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Sir. PATEL: Hello everyone, good afternoon and welcome to the daily press briefing. This is Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesman here at the Department. I don’t have anything for you at the top today, so I’ll be happy to take your questions. Operator, would you mind giving the instructions one more time?

OPERATOR: Thank you. And again, if you have a question, press 1 and then 0 on the phone keypad, 1 followed by 0.

PATEL: Let’s go to Leon Bruneau’s line with AFP.

OPERATOR: Okay, sir, your line is open. Please continue.

QUESTION: Okay, yes. Hi Vedant. Leon here. Just a quick question. What can you tell us about the Iran nuclear deal? Should we expect the US to do that – they review the draft. Could we expect a decision soon, an answer to the EU on this, on the proposal on the table? And what effect, if any, does the plot revealed yesterday hurt those prospects, or at all? Thanks.

Sir. PATEL: We and the Europeans have made it abundantly clear that we are prepared to immediately enter into and implement the agreement we negotiated in Vienna for a mutual return to the full implementation of the JCPOA. But for that to happen, Iran must decide to drop its additional demands that go beyond the JCPOA. Ultimately, the choice is theirs. This administration, along with our allies and partners, is preparing equally for non-reciprocal and non-reciprocal return scenarios for the full implementation of the JCPOA. The President and Minister Blinken will only enter into an agreement that we believe is in the national security interest of the United States.

Regarding the second part of your question, I will repeat what Minister Blinken reinforced in his comments. Our message to Iran is very clear: We will not tolerate threats of violence against Americans, and that certainly includes former officials. This administration has been clear that it wants to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon, and we believe that the best way to achieve that goal is through diplomacy. And as long as we believe pursuing a JCPOA is in America’s national security interest, we will continue to do so.

Let’s go to Simon Lewis’ line with Reuters.

OPERATOR: Please be ready. Okay, your line is open.

QUESTION: Hello, thank you. Thank you, Vedant. Yes, I just wanted to see if the US has a response or comment on the decision of Latvia and Estonia to withdraw from the cooperation group with China that they announced today. And I wondered how does that — how does that kind of reflect Europe’s response to the tensions that are happening in Taiwan? And do you think this has any – any impact on the relationship between – between – well, any – is this in any way connected to China’s relationship with Russia given the invasion of Ukraine? Yes, any comments on them? Thank you.

PATEL: Sure, let me try to address that in a couple of parts. Firstly, to the first part of your question, we respect and support the sovereign decision of Estonia and Latvia to no longer participate in the 16+1 initiative. We will continue to support their efforts to make the Baltics a more resilient and prosperous region. Estonia and Latvia are important and valued NATO allies and important US partners across a range of issues, including through our strong defense ties, our strong economic ties, and the promotion of democracy and human rights. Beyond our commitments to the same values, our free, democratic countries produce wealth that helps both of our economies thrive.

As for the second part of your question, which concerns China’s relationship in Europe, one pillar of this administration’s approach to China is to align with our allies and partners in Europe and around the world. This administration believes that our like-minded allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific share similar visions for the future of the international order and can realize our goals most effectively when we work together.

Over the past year, we have seen countries around the world express deep concern over China’s strategic alignment with Russia, as well as Beijing’s support for Moscow’s war on Ukraine. As Minister Blinken has said before, there is a growing convergence on the need to approach relations with Beijing with more realism.

Next, let’s go to Ellen Knickmeyer’s line with Association Press.

OPERATOR: Please stand by. Your line is open now.

QUESTION: Hi, thanks for doing this. Minister Blinken is in Rwanda today and it seems he was quite outspoken about human rights and democracy there. He – there was some talk about – he raised the issue of – and I’m sorry, I’m – I don’t – I can’t pronounce his last name very well and I’m hesitant to try – but Texas-based Rwanda- critic of Kagame, who is in prison there now. Is the United States treating this person’s case with the same immediate concern that it treats Griner and other Americans detained in Russia? Has it—is it—what is it—what is it doing now, and what has it done to obtain his release?

PATEL: Thank you for your question, Ellen. I think you are referring to the case of Mr. Paul Rusesabagina who, as you mentioned, is currently detained in Rwanda. I will reiterate what the Secretary said at his joint press availability today, which is that we continue to call on the Government to address concerns about the legal protection afforded to Mr Rusesabagina and his case, as well as put safeguards in place to prevent similar outcomes in future.

More broadly, the United States is aware of the appeals court’s decision to uphold Mr. Rusesabagina’s conviction. Our concerns about the trial and conviction remain. We have also been made aware of some serious health issues with Mr. Rusesabagina and we continue to call on the Government of Rwanda to ensure that he receives all appropriate and necessary medical treatment.

More broadly, this department is laser-focused and committed to any US citizen wrongfully detained abroad. We have our team at the State Department, including — led by Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, who continues to stay in close contact with this issue, and it remains a top priority.

Let’s go to Jen Hansler’s line with CNN.

OPERATOR: One moment, please. Thank you and your line is open now.

QUESTION: Hello, thank you very much for calling. Questions on two subjects. One, the Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan proposal. Has there been any movement on that deal? Have any US officials interacted with Russian officials since Secretary of State Blinken’s call to Secretary of State Lavrov, and has anyone from the US Embassy been able to visit or speak with Brittney Griner since her sentencing last week?

And then with regard to the New START treaty and the impasse on the inspections, Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov seemed to imply that there was an American team that intended to go for an inspection without Russian approval. Is there anything you can tell us about it? Did a team intend to go to Russia to conduct an inspection there? Thank you.

PATEL: So with regard to your first question, the US government continues to call on Russia to release wrongfully detained Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. The Russian court’s conviction and sentencing of Brittney Griner to nine years in prison compounds the injustice of her wrongful detention.

The administration — and Secretary Blinken has spoken about this several times — has been very clear that there is a significant proposal on the table to facilitate their release, both the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. This proposal has been raised through appropriate channels. Minister Blinken has been able to raise this directly with his colleague, Foreign Minister Lavrov. And ultimately, the ball is in Russia’s court.

As it relates to any visits, our embassy staff was able to be in contact with Brittney by the day of her sentencing on August 4th.

On New START – on New START – so just to take a small step back, the US and Russia have paused inspection activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic since the spring of 2020. Both sides have continued to provide data declarations and announcements under to the treaty. The United States is committed to implementing the New START Treaty. And as President Biden has said, today perhaps more than at any time since the Cold War, we must work to reduce the risk of an arms race or nuclear escalation. We keep discussions between the parties on treaty implementation confidential.

I would also note that — what Secretary Blinken noted recently, that the New START Treaty makes the United States, Russia, and the world safer by holding out — maintaining verified restrictions on our strategic nuclear arsenals and avoiding an arms race.

Operator, let’s go to Camilla Schick’s line with CBS News.

OPERATOR: One moment, please. And your line is open now.

QUESTION: Hi Vedant. Thanks. The State Department issued a release yesterday ahead of the 10th anniversary of the abduction and disappearance overseas of American journalist Austin Tice. That release said the State Department will, quote, “continue to engage with the Syrian government.” Are you able to say at all whether this engagement with the Syrian government is current or not, and whether it is direct or indirect? Thank you.

PATEL: Thank you for your question. Then again, to take a small step back, this week Austin Tice will have spent 10 years in captivity in Syria. We call on the Syrian government to ensure that Austin Tice and every American citizen held hostage in Syria is able to return home. We can’t get into investigative details, but what I want to emphasize is that the US government knows for a fact that Austin was being held by the Syrian government and that they have the power to release him. We believe that Bashar al-Assad has the power to release Austin Tice, and we call on Syria to work with us to secure his release and bring him home.

Operator, let’s go to Michel Ghandour’s line.

OPERATOR: One moment, please. And your line is open now. One moment please. A moment.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.) Do you have any comments on that? And the second question: Are there any updates on Counselor Hochstein’s mediation between Israel and Lebanon?

OPERATOR: Okay, sir, your first question, the line wasn’t open yet, so please state your first question.

QUESTION: Yes, the first question was the Turkish foreign minister has announced that he met the Syrian foreign minister in Belgrade in October, if you have any comments on that.

Sir. PATEL: Let me take your second question first, Michel. So the United States remains committed to facilitating negotiations between Lebanon and Israel to reach a decision on the demarcation of the maritime border. Progress towards a solution can only be achieved through negotiations between the two governments. We welcome the consultative and open spirit of the parties to reach a final decision that has the potential to provide greater stability, security and prosperity for both Lebanon and Israel as well as for the region, and we believe that a solution is possible.

Regarding the meeting, I will refer you to the governments of these entities.

Operator, let’s go to Elizabeth Hagedorn’s line.

OPERATOR: Please stand ready to have your line open. Please stand by.

OPERATOR: Okay. Please continue.

QUESTION: Will the US – sorry. Will the US give Iranian President Raisi a visa to attend next month’s UN General Assembly? Thanks.

PATEL: Thank you for your question. So broadly, visa records are confidential under US law, but as the host nation of the UN, the US is generally required under the UN Headquarters Agreement to facilitate travel to the headquarters district by representatives of UN member states. We take our obligations under these agreements very seriously. But again, to reiterate, visa records are confidential under US law.

Let’s go to the line of Said Arikat.

OPERATOR: Please be ready. A moment. Your line is open now.

QUESTION: Thank you, Vedant, for doing this. I have a quick question. Today, UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet issued a very strong statement expressing alarm at the death of Palestinian children. In the past week, 19 Palestinian children were killed, which this year took the toll, Vedant, to about 37 children. Are you concerned about the number of Palestinian children being killed in conflict and have you raised this issue with the Israelis or will you raise it with the Israelis?

PATEL: Thank you for your question, Said. So you saw both Secretary Blinken and President Biden talk about this over the weekend in their comments regarding the ceasefire over the recent Gaza conflict. So I want to reiterate that this agreement gave Israeli and Palestinian civilians a welcome respite and allowed the delivery of critical supplies to Gaza. We express our condolences to the families of civilians who lost their lives, and we also support a timely and thorough investigation into these reports of civilian casualties. We are grateful to Egypt for their role in reaching this agreement, as well as to Qatar and Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations. Our team also played an important role, working around the clock to support this outcome, and we also remain dedicated to our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and are fully committed to promoting calm. We continue to work with partners to improve the quality of life for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live safely and securely and enjoy equal degrees of freedom, prosperity and democracy.

Let’s go to Jiha Ham’s line from the Voice of America.

OPERATOR: One moment, please. And your line is open now.

QUESTION: Hello. Thank you very much for doing this. I have two questions today; one about North Korea. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un yesterday declared victory in the fight against the coronavirus to lift some of their restrictions. So do you have any comments on this? Are you still assessing North Korea in preparation for its seventh nuclear test? And this new announcement may allow, do you think North Korea can move forward with their plans?

And my second question is that China has demanded that South Korea not deploy the US anti-missile defense system, THAAD. It asks South Korea to maintain the “three nos” policy. So one of them is no further deployment of THAAD. So what is your take on the “three nos” policy and China’s strong opposition to THAAD? Thank you.

Sir. PATEL: Thank you. So first with your question about COVID-19, look, we are very concerned about how COVID-19 may affect the North Korean people, and we continue to support the delivery of vaccines to the DPRK. To this end, we strongly support and encourage the efforts of international aid and health organizations in trying to prevent and limit the spread of COVID-19 in the DPRK and to provide other forms of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable groups in the country. To date, the DPRK has rejected all vaccine donations from COVAX. We continue to support international efforts aimed at providing critical humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable North Koreans. If the DPRK requests vaccines, we stand ready to offer them, and we encourage and reiterate that the DPRK works with the international community to facilitate the rapid vaccination of the population.

Regarding your — the second part of your question, the United States estimates that the DPRK is preparing its Punggye-ri test site for what would be its seventh nuclear test. This assessment is consistent with the DPRK’s own public statements. We are preparing for all contingencies in close coordination with our Japanese and ROK allies. Furthermore, we are prepared to make both short- and long-term adjustments to our military posture as appropriate to respond to any DPRK provocation. We are concerned about the regime’s heightened rhetoric around its nuclear program. A seventh nuclear test since 2017[1] would constitute a serious act of escalation and seriously threaten regional and international stability and security, not to mention undermine our planet’s non-proliferation efforts. Such action would also be dangerous and deeply destabilizing[2] for the region.

On THAAD – On THAAD, we believe that THAAD is a prudent and limited self-defense capability designed to counter the DPRK’s weapons programs. Criticism or pressure on the ROK to abandon its self-defense is inappropriate. The US and the ROK made an alliance decision to deploy THAAD to the ROK as a purely defensive measure to protect the ROK and its people from armed attack and to protect the alliance’s military forces from the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile threats.

Let’s go to Joseph Haboush with Al Arabiya English.

OPERATOR: One moment, please. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Thank you for answering my question. I’ll just try again on Jennifer’s previous question. Does the US plan to send a delegation or has it sent a delegation to inspect Russian nuclear weapons sites without Russian approval? And does the State Department condemn Russia’s suspension of its participation in the New START Treaty?

And just another: Turkey said it would send a delegation to Washington on Monday to discuss the sale of the F-16. Are any officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs meeting with the delegation? Thank you.

Sir. PATEL: As for the second part of your question, I don’t have any meetings to preview at this time. And as it relates to your first, I want to reiterate what I said earlier, is that we will continue to exercise our on-site inspection rights under the New START Treaty will also prioritize the health and safety of personnel conducting and hosts inspection activities. We look forward to continuing to implement this important treaty with the Russian Federation. It is an important instrument for stability in the bilateral relationship. And I want to repeat again what Minister Blinken said, which is that the new START treaty makes the United States, Russia and the world safer.

Let’s go to Alex Raufoglu’s line.

OPERATOR: One moment, please. And your line is open.

QUESTION: Yes, thank you very much, Vedant, for doing this, and happy Thursday. A few questions about Ukraine and Russia. Ukraine’s foreign minister yesterday called on Western countries to stop issuing visas to Russian citizens. Yesterday DAS (inaudible) visa service agency staff confirmed to me that there is no restriction at this time for Russian travelers. Are you considering reviewing this in response to Ukraine’s request?

Second, if there is any comment on your inference from the Latvian Parliament yesterday that designated Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Do you approve of that? What is your reaction?

And finally, there are — there are reports that over the last few weeks, Russian officials have been conducting training in Iran as part of the deal on UAV transfers from Iran to Russia. Any reaction to these reports? Many thanks again.

Sir. PATEL: Sorry for the delay there. Thanks for your question. I will answer the latter first. So on the supply of UAVs to Russia, the first thing I want to say and go back to is, as National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN in July, the US government has information indicating that Iran is preparing to supply Russia with several hundred UAVs, including weapons-capable UAVs. We have also said we believe an official Russian delegation recently received a showcase of Iranian strike-capable UAVs. We can confirm that over the past several weeks, Russian officials have been conducting training in Iran as part of the agreement on UAV transfers.

Let me be clear: We will vigorously enforce all US sanctions on both the Russian and Iranian arms trade. The kind of transactions you mention could potentially be sanctioned under numerous authorities, including but not limited to Russia-specific authorities and our worldwide non-proliferation sanctions. We remain incredibly concerned about Iran’s use and proliferation of UAVs. They have been used to attack US forces, our partners in the region and international shipping units. We will continue to use all available tools, including but not limited to sanctions, to prevent, deter, and dismantle the procurement network that provides UAV-related material and technology to Iran.

Alex, do you want to remind — do you want to repeat your other two questions, please?

OPERATOR: Sir, please press 1 then 0 to reproduce your questions. One moment please. Okay, your line is open now.

QUESTION: Yes, of course. Thank you. Yes, two other questions were primarily about the reaction to the Latvian Parliament’s decision yesterday to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Do you approve of that decision? And what is your reaction?

And finally, as you know, the Ukrainian government has called – called on Western countries – especially G7 countries, of which the United States is one – to stop issuing visas to Russian tourists. And as a State Department official confirmed yesterday, Russian citizens are still able to obtain these visas. Are you able to give us any details on whether the State Department is considering revising this policy in response to Ukraine’s request? Thank you.

PATEL: Thank you for your question. So on a potential appointment, let’s just not discuss considerations or potential considerations on a potential appointment from here. In order to designate any country as a state sponsor of terrorism, the Secretary of State must, by law, determine that the government of that country has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.

The US government has already taken a number of significant and effective steps to respond to Putin’s election war, ranging from export controls as well as sanctions and economic consequences. Our unprecedented sanctions are having a drastic impact on Russia. Russia’s stock market has lost a third of its value, inflation has risen 20 percent, Russia’s imports of goods from around the world could fall by 40 percent.

Regarding your question about any visa ban, we have been very clear that we intend our actions not to harm or significantly impact the Russian people. They are not the ones we disagree with.

Next let’s go to Janne Pak’s line from the U.S. Journal Korea.

QUESTION: (In progress) beautiful day. I don’t know because I’m a little late in listening to your statement. Maybe someone is already asking these questions about it, but I have two questions for you. One is North Korea, one is China again. So North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, said yesterday that the coronavirus was delivered from South Korea, and she announced that she would take the strong retaliation against South Korea. What is your comment on this?

The second: China announced that it would resume trade with North Korea, which had been suspended. Trade with China will allow North Korea to secure foreign currency. Could this be seen as a violation of the sanctions against North Korea? Thank you.

Sir. PATEL: Thank you. So about COVID-19, one of your colleagues asked about it, but I’m happy to repeat. We are incredibly concerned about how COVID-19 may affect the North Korean people and continue to support the supply of vaccines to the DPRK. To date, the DPRK has rejected all vaccine donations from COVAX. We continue to support international efforts aimed at providing critical humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable North Koreans. Should the DPRK request vaccines, we stand ready to offer them.

Regarding the potential resumption of trade with China, the second part of your question, let me repeat what my colleagues here have said before. UN sanctions against the DPRK are still in place. We will continue to implement them and encourage others to fully implement them, including at the UN and with the DPRK’s neighbors. It is important for the international community to send a strong, unified message that the DPRK must cease all provocations and abide by its obligations under numerous UN Security Council resolutions, as well as engage in sustained and intensive negotiations with the United States.

Let’s go to the Hiba Nasr line with Asharq News.

OPERATOR: One moment, thank you. Your line is open.

QUESTION: Thank you for answering my question. Thank you for taking my question. My question about Austin Tice. Can you confirm that Biden administration officials met with Syrian officials to discuss this matter?

PATEL: Again, so I just don’t want to get into investigative details, but I want to emphasize that the U.S. government knows for sure that Austin Tice was being held by the Syrian government and that they have the power to release him. We call on Syria to work with us to secure his release, and we believe that Bashar al-Assad has the power to release him. As the White House has said recently — and you heard Secretary Blinken say this as well — the US government is largely engaged with Syrian officials to bring Austin home, but that Syria has never acknowledged holding him.

Operator, let’s go to Laurie Mylroie’s line from Kurdistan24.

QUESTION: Thank you very much for answering my question. Israel’s defense minister today condemned Iranian support for Palestinian Islamic Jihad, calling it a violent Iranian proxy; it funds Palestinian Islamic Jihad, trains them. Do you share the Israeli views that Palestinian Islamic Jihad is so closely linked to Iran that Iran can be held responsible for its actions?

Sir. PATEL: Thank you very much. So look, the US is under no illusions about Iran’s destabilizing actions throughout the region. If Iran wants to show that it can be a responsible actor, now is the time for it to play a constructive role in the region.

Next, let’s go to Roj Salla’s line with Rudaw TV.

QUESTION: Thank you very much for answering my question. So the Turkish defense minister said a delegation will visit the United States on August 15 to discuss the F-16 program. Can you update us on your position on the F-16 program? Is there any change or do you see a way for Turkey and the US to find a way to resolve the issues surrounding the F-16s?

PATEL: Thank you for your question. The United States values ​​its partnership with our important NATO ally, Turkey. The United States and Turkey have a long-standing, deep relationship with important defense ties, and Turkey’s continued NATO interoperability remains a priority. As a matter of policy, I’m just not going to comment or confirm or go into proposed defense transfers until they’ve been formally notified to Congress, and I’ll refer you to the Turkish government for further.

I think we have time for one last question. So we close it again with Ellen Knickmeyer from the AP.

OPERATOR: Your line is open. Please continue.

QUESTION: Yes, please. I just wanted to ask you a follow-up about—about Rusesabagina. Had any progress been made during Blinken’s visit in securing his release? And does the US plan to move to any of the kinds of negotiations or perhaps prisoner swaps that are being talked about with Whelan and Griner in Russia?

PATEL: Thank you for your question, Ellen. I will again reiterate what the Secretary said, which is that we continue to call on the Government to address concerns about the legal protection afforded to him and his case, and to put safeguards in place to prevent similar outcomes in the future. We will also continue to push for consistent consular access and remain in close contact with Mr. Rusesabagina’s team. And the Secretary was also able to raise this directly with President Kagame during his visit.

Thanks again, everyone, for attending today – for attending today’s press briefing. We will talk to you all again very soon.

(The briefing ended at 2:43 p.m.)

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