{"id":45722,"date":"2022-03-05T10:06:47","date_gmt":"2022-03-05T18:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=45722"},"modified":"2022-03-05T16:07:30","modified_gmt":"2022-03-06T00:07:30","slug":"secretary-antony-j-blinken-and-polish-foreign-minister-zbigniew-rau-statements-to-the-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=45722","title":{"rendered":"Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau Statements to the Press"},"content":{"rendered":"
03\/05\/2022 10:03 AM EST<\/div>\n
\n

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State<\/p>\n

Rzeszow, Poland<\/p>\n

Bristol Hotel<\/p>\n

MODERATOR:<\/b>\u00a0 Ladies and gentlemen, time for statements, and \u2013 for information, there won\u2019t be any questions after the statements because of limited time.\u00a0 Minister Rau, floor is yours.<\/b><\/p>\n

FOREIGN MINISTER RAU:<\/b>\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Ladies and gentlemen, we meeting \u2013 our meeting with Secretary, State Secretary Blinken, was devoted to coordinating actions in response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as political, economic, social, and humanitarian consequences of Russia\u2019s war on our neighboring countries.\u00a0 In the discussion with Secretary Blinken, we raised the most important issues arising from the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Poland\u2019s two eastern neighbors, both for Polish-American bilateral relations and for Allied cooperation between NATO, as well as for the coordination of political activities in the OSCE.<\/b><\/p>\n

Poland will never recognize territorial changes brought about by unprovoked, unlawful aggression.\u00a0 The way in which Russia conducts hostilities, based on the desire to break the will of Ukrainian resistance by means of attacks that terrorize civilian population \u2013 shelling residential areas, nuclear power plants, and non-military venues \u2013 are war crimes under international law which are not subjected to statute of limitation and will be prosecuted with utmost determination.<\/b><\/p>\n

I call on Russia to refrain from attacks on civilian populations.\u00a0 I call both parties to abide by international humanitarian law and to treat prisoners of war with dignity.\u00a0 Turning over all war criminals must be considered in future peace negotiations.<\/b><\/p>\n

Due to its own painful experience in the past, Poland will consequently demand prosecuting war criminals.\u00a0 This is our historic debt to inhabitants of Guernica and (inaudible), whose sacrifices can never be forgotten.\u00a0 Pursuing war criminals is an element of humankind\u2019s common memory.\u00a0 It\u2019s our common obligation.\u00a0 To achieve this, Poland (inaudible) center for documentation of war crimes in Ukraine.\u00a0 We discussed possibilities for Polish-American cooperation in this area.<\/p>\n

I call for an end of the bloodshed and ceasefire for the duration of the talks between Ukraine and Russia.\u00a0 In my capacity as OSCE chairman in office, I welcomed understanding for recreation of humanitarian corridors that will facilitate the evacuation of civilians from Ukrainian cities under siege.\u00a0 Along with the majority of OSCE countries, I appealed for this from the outset of the conflict.\u00a0 I view this understanding as a ray of hope to prevent more Ukrainian civilians from falling victim to war.\u00a0 Everything possible must be done to ensure they evacuate.<\/p>\n

Russia\u2019s aggression in Ukraine caused a humanitarian crisis of an unimaginable scale.\u00a0 Our priority is organizing effective aid to hundreds of thousands and soon be millions of refugees.\u00a0 Poland already received up to 700,000 refugees, and we will continue to do so for everyone that needs it, regardless of a nationality, race, (inaudible) religious creed.<\/p>\n

The attack on Ukraine already transformed Europe and its sense of security.\u00a0 Poland decided to immediately increase its defense spending budget to 3 percent of its GDP beginning next year.\u00a0 As a key country for deterring and defending NATO\u2019s eastern flank, Poland\u2019s (inaudible) welcomed the Alliance\u2019s swift reaction to the new strategic circumstances.\u00a0 I\u2019ve conveyed to Secretary Blinken my thanks to President Biden for his effective leadership in coordinating an explicit, united, and effective response from the transatlantic community and (inaudible) to Russia\u2019s aggression.<\/p>\n

As a host country for NATO response force on the eastern flank, Poland plays a critical role in this reaction, and we are determined to abide by it.\u00a0 In line with the charter of the United Nations, Poland will provide all possible support to Ukraine, who is currently defending itself from an unlawful (inaudible) unprovoked aggression.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n

MODERATOR:<\/b>\u00a0 Secretary Blinken.<\/b><\/p>\n

SECRETARY BLINKEN:<\/b>\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Zbigniew, I want to thank you as always for the very good exchange, for the very warm welcome.\u00a0 And we were just at NATO together, we were in Washington together just a few weeks ago, and it\u2019s very good to to be here with you.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also especially pleased that Ambassador Brzezinski is now here in Poland, credentialed last month.\u00a0 The timing could not be better.\u00a0 It\u2019s vital that we have all of our confirmed ambassadors in place at this critical time.<\/p>\n

And we are, in fact, meeting at one of the most urgent moments in the long history of friendship between our countries.<\/p>\n

As Allies and partners, Poland and the United States have stood together through many, many challenges.\u00a0 Now the very ideals that bind us \u2013 freedom, democracy, peace, security \u2013 are under threat in this region as never before, certainly not since the Second World War.<\/p>\n

The people of Poland know how important it is to defend freedom.\u00a0 So do Americans.\u00a0 And we will stand together, as we\u2019ve been standing together, in support of Ukraine and against Russia\u2019s unprovoked, unwarranted, premeditated invasion.<\/p>\n

In NATO, the European Union, the OSCE \u2013 where Zbigniew is the chair in office this year \u2013 Poland is doing vital work to respond to this crisis.\u00a0 It\u2019s hosted an increased NATO presence.\u00a0 It supported the robust EU sanctions against Russia.\u00a0 And it has done a great deal to facilitate security assistance to Ukraine.<\/p>\n

As NATO Allies, defense cooperation between Poland and the United States, I think it\u2019s safe to say, is closer than it\u2019s ever been.\u00a0 Since January 30th, the United States has more than doubled the number of our military personnel deployed in Poland to now more than 10,000, including a brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.\u00a0 And we\u2019ve significantly increased the amount and types of military equipment and capabilities that we\u2019ve positioned in Poland. As President Biden has said, we will defend every inch of NATO territory.<\/p>\n

Poland is also a leading responder to the humanitarian crisis that Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine has sparked.\u00a0 As Zbigniew just said, as of today, more than 700,000 people have been forced to flee the violence perpetrated by Russia by crossing the border from Ukraine to Poland, with more coming every single day.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to have the opportunity to speak to some of the folks who\u2019ve come over just recently from Ukraine, but I have to say it\u2019s an incredibly powerful reflection of Poland\u2019s values that vulnerable people know that here, they will find refuge.<\/p>\n

To help support the needs of Ukrainians in Poland and other countries, the Biden administration just requested of Congress 2.5 \u2013 excuse me, $2.75 billion in humanitarian assistance.\u00a0 That\u2019s both to meet the need of vulnerable people and communities inside Ukraine as well as to support refugee services, including here in Poland.\u00a0 That\u2019s in addition to the more than $54 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine that we announced just last week<\/p>\n

We also sent a Disaster Assistance Response Team to Poland, working very closely with humanitarian agencies to provide the critical health care, safe drinking water, sanitation, hygiene supplies, protection for vulnerable people, especially women and children.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve delivered nearly 20,000 thermal blankets suited for cold climates; we\u2019ve provided funding for emergency supplies to sustain health care for up to 100,000 people for three months and up to 500 emergency surgical procedures.<\/p>\n

Embassy Kyiv has temporarily relocated to Poland as well, and I\u2019m grateful for that, that Poland is hosting them.\u00a0 They and our embassies and consulates in Poland and across the region are working hard to assist American citizens and their families departing Ukraine and to help them with the influx of U.S. military personnel, humanitarian workers, as well as assistance.\u00a0 We established a U.S. Welcome Center close to the Ukrainian border.\u00a0 It\u2019s been operating 24\/7 since hostilities began.\u00a0 We have support teams as well stationed near the border in Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova, to assist any Americans who are leaving Ukraine.<\/p>\n

At this moment of crisis for millions of Ukrainians \u2013 and as the security of Europe hangs in the balance \u2013 Poland has stepped forward with generosity, with leadership, with resolve.\u00a0 We\u2019re grateful for the strong foundation of friendship and cooperation that we\u2019ve built together over many, many decades, which so many are now relying on today.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

03\/05\/2022 10:03 AM EST Antony J....<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s-a","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45722"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45722\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45723,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45722\/revisions\/45723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}