Daoud Kuttab
“Throughout this Israeli war on Gaza, there hasn't been a warning publicly made by the US that Israel has heeded. It is indeed unclear to what extent such warnings are just optics of putting pressure on the Israeli government while continuing to support its every move. In this sense, one should take with a grain of salt reports that the Biden administration is holding off one shipment of weapons to Israel to pressure it into halting the full-scale invasion of Rafah.”
2 hours ago
Bernie Sanders
“The US must now use ALL its leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire, the end of the attacks on Rafah, and the immediate delivery of massive amounts of humanitarian aid to people living in desperation. Our leverage is clear. Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel.”
3 hours ago
Lloyd Austin
“We've been very clear … from the very beginning that Israel shouldn't launch a major attack into Rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in that battlespace. We've not made a final determination on how to proceed with that shipment [of weapons].”
3 hours ago
Vuk Vuksanović
“This visit [Xi Jinping in Belgrade] shows that Serbia has exchanged Russia for China went it comes to its main partner to bargain with the West. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine placed the Serbo-Russian relationship under close monitoring, so the government sees a benefit in playing the Chinese card more often now since it's deemed to be less provocative. The Balkans, and Serbia in particular, have become even more interesting for China now that one branch of the Belt and Road Initiative through Russia and Belarus was effectively cut off with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
3 hours ago
Aleksandar Vucic
“I told him [Xi Jinping] that as the leader of a great power he will be met with respect all over the world, but the reverence and love he encounters in our Serbia will not be found anywhere else. When it comes to cooperation with Beijing, the sky is the limit.”
3 hours ago
Catherine Russell
“Rafah is now a city of children, who have nowhere safe to go in Gaza. If large-scale military operations start, not only will children be at risk from the violence, but also from chaos and panic, and at a time where their physical and mental states are already weakened.”
7 hours ago
Hani Mahmoud
“You cannot create a safe zone in a war zone. Every time people move from one place to another, they are in search of basic needs and … necessities that are becoming very hard to find right now.”
7 hours ago
Daoud Kuttab
“Throughout this Israeli war on Gaza, there hasn't been a warning publicly made by the US that Israel has heeded. It is indeed unclear to what extent such warnings are just optics of putting pressure on the Israeli government while continuing to support its every move. In this sense, one should take with a grain of salt reports that the Biden administration is holding off one shipment of weapons to Israel to pressure it into halting the full-scale invasion of Rafah.”
2 hours ago
Bernie Sanders
“The US must now use ALL its leverage to demand an immediate ceasefire, the end of the attacks on Rafah, and the immediate delivery of massive amounts of humanitarian aid to people living in desperation. Our leverage is clear. Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel.”
3 hours ago
Lloyd Austin
“We've been very clear … from the very beginning that Israel shouldn't launch a major attack into Rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in that battlespace. We've not made a final determination on how to proceed with that shipment [of weapons].”
3 hours ago
Vuk Vuksanović
“This visit [Xi Jinping in Belgrade] shows that Serbia has exchanged Russia for China went it comes to its main partner to bargain with the West. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine placed the Serbo-Russian relationship under close monitoring, so the government sees a benefit in playing the Chinese card more often now since it's deemed to be less provocative. The Balkans, and Serbia in particular, have become even more interesting for China now that one branch of the Belt and Road Initiative through Russia and Belarus was effectively cut off with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
3 hours ago
Aleksandar Vucic
“I told him [Xi Jinping] that as the leader of a great power he will be met with respect all over the world, but the reverence and love he encounters in our Serbia will not be found anywhere else. When it comes to cooperation with Beijing, the sky is the limit.”
3 hours ago
Catherine Russell
“Rafah is now a city of children, who have nowhere safe to go in Gaza. If large-scale military operations start, not only will children be at risk from the violence, but also from chaos and panic, and at a time where their physical and mental states are already weakened.”
7 hours ago
Hani Mahmoud
“You cannot create a safe zone in a war zone. Every time people move from one place to another, they are in search of basic needs and … necessities that are becoming very hard to find right now.”
7 hours ago
“Our message to President Raisi [Ebrahim Raisi] is the same as our message to his predecessors … the US will defend and advance our national security interests and those of our partners. We hope that Iran seizes the opportunity now to advance diplomatic solutions.”
“We can confirm that personnel have left the Panama-flagged Asphalt Princess, this commercial vessel that was seized yesterday. We believe that these personnel were Iranian, but we're not in a position to confirm this at this time.”
“The charges of 'collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security' appear to be entirely politically motivated.”
“We support the opening of EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania without delay. We are engaging at the highest levels of government to demonstrate our commitment to the aspirants' European paths.”
“It has become clear, including in the past few days alone, that under President Ortega, Nicaragua is becoming an international pariah, moving farther away from democracy.”
“We call on both sides to urgently and peacefully resolve this incident. We also continue to call on Azerbaijan to release immediately all prisoners of war and other detainees, and we remind Azerbaijan of its obligations under international humanitarian law to treat all detainees humanely.”
“This represents yet another unprovoked escalation in Moscow's ongoing campaign to undermine and destabilise Ukraine. This development is particularly troubling amid credible reports of Russian troop buildup in occupied Crimea and around Ukraine's borders, now at levels not seen since Russia's invasion in 2014.”
“The Department of State has issued new guidelines for U.S. government interaction with Taiwan counterparts to encourage U.S. government engagement with Taiwan that reflects our deepening unofficial relationship. The guidance underscores Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and an important security and economic partner that is also a force for good in the international community. These new guidelines liberalize guidance on contacts with Taiwan, consistent with our unofficial relations.”
“North Korea's nuclear program, North Korea's ballistic missile program, of course, is a profound challenge not only, again, for the United States, but also for our allies in the Indo-Pacific and our partners as well. So, of course, we want to make sure we do a number of things.”
“An armed attack against the Philippines' armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, will trigger our obligations under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. We share the concerns of our Philippine allies regarding the continued reported massing of PRC maritime militia near the Whitsun Reef.”
“Our commitment to Taiwan is rock solid. We think and we know that it contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability in across the Taiwan Strait and within the region as well. We have, of course, taken note with great concern the pattern of ongoing PRC efforts and attempts to intimidate in the region including in the context of Taiwan.”
“As I said, we don't have any announcement regarding the Beijing Olympics. 2022 remains a ways off, but we will continue to consult closely with allies and partners to define our common concerns and establish our shared approach to the PRC [People's Republic of China].”
“We are concerned by reports that Saudi aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan was given a 20-year prison sentence and travel ban, pending appeal, after being held with limited contact with family for three years. Exercising human rights should never be a punishable offense.”
“These remain early days, and we don't anticipate an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions ahead. But we believe this is a healthy step forward. We do not anticipate presently that there will be direct talks between the United States and Iran through this process, though the United States remains open to them.”
“Bulgaria is a friend, NATO Ally, and partner. We are attentively watching the Bulgarian investigation into an alleged Russian spy ring. The U.S. strongly supports Bulgaria's sovereignty and stands with Bulgarians against these malign activities on their territory.”
“[The US are] concerned by language in the law [China's law that explicitly allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels] that expressly ties the potential use of force, including armed force, by the China coast guard to the enforcement of China's claims, and ongoing territorial and maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas. The language strongly implies this law could be used to intimidate [China's] maritime neighbours. We are further concerned that China may invoke this new law to assert its unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea, which were thoroughly repudiated by the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling. We remind the PRC and all whose forces operate in the South China Sea that responsible maritime forces act with professionalism and restraint in the exercise of their authorities.”
“We absolutely condemn the People's Republic of China's (PRC) decision to ban BBC World News, the PRC maintains one of the most controlled most impressive least free information spaces in the world. It's troubling that as the PRC restricts outlets and platforms from operating freely in China Beijing's leaders, use free and open media environments overseas to promote misinformation. We call on the PRC and other nations with authoritarian controls over their population to allow their full access to the internet and media.”
“I would expect the secretary and his Turkish counterpart will have an opportunity to chat, to connect in the coming days. Russian S-400s are incompatible with NATO equipment, they threaten the security of NATO technology, and they're inconsistent with Turkey's commitments as a NATO ally. Turkey is a long-standing and valued NATO ally ... We seek cooperation on common priorities, and as with any ally, we engage in dialogue to address disagreements.”
“The United States notes with concern the pattern of ongoing PRC attempts to intimidate its neighbors, including Taiwan. We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected representatives. We will stand with friends and allies to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values in the Indo-Pacific region - and that includes deepening our ties with democratic Taiwan. The United States will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, consistent with the wishes and best interests of the people on Taiwan. The United States maintains its longstanding commitments as outlined in the Three Communiqués, the Taiwan Relations Act, and the Six Assurances. We will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability. Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region.”