not the big one.

03:50But it's not a TV show.

03:51That's true.

03:52That's all for us.

03:53And it's just a big one.

03:54And I'm doing it, it's just a big one.

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