(AGENPARL) – mar 13 dicembre 2022 You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
12/12/2022 08:07 PM EST
Ned Price, Department Spokesperson
Washington, D.C.
2:14 p.m. EST
MR PRICE: Good afternoon, everyone.
QUESTION: Afternoon.
[]MR PRICE: All right. So we have one thing at the top, and then I look forward to taking your questions.
This morning, Secretary Blinken, Administrator Power, and White House Gender Policy Council Director Klein announced the release of the updated 2022 United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally. The updated strategy will direct an inclusive, locally led, and survivor-centered approach to prevent and respond to genderâ??based violence through U.S. foreign policy and assistance.
A few key elements in the updated strategy are the intersectional and inclusive approaches to gender-based violence; the reinforcement of our commitment to doing this work in a survivor-centered, trauma-informed manner; and the integration of gender-based violence prevention and response as a strategic priority across our foreign policy goals.
We are grateful for the investment of time of over 450 individuals across 200 organizations who share their expertise to ensure this updated strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence is comprehensive and cemented in our U.S. foreign policy.
With that, Matt.
QUESTION: Great. Thanks, Ned. Happy Monday.
MR PRICE: Happy Monday.
[]QUESTION: I just want to see if we can get you on the record on updates, if there are any, on the two American citizens. The first, obviously, is Brittney Griner, and if thereâ??s anything you can add to what we know or what we heard from â?? over the weekend, at least from the U.S. Government point of view. And then second is on Grant Wahl.
MR PRICE: Sure. Let me start with the second. I think many of you know that we have been engaged on the passing of Grant Wahl since we first learned of it on Friday evening. Our ambassador in Doha, Timmy Davis, has been in close and nearly constant contact with the family of Grant Wahl. Ambassador Davis has been in, in turn, close and regular contact with senior officials from the department.
We worked nearly around the clock â?? I should say our embassy worked nearly around the clock to help the family see to it that their wishes were fulfilled. And this morning, we did confirm that Grant Wahlâ??s remains and his belongings were repatriated to the United Statesâ?? just as an embassy officer had accompanied Grantâ??s remains in Doha, an officer â?? an embassy consular officer â?? accompanied his remains and his belongings on the flight back to the United States. At this point we will defer to the family to speak to the next steps. I know that they have spoken publicly to their wishes, and of course, we worked very closely with the family over the past 48 hours to help fulfill those wishes.
When it comes to Brittney Griner, weâ??re not going to be in a position to offer much in the way of updates going forward. You heard from Ambassador Carstens and Brittney Grinerâ??s representatives that she is indeed at Fort Sam Houston at the Joint Army Medical Center. It is both not for us to speak to updates from here out, but in a way, weâ??re not in a position to do so. The broader point is that the course of treatment that any returnee undergoes at Fort Sam Houston or elsewhere, it is not a preset prescribed set of steps. It is a conversation that experts will have with Brittney, with Cherelle, with other members and interested parties to determine whatâ??s in her best interests. And so whether that course of treatment lasts days or longer, that is not a question for us. That is up to Brittney Griner and to her, Iâ??m sure, loved ones.
QUESTION: Okay. Well, as it relates then to further American detainee â?? wrongful detainees overseas, are there any updates at all on those?
MR PRICE: Matt, our update, of course, is that we continue to work these cases dayâ??in, dayâ??out, around the clock. As you know, we often donâ??t give status updates. It tends to be that our only update is when we have welcome news of a return. Thatâ??s what you heard late last week, last Thursday from us in the context of Brittney Griner. Itâ??s what youâ??ve heard from us a number of times over the course of this administration. So Iâ??m not in a position to offer updates into the status â?? the particular status of other cases other than to note that we are regularly engaging with the families and loved ones of those Americans who are wrongfully detained around the world. We are regularly engaging with governments and representatives of countries that hold Americans in wrongful detention to do everything we can to see their release as soon a we can.
QUESTION: Can I just follow up on that, then?
MR PRICE: Sure.
QUESTION: So President Biden said this, and you guys have said this as well, that Russia is unfortunately treating Paul Whelan differently. So I understand you wouldnâ??t speak to like what you guys do on this on a daily basis. But what are you guys going to do differently? What is the U.S. Government going to do differently to secure his release?
MR PRICE: Well, look, we have made very clear our commitment to do everything we possibly can to see the release of wrongfully detained Americans released. And of course Paul Whelan does remain wrongfully detained in Russia. As in all cases, unfortunately, the other side gets a vote. The other side gets a veto. The other side has used that veto, unfortunately, when it comes to Paul Whelan.
They were â?? the Russians have to date not been willing to negotiate seriously or constructively on Paul Whelanâ??s release because they have and had always treated him differently than Brittney Griner and other wrongful detainees because they do have the sham espionage charges attached to his case. Nevertheless, we are committed. We are going to be creative. We are going to be relentless in working with Paul Whelanâ??s family, his loved ones, and in turn with the Russians to do everything we can to see this case resolved as soon as we can.
A couple points. We have now demonstrated on two separate occasions that we have an appropriate channel with the Russian Government that has repeatedly proved its utility. This is a channel that has been in existence since the two presidents met in Geneva in June of 2021. Of course, a lot has changed in the world and certainly in our bilateral relationship since then. But something that has not changed is the viability of this channel. And in fact, weâ??ve been able to demonstrate its effectiveness.
So we are going to continue to engage in a principled, consistent way with the appropriate Russian authorities to secure Paulâ??s release. When Trevor Reed came home in April, we wished at the time for nothing more than that Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan could have been on that plane. When Brittney Griner came home late last week, we wished for nothing more at the time than that Paul Whelan could have been on that plane. We are determined that a plane will be dispatched to Russia before long to bring Paul Whelan home. Itâ??s a commitment weâ??ve made to his family. Itâ??s a commitment weâ??ve made to Paul.
Roger Carstens has spoken to Paul Whelan; other senior officials in the government have spoken to Paul Whelan in the past couple days. Our message to Paul, our message to every American who is wrongfully detained is: Hang tight. Keep the faith. Weâ??ll come to get you.
QUESTION: Right. When you say Russians have not been willing to negotiate seriously on Paul Whelan, are we talking about a specific proposal that the United States Government has made regarding Paul Whelan since last Thursday that they havenâ??t entertained yet?
MR PRICE: So Iâ??m not going to go â??
QUESTION: Or are we talking about like general?
MR PRICE: Iâ??m not going to go into the specific timeline. What I can say is that we have made very one â?? well, one very famous proposal to the Russians, and I say â??famousâ? because Secretary Blinken announced it from this podium in July. It was clear that the Russians were not going to move seriously or constructively on that particular proposal. So in the months, in the intervening months between July and last week, we have been in regular dialogue with the Russians to put forward alternatives, permutations, ideas, that could have resulted in the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner.
Secretary Blinken was very clear when he spoke of the substantial proposal, the initial substantial proposal that we put forward in July, that the proposal was for both Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner. It was made clear to us over the course of those intervening months that the Russians were at that point not in a position to negotiate seriously or constructively for Paul Whelan. But weâ??re going to keep at it.
QUESTION: Last one on that one: since last Thursday this channel that you guys have established with the Russians, has there been any communication through that channel with the Russians about Paul Whelan or Marc Fogel or anyone else?
MR PRICE: I am just not going to go into the specifics. And this was the same posture we took before Brittney Griner was released; it was the same posture we took before Trevor Reed was released in April. We donâ??t do a play-by-play of our diplomacy and our negotiations, but I can assure you that we are committed to doing everything we can to see Paul Whelan returned to his loved ones.
QUESTION: Recognizing you donâ??t do a play-by-play, I just want to make sure I â?? to get you to clarify your comment from a little while ago when you said, a plane will be dispatched to Russia to get Paul Whelan.
MR PRICE: I was â?? thank you â?? thank you, Matt. Thank you, Matt. I was â?? yes.
QUESTION: Since neither of the previous two releases have involved sending a plane to Russia â??
MR PRICE: Yes. Thank you.
QUESTION: â?? thatâ??s â?? you didnâ??t mean that, did you? You meant that â??
MR PRICE: I do not expect â?? I do not expect that we would be dispatching a plane from the United States to Russia. There are obviously ways to effect repatriations with â??
QUESTION: Yeah. No, I understand. But, I mean, when you say something like that, it can â?? it can give people the idea that things are advanced enough that youâ??re talking about actually sending a plane directly into Russia.
MR PRICE: Thank you for the opportunity to clarify.
QUESTION: May I ask a question differently?
MR PRICE: Anything else on this before we â??
QUESTION: Just one more quick question on this.
MR PRICE: Then Alex, and then Iâ??ll go to â??
[]QUESTION: Russian deputy foreign minister claims that U.S. is not being constructive in Istanbul talks. Is there anything specific at Istanbul talks that we need to know about? I notice that heâ??s using present tense. Is there an ongoing dialogue?
MR PRICE: We did confirm that last week a senior official from the department did meet with the Russian counterparts in Turkey to discuss bilateral issues between the United States and the Russian Federation. We were very clear; in fact, we were probably clearer about what was not on the table than what was on the table. This was not about strategic stability. This was not about Ukraine, of course. This was not about wrongfully detained American citizens., This was about a pretty narrow set of bilateral issues â?? bilateral irritants, you might call them, including staffing levels at our embassies, for example.
So weâ??re not going to go into details, but we believe itâ??s important to have lines of communication with the Russian Federation in times of tension but especially in times of â?? in times of conflict. Thatâ??s what this is about. We have multiple avenues to communicate with the Russians. Weâ??ve already talked about two of them in the course of this briefing. Weâ??re determined to do everything we can to maintain that dialogue and to pursue our interests.
Kylie.
QUESTION: Talked about a single meeting in Istanbul, or thereâ??s an ongoing â??
MR PRICE: The â?? our senior official has returned to Washington.
Kylie.
QUESTION: And just â?? Iâ??m just â?? has the U.S. been explicit with Russia about there being a cost or consequence if Viktor Bout does go ahead and provide support, physical or logistical, in any way to the ongoing war in Ukraine? I ask because over the weekend he said that he wholeheartedly supports the war and he would volunteer if he could.
MR PRICE: Iâ??m not going to weigh in on those comments. The only thing I will say, Kylie, is that weâ??ve been clear in any different contexts, any number of contexts, including with the Russians, that we have a number of tools at our disposal to counter the range of threats and challenges that the Russian Federation poses, that Russian individuals might potentially pose, or that individuals in Russia might pose to the United States. We wonâ??t hesitate to use tools as appropriate to go after anyone who poses a threat to the United States or our interests.
QUESTION: So keeping him from providing support to the Ukraine war wasnâ??t any sort of pre-negotiated part of this prisoner swap?
MR PRICE: Iâ??m just not going to go into the specific talks other than to say what is well known by now, that ultimately we arrived at a formulation that saw a swap involving the release of Brittney Griner in return for the release of Viktor Bout.
Anything else on this before we move on? Sure.
QUESTION: A quick question. So there was a report on Friday that Russia wanted to see Vadim Krasikov released in Germany in exchange for Whelan. Can you confirm it? And if yes, if the U.S. tried to work with German partners on this, are ready to continue working on the issue?
MR PRICE: The only thing I can confirm is what you said, that there was such a report. Iâ??m not in a position to speak to the veracity of that specific report. What I will say is that weâ??re going to leave the mechanics of that dialogue and diplomacy to the appropriate channel. But Iâ??ll reiterate what Iâ??ve said, that the Russians have not yet been in a position to negotiate constructively or seriously regarding Paul Whelan because they have consistently treated him differently than other American wrongful detainees, including Trevor Reed, most recently including Brittney Griner. That is not going to deter us in any way whatsoever. We are going to be committed, we are going to be creative, and weâ??re going to be relentless in our efforts to see Paul Whelan released.
Anything else on Russia-Ukraine? Okay, Nazira.
[]QUESTION: Thank you. Two question, Ned. One about two days attack in Kabul, and number two about thereâ??s a former President Karzai meeting with Tom West. Any update? Because Afghan people should know that United States know are involved about the president, former President Karzai have Tom West meeting.
MR PRICE: So first on the attack today in Kabul. Weâ??ve seen these reports, the reports of violence, reports potentially of deaths and casualties. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the use of violence against innocent civilians. The Afghan people have been subjected to levels of violence for â?? that are far too high for far too long, and we condemn unequivocally what has happened today.
Obviously, these reports are fresh out of Kabul. The attack appears to bear some of the hallmarks of ISIS-K, some of the brutal tactics that this especially brutal group has used to perpetrate attacks against the people of Afghanistan. We continue to call on the Taliban to live up to the commitments that they have made to the international community, to the United States bilaterally in some cases, but most importantly to the commitments that they have to their own people. And one of those commitments is to provide a society that is free from this sort of terrorist violence. So weâ??ll continue to watch very closely and we continue to stand with the Afghan people who are suffering needlessly as a result of these levels of terrorist violence.
To your second question, Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West was on travel last week. He traveled to Japan, he traveled to India, he traveled to the UAE to meet with government counterparts, media and civil society, business leaders, and other communities and â?? communities and individuals with ties to Afghanistan.
In Dubai and Abu Dhabi when he was in the UAE, Tom West met with Afghan business leaders to discuss the need for improved financial and monetary policies to benefit the Afghan people and with political leaders. And that includes, as you referenced, Hamid Karzai and former Balkh Governor Atta.
In Indonesia â?? and I should mention that Rina Amiri was also on travel last week as well. Rina Amiri was in Indonesia, Switzerland, and Turkey, where she met with Afghan women and civil society leaders to hear their perspectives and to amplify the plea of the Afghan people for the Taliban to respect the rights of women, girls, and other at-risk communities, and to initiate an inclusive national dialogue. We do welcome the Talibanâ??s decision to allow former President Karzai to travel to the UAE. We saw that as a positive step. We want to engage with representatives of the Afghan people and a broad range of representatives of the Afghan people.
In all of their commitments, Tom West and Rina Amiri have urged the international community to return â?? excuse me, to continue to advocate for the return of girls to secondary school and women to work. We know that is absolutely indispensable to Afghanistanâ??s security, to its stability, and to its prosperity as well.
QUESTION: Who pick for Hamid Karzai in Saudi? United States is involved about that, or just Taliban pick Hamid Karzai as a key member to go and make a negotiation here?
MR PRICE: We meet with a range of Afghan stakeholders, with a range of voices. It was not only Hamid Karzai that Tom West met with, but he met with another representative of the Afghan people while he was there. This is something that he does regularly, that Rina Amiri does regularly, that others here do regularly as well.
QUESTION: Thank you.
MR PRICE: Yes, sir.
QUESTION: Jalil Afridi from The Frontier Post. Iâ??m here after two years because State Department hadnâ??t renewed foreign journalist credentials.
MR PRICE: Welcome back.
QUESTION: But I was regularly here since Mr. Kirby was here, and itâ??s very good to see you. Iâ??ve been hearing it online.
So my first question is that just with regard to Afghanistan and inter-relating it to my professional visa, so State Department took two years for decades-old journalist to renew their credential. Are you still satisfied that the State Department did a good job with the thousand of Afghans that came here? Do you still believe that their vetting process was done well?
And because Peter had had this question in the White House as well, about Homeland Security publishing a report that these â?? the vetting process was not done well, and although the poor man had denied and rejected that report that it was not fact. But are you guys still satisfied that the vetting process was done well? And is this administration going to take the responsibility if those who came in those two years do something, God forbid, in future? Will this administration take the responsibility?
MR PRICE: Well, let me just put a finer point on one part of your question. This is a process that is ongoing. Our commitment to the people of Afghanistan does not have an expiration date attached to it. You may be referring to the 120-plus, 124,000 individuals whom the United States Government helped to evacuate from Afghanistan during the process of the military withdrawal. That is one finite set of individuals. But our commitment to American citizens, to lawful permanent residents, and more to your question to Afghans who have partnered with us over the course of the past â?? over the course of the preceding 20 years, that commitment is ongoing.
And in fact, since September 1st of 2021, now for some 15 or so months, we have continued to make good on that commitment by facilitating the departure from Afghanistan of those American citizens, those lawful permanent residents, those partners of ours over the course of that 20-year military engagement, who have chosen to leave. And of course, our first priority is to Americans, to LPRs, and to their immediate family members. But thousands of Afghans have been transited out of Afghanistan under the auspices of the U.S. Government since September 1st of last year when that formal evacuation process came to an end, and that will continue to happen going forward.
As part of that process for our Afghan partners, whether it is the processing of those who were welcome here under Operation Allies Rescue, under Operation Allies Welcome as it subsequently became known, or as part of the SIV processing â?? again, to your question, there is an extensive vetting process. It is a process that involves not only this building; it involves our Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Intelligence Community more broadly, pulling upon every available source of information to make sure that someone is appropriate for resettlement here in the United States.
This is a process that has been honed over the course of many, many years now, and because of the inclusive, comprehensive nature of the vetting process it is not always a quick process. We attempt to see it completed just as quickly as possible, but it is a thorough process in which we have confidence and the American people should have confidence.
QUESTION: Just one more question, although I do have contradiction about this, because State Department officials and Pakistani officials off the record have said that they have doubts about the vetting process, but just moving onto one more question.
You guys, the State Department and the White House, has any collaboration with each other with regard to â?? because as you know, Secretary Blinken and Joe Biden, President Joe Biden, are two individuals that even their opponents agree on their foreign policy strength, that there is â?? this is one of their strengths. How about the media? Do you â?? and thereâ??s a White House press, Ms. Karine. Do you guys have any, like, sharing of information about international journalists and how to promote the U.S. policy abroad, or these things are not discussed between you two?
MR PRICE: Could you clarify your question? Do you mean â??
QUESTION: Basically what Iâ??m saying â?? does the State Department informs the White House press secretary about the foreign journalists working in Washington, D.C., and to engage them or to at least when they come to press conferences â?? just to give a small example, like, for example, if Matt was in Pakistan presidency for three months, going to press briefing and not getting an opportunity to ask a question.
MR PRICE: I see.
QUESTION: Would that look any awkward? Like, does Ms. Karine â?? do you, like, discuss at all with them? Because, I mean, Iâ??m just coming to Pakistan, to be honest with you. Question is, like, in last few months, the way Mr. Donald Lu has become popular in Pakistan â?? I mean, even president has become that popular. So, like, do you tell Karine that if a Pakistani journalist is there, at least give them an opportunity to ask a question?
MR PRICE: I understand. We have a regular discussion and dialogue with our White House counterparts. They of course know the indispensability of foreign journalists to our broader foreign policy mission. Of course, there are foreign journalists in this room every day, there are foreign journalists in the White House press briefing room every day, and I know how much our White House colleagues value the White Houseâ??s own foreign correspondentsâ?? association and how valuable, in turn, having that association is, because our messages need to be understood and digested not only in this country but around the world. And in order to do that, I understand â?? I know my colleague at the White House understands as well â?? that we need to be able to speak to people like you, people who are disseminating these messages well beyond our national borders.
Leon.
QUESTION: Thank you, sir.
[]QUESTION: Hi, Ned. I would like to move on to the U.S.-Africa summit â?? actually, to the margins of that summit. There are many leaders invited, including the ones from Rwanda and the DRC â?? this against a backdrop of renewed fighting in the eastern Congo and pressure on Rwanda and its support of the â?? presumably support of the M23 rebels. I was just wondering if the Secretary would seize the opportunity that he has here with the two leaders being here â?? or going to be here â?? to maybe get them together, broker some sort of discussion, and â?? because the â?? obviously the opportunity is right in front of him.
MR PRICE: Yeah, there are a number of opportunities that the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit will present in the coming days. Some of them have to do with peace and security on the continent. That, of course, will be a topic of discussion in many different fora over the next few days. As you know, this is a conflict and a set of tensions that Secretary Blinken has become personally invested in â?? traveled to Rwanda and the DRC in August as tensions were flaring in an effort to engage the leaders of both countries, to urge a de-escalation and to urge steps that would put an end to these hostilities.
Heâ??s continued to be personally engaged with counterparts in both countries, this week, of course, and weâ??ve continued to see levels of violence that are of concern. We remain deeply concerned by developments in the eastern DRC, particularly the renewed M23/FARDC hostilities. These hostilities really resumed in earnest in October and theyâ??ve continued since. Weâ??ve been deeply troubled by reports of killings of civilian areas under M23 control.
We â?? just as we did when we were in the region, as weâ??ve done since that travel, weâ??ve urged all armed groups to cease hostilities. Weâ??ve called for a swift and thorough investigation of and accountability for those responsible for these reports of atrocities. And we support the Africanâ??led mediation efforts to address the regional tensions in eastern DRC. The East African Community, Kenya, Angola have played an important role in all of this. We spoke to that role when we were in the region in the late summer, but all three have continued to engage with Rwanda and the DRC.
We urge implementation of the commitments that came forward after the November meeting in Luanda. There was a communique that was put forward following that meeting. Those commitments include a cessation of hostilities, the M23â??s withdrawal, and an end to state sponsor to armed groups, as well as condemnation of hate speech and the resumption of consultations between the DRC Government and domestic armed groups through that Nairobi process. So we continue to urge the DRC and Rwanda to work with one another, to work constructively with their neighbors, namely Kenya, Angola, and through the East African Community, to fulfill those commitments that were put forward.
QUESTION: But there will be no three-way meeting or anything like that (inaudible)?
MR PRICE: I couldnâ??t speak at this point to any meetings that may be on the schedule, but I can assure you that tensions in the eastern DRC will be on the agenda.
QUESTION: Can we stay on the Africa summit?
MR PRICE: Sure.
QUESTION: Iâ??m wondering if Secretary Blinken in his meetings will raise any concerns about Chinese lending and investment in the region, and if yes, what will be the message, basically.
MR PRICE: Humeyra, youâ??ve traveled with us and heard us long enough to know that we tend not to speak in relation to any other country. We tend to have conversations with countries that are about the United States and what we can do, and, in some cases, what our comparative advantage is. In the Africa strategy speech that the Secretary laid out to the continent and to the world when we were in South Africa several months ago, the Secretary made the point that the United States is ready, willing, and able to be the partner of first resort for the countries across the continent.
We recognize the vibrancy, the energy, the opportunity that is presented on the continent, and thatâ??s not opportunity for us; it is opportunity for the countries of Africa to achieve with us. And that is really what we mean when we say partnership. We are not looking for a relationship that is transactional, thatâ??s extractive, that is burdensome, or leaves country in a â?? leaves various countries in a more fragile, poorer state after a deal is signed.
QUESTION: Is that a characterization for how you guys see Chinese investment in the region?
MR PRICE: It is a characterization of what weâ??re not looking for. What weâ??re looking for is true, genuine partnership with the countries of Africa, a partnership that will allow us to unlock the potential, whether itâ??s through trade and investment, whether itâ??s through people-to-people ties, whether itâ??s through deepening diplomatic initiatives to advance our interests and the interests of the countries on the continent.
QUESTION: Yeah, but itâ??s no doubt that China has expanded its footprint in that â?? across that continent. So, I mean, let me ask it differently: Is this like a â?? I mean, do you see this as an opportunity for the U.S. to deepen its ties with the countries there?
MR PRICE: Of course. Of course. This is â?? this is what the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit is all about. At the first U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in 2014, we invited heads of state and government to come to Washington to begin this conversation as a continent. Now some eight years later, this is another important opportunity for Africa to come to the United States as a continent to discuss areas where individual countries bilaterally, groupings of countries multilaterally, or the continent itself, whether through the AU or other ad hoc groupings, can work closely with the United States.
We want to use the summit to deepen that partnership. We think weâ??ve made good headway over the course of the past few years during this administration, but thereâ??s nothing like face-to-face diplomacy; thereâ??s nothing like having the relevant leaders from across the continent in the United States for these discussions.
QUESTION: Can I â??
MR PRICE: Yes, Janne.
[]QUESTION: Thank you. Can I follow up Chinese issues there? Chineseâ??s President Xi Jinping declared that crude oil purchase will be made in the Chinese money, yuan. What is the U.S. position of the hegemonic competition with the dollar as China declared internationalization of the yuan?
MR PRICE: What was â?? sorry, what was the last part of your question, Janne?
QUESTION: What is the U.S. position on the hegemonic competition with the dollar as China declared the internationalization of the yuan, the Chinese money?
MR PRICE: Well, it is just a fact that business transactions around the world oftentimes are denominated in U.S. dollars. I wouldnâ??t necessarily call that hegemonic. I would call that a consequence of time and convenience and history.
I think the underlying point of your question is something that we can offer a bit more on because you seem to be referencing Chinese purchases of Russian oil, if I â?? if I heard correctly. Weâ??ve worked with countries around the world, of course, to do what we can to hold Russia to account for the brutal war of aggression that itâ??s waging against the people and the country of Ukraine. As part of that, we have sought to limit the revenue-making ability of the Kremlin. Weâ??ve put in place a number of steps, including on December 5th, a week ago now, putting into place the price cap on the export of seaborne Russian oil.
We do not think that countries should be deepening their economic ties with Russia at a time of its brutal aggression against the people of Ukraine. Weâ??ve put in place this oil cap so that global energy markets continue â?? can continue to be stable, can continue to be supplied without providing the Russian Federation the revenue that it would otherwise accrue and in turn use for its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.
Now, a number of countries have agreed to comply with this oil cap, but even for countries that are not formally part of the oil cap, the cap has the effect of depressing the price of Russian oil. Even before it went into effect, the price of Russian oil was reduced as a result of the promise of the oil cap. Markets, of course, are forward-looking. As soon as the oil cap â?? plans to institute it were announced, that had implications on the price of Russian oil.
So whether countries are formally part of the price cap or not, we encourage them to take advantage of the implications of the price cap when it comes to the price of Russian oil, which in turn will deprive the Russians of revenue they would otherwise accrue from those sales.
QUESTION: One more question now, and just turn to Secretary for East Asia and Indo-Pacific Kritenbrink visited China and South Korea and Japan. How would you describe your background over these three countries at this time? And during this visit to South Korea, will you discuss South Korea electric vehicles? Electric vehicles.
MR PRICE: Electric vehicles.
QUESTION: Yes, IRAs.
MR PRICE: So we did announce last week that Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink accompanied by the Senior Director for China and Taiwan Laura Rosenberger and our Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for China and Taiwan â?? excuse me, Deputy Assistant Secretary for China and Taiwan Rick Waters did travel to â?? would travel to the PRC.
They met with PRC Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng in Langfang on December 11th and 12th. They went there for a number of reasons, in part to follow up on the two presidentsâ?? â?? the conversation the two presidents had in Bali in November, but they also discussed preparations for Secretary Blinkenâ??s own travel to the PRC early next year.
The talks were candid. They were substantive. Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink and Senior Director Rosenberger made clear that the United States would continue to compete vigorously, stand up for U.S. interests and values, defend the rules-based international order, and coordinate closely with allies and partners. Those are the points that we make in all of our engagements with senior PRC officials.
They also emphasized the importance we place on bringing home U.S. citizens who are wrongfully detained or who may be subject to exit bans, noting that itâ??s a personal priority for the President, for the Secretary of State as well.
They exchanged views on key regional and global issues, including Russiaâ??s aggression in Ukraine and the threat to regional security and stability that the DPRK poses as well.
They also explored potential avenues for cooperation where our interests do intersect. That includes on challenges such as climate change, health security, global macroeconomic stability, and global food security as well.
After the meetings in China, the Assistant Secretary and Senior Director Rosenberger, they traveled to Seoul and Tokyo for consultations on a range of regional and bilateral issues. They were there from December 12th through the 14th.
QUESTION: Last one. Last one, excuse me. Why doesnâ??t the United States impose sanctions on China and Russian individual entities to help North Korea?