Kirby Claims That Putin-Xi Meeting Was Proof of Biden’s ‘Leadership

Reporter President Xi s ░░░░░░░░ to Moscow now that ░░░░░░░░ s back home in ░░░░░░░░ the Defense Secretary Lloyd ░░░░░░░░ said in a congressional ░░░░░░░░ I know we re ░░░░░░░░ obsessed with TikTok but ░░░░░░░░ was talking on Capitol ░░░░░░░░ as well The goal ░░░░░░░░ said is to deter ░░░░░░░░ from an ill advised ░░░░░░░░ Do we have any ░░░░░░░░ any suggestion that China ░░░░░░░░ fact discussed or agreed ░░░░░░░░ provide lethal weaponry to ░░░░░░░░ KIRBY All we can ░░░░░░░░ judge is by what ░░░░░░░░ two leaders said when ░░░░░░░░ meetings were over We ░░░░░░░░ nothing in those statements ░░░░░░░░ seen no indication yet ░░░░░░░░ China has made any ░░░░░░░░ of a decision to ░░░░░░░░ lethal weapons And of ░░░░░░░░ we ve said before ░░░░░░░░ don t think that ░░░░░░░░ in China s best ░░░░░░░░ and certainly would not ░░░░░░░░ consistent with the kinds ░░░░░░░░ things that President Xi ░░░░░░░░ said before publicly about ░░░░░░░░ war in Ukraine So ░░░░░░░░ re going to keep ░░░░░░░░ this as closely as ░░░░░░░░ can but no signs ░░░░░░░░ Reporter 2 We obviously ░░░░░░░░ Admiral Kirby that the ░░░░░░░░ States has criticized China ░░░░░░░░ peace plan but how ░░░░░░░░ are you that Xi ░░░░░░░░ off the heels of ░░░░░░░░ trip to Moscow off ░░░░░░░░ heels of him brokering ░░░░░░░░ deal between Tehran and ░░░░░░░░ that at some point ░░░░░░░░ s going to get ░░░░░░░░ of these vulnerable economies ░░░░░░░░ the world who want ░░░░░░░░ sign up to his ░░░░░░░░ of events KIRBY I ░░░░░░░░ China is is struggling ░░░░░░░░ in certain parts of ░░░░░░░░ world to convince people ░░░░░░░░ they really are acting ░░░░░░░░ others best interest In ░░░░░░░░ many countries in Africa ░░░░░░░░ realizing as these loans ░░░░░░░░ due what kind of ░░░░░░░░ straits poor financial straits ░░░░░░░░ re in with respect ░░░░░░░░ China and taking these ░░░░░░░░ high interest loans So ░░░░░░░░ think that s you ░░░░░░░░ those bills are coming ░░░░░░░░ and China s real ░░░░░░░░ around the world are ░░░░░░░░ more transparent by everybody ░░░░░░░░ look if there can ░░░░░░░░ a peace brokered in ░░░░░░░░ then that s a ░░░░░░░░ thing as long as ░░░░░░░░ Zelenskyy is supportive of ░░░░░░░░ as long as his ░░░░░░░░ have been heard his ░░░░░░░░ have been respected and ░░░░░░░░ he is part and ░░░░░░░░ of that effort President ░░░░░░░░ has said many times ░░░░░░░░ about Ukraine without Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ so in the meantime ░░░░░░░░ he is ready to ░░░░░░░░ down and negotiate with ░░░░░░░░ Putin we ve got ░░░░░░░░ make sure that he ░░░░░░░░ also ready on the ░░░░░░░░ Reporter 2 Will Xi ░░░░░░░░ Zelenskyy KIRBY That s ░░░░░░░░ to President Xi We ░░░░░░░░ certainly encourage that We ░░░░░░░░ made it clear that ░░░░░░░░ would like to see ░░░░░░░░ Xi reach out to ░░░░░░░░ Zelenskyy Again we believe ░░░░░░░░ needs to hear the ░░░░░░░░ perspective He needs to ░░░░░░░░ directly from President Zelenskyy ░░░░░░░░ otherwise anything that he ░░░░░░░░ call for in terms ░░░░░░░░ a ceasefire or peace ░░░░░░░░ won t be credible ░░░░░░░░ won t be sustainable ░░░░░░░░ Ukrainian perspectives are not ░░░░░░░░ into that and if ░░░░░░░░ don t have support ░░░░░░░░ President Zelenskyy So if ░░░░░░░░ re going to fly ░░░░░░░░ the way to Moscow ░░░░░░░░ You ought to at ░░░░░░░░ pick up the phone ░░░░░░░░ talk to President Zelenskyy ░░░░░░░░ get his views Reporter ░░░░░░░░ does it mean for ░░░░░░░░ potential meeting or a ░░░░░░░░ with President Biden and ░░░░░░░░ Xi Admiral Is that ░░░░░░░░ the table now KIRBY ░░░░░░░░ Biden has made it ░░░░░░░░ that he wants to ░░░░░░░░ another conversation with President ░░░░░░░░ There s nothing on ░░░░░░░░ schedule right now but ░░░░░░░░ can assure you that ░░░░░░░░ conversation will happen it ░░░░░░░░ happen at the most ░░░░░░░░ time We don t ░░░░░░░░ anything again to announce ░░░░░░░░ but the President believes ░░░░░░░░ it is vitally important ░░░░░░░░ this most consequential of ░░░░░░░░ relationships that the lines ░░░░░░░░ communications stay open And ░░░░░░░░ re going to continue ░░░░░░░░ work on multiple ways ░░░░░░░░ do that For instance ░░░░░░░░ re still going to ░░░░░░░░ to get Secretary Blinken ░░░░░░░░ to Beijing That trip ░░░░░░░░ postponed it wasn t ░░░░░░░░ And in conversations with ░░░░░░░░ PRC and at their ░░░░░░░░ we are now looking ░░░░░░░░ plans to have Secretary ░░░░░░░░ and Secretary Raimondo go ░░░░░░░░ to China to discuss ░░░░░░░░ issues So that s ░░░░░░░░ good and we want ░░░░░░░░ keep those lines of ░░░░░░░░ open and that would ░░░░░░░░ certainly a conversation between ░░░░░░░░ Xi and President Putin ░░░░░░░░ We re hearing continuous ░░░░░░░░ to the axis here ░░░░░░░░ and China How does ░░░░░░░░ administration look at this ░░░░░░░░ Is this East versus ░░░░░░░░ now KIRBY I think ░░░░░░░░ of all calling this ░░░░░░░░ alliance is a bit ░░░░░░░░ a stretch I ve ░░░░░░░░ to it as a ░░░░░░░░ of convenience certainly not ░░░░░░░░ of affection President Xi ░░░░░░░░ in President Putin a ░░░░░░░░ foil and a counterweight ░░░░░░░░ American influence particularly in ░░░░░░░░ President Putin sees in ░░░░░░░░ Xi perhaps a bankroll ░░░░░░░░ an opportunity to get ░░░░░░░░ assistance so that he ░░░░░░░░ continue to prop up ░░░░░░░░ economy and to fight ░░░░░░░░ war They re working ░░░░░░░░ because they believe that ░░░░░░░░ need each other for ░░░░░░░░ discreet not necessarily completely ░░░░░░░░ goals We re not ░░░░░░░░ here for a world ░░░░░░░░ by blocks but I ░░░░░░░░ one thing you need ░░░░░░░░ consider as you consider ░░░░░░░░ visit to Moscow by ░░░░░░░░ Xi is that it ░░░░░░░░ also a manifestation of ░░░░░░░░ much China and Russia ░░░░░░░░ that American leadership on ░░░░░░░░ world stage is back ░░░░░░░░ how much they recognize ░░░░░░░░ our network of alliances ░░░░░░░░ partnerships is stronger than ░░░░░░░░ network they might have ░░░░░░░░ are two countries with ░░░░░░░░ a lot of friends ░░░░░░░░ that that network is ░░░░░░░░ stronger and more influential ░░░░░░░░ the world Look at ░░░░░░░░ for instance how much ░░░░░░░░ relevant and viable NATO ░░░░░░░░ and now it s ░░░░░░░░ to grow by another ░░░░░░░░ nations All that is ░░░░░░░░ manifestation of the leadership ░░░░░░░░ this administration and the ░░░░░░░░ that American leadership on ░░░░░░░░ world stage is in ░░░░░░░░ increasing Reporter 2 Admiral ░░░░░░░░ today in Washington the ░░░░░░░░ has really been on ░░░░░░░░ hearing with the TikTok ░░░░░░░░ and just before he ░░░░░░░░ into Congress we heard ░░░░░░░░ China s Ministry of ░░░░░░░░ and they re saying ░░░░░░░░ they would be against ░░░░░░░░ sale of TikTok Has ░░░░░░░░ social media app now ░░░░░░░░ the latest salvo between ░░░░░░░░ and Beijing KIRBY It ░░░░░░░░ t need to be ░░░░░░░░ way and I won ░░░░░░░░ get ahead of an ░░░░░░░░ review by the Committee ░░░░░░░░ Foreign Investment here in ░░░░░░░░ United States of TikTok ░░░░░░░░ I can tell you ░░░░░░░░ we have legitimate national ░░░░░░░░ concerns over this particular ░░░░░░░░ That s why President ░░░░░░░░ has banned it from ░░░░░░░░ devices But in terms ░░░░░░░░ other decisions made I ░░░░░░░░ seen some press reporting ░░░░░░░░ there I just can ░░░░░░░░ get ahead of where ░░░░░░░░ are in this review ░░░░░░░░ have legitimate national security ░░░░░░░░ over the way this ░░░░░░░░ uses data the way ░░░░░░░░ intrudes on privacy and ░░░░░░░░ concerns have not gone ░░░░░░░░ Reporter Well we can ░░░░░░░░ on because we want ░░░░░░░░ ask you about Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ well and the effort ░░░░░░░░ get Abrams tanks to ░░░░░░░░ battlefield sooner than later ░░░░░░░░ that this spring offensive ░░░░░░░░ about to unlock what ░░░░░░░░ the timeline KIRBY the ░░░░░░░░ has now come up ░░░░░░░░ a an alternate proposal ░░░░░░░░ to use a different ░░░░░░░░ of the Abrams tank ░░░░░░░░ they have more in ░░░░░░░░ get them refurbished and ░░░░░░░░ them to Ukraine And ░░░░░░░░ believe they can do ░░░░░░░░ in about 10 months ░░░░░░░░ now so probably by ░░░░░░░░ fall of this year ░░░░░░░░ obviously won t be ░░░░░░░░ time for spring operations ░░░░░░░░ the weather improves but ░░░░░░░░ ll certainly make a ░░░░░░░░ on the battlefield come ░░░░░░░░ And in the meantime ░░░░░░░░ t forget that many ░░░░░░░░ nations are now providing ░░░░░░░░ tanks as well including ░░░░░░░░ very capable Leopard tanks ░░░░░░░░ Germany produces which will ░░░░░░░░ a big difference Not ░░░░░░░░ mention the more than ░░░░░░░░ other armored vehicles that ░░░░░░░░ United States alone has ░░░░░░░░ providing and will continue ░░░░░░░░ provide Ukraine whether that ░░░░░░░░ Striker infantry vehicles Bradley ░░░░░░░░ vehicles as well as ░░░░░░░░ armored Humvees So there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of armor ░░░░░░░░ going into Ukraine Reporter ░░░░░░░░ Admiral Kirby we know ░░░░░░░░ re wheels up soon ░░░░░░░░ go to Ottawa What ░░░░░░░░ you hoping from the ░░░░░░░░ security perspective in terms ░░░░░░░░ engagement with the Canadians ░░░░░░░░ There s an awful ░░░░░░░░ on the agenda A ░░░░░░░░ very full agenda everything ░░░░░░░░ of course NORAD modernization ░░░░░░░░ defense spending to climate ░░░░░░░░ which affects both our ░░░░░░░░ very very deeply Certainly ░░░░░░░░ of migration will come ░░░░░░░░ There ll be trade ░░░░░░░░ to talk about I ░░░░░░░░ go on and on ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ packed day in Ottawa ░░░░░░░░ The President is very ░░░░░░░░ looking forward to this ░░░░░░░░ is a great friend ░░░░░░░░ a terrific NATO ally ░░░░░░░░ have also been providing ░░░░░░░░ terrific amount of support ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine And I know ░░░░░░░░ Prime Minister Trudeau shares ░░░░░░░░ Biden s view that ░░░░░░░░ ve got to stay ░░░░░░░░ this we ve got ░░░░░░░░ keep supporting Ukraine so ░░░░░░░░ think certainly the war ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine will also be ░░░░░░░░ key topic on the ░░░░░░░░