- 6 months ago
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott held a press briefing.
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00:00I see you guys right here. So I'm going to start with some questions at the beginning,
00:03excuse me, some comments at the beginning, and then go to some questions afterwards.
00:07So to begin, on July 31st, Secretary Rubio announced U.S. sanctions against Brazilian
00:13Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who used his position to authorize arbitrary
00:18pretrial detentions and undermine freedom of expression. Moraes abused his authority
00:23by engaging in a targeted and politically motivated effort to silence political critics
00:28through the issuance of secret orders, compelling online platforms, including U.S. social media
00:33companies, to ban individuals for posting protective speech. As Secretary Rubio stated on X,
00:40our actions are a warning to those who are trampling on the fundamental rights of their citizens,
00:45and judicial robes cannot protect you. Turning to the Indo-Pacific, the White House announced
00:50that the United States has reached a full and complete trade deal with the Republic of Korea.
00:54This agreement, as the Secretary's meeting today with ROK Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, reflects the
01:00unwavering strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance, which has served as the linchpin of peace,
01:06security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific for more than 70 years.
01:13Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, the State Department reported to Congress that the Palestine Liberation
01:17Organization, the PLO, and Palestinian Authority, PA, are not in compliance with their commitments
01:23under the PLO Commitments Compliance Act of 1989 and the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002.
01:31In response, the United States is imposing sanctions that deny visas to PLO members and PA officials
01:36in accordance with Section 604 of the Middle East Peace Commitments Act. These actions reflect our
01:44national security interests and our commitment to holding the PLO and PA accountable for undermining
01:49the prospects for peace. On the humanitarian front, the United States is providing $52 million to the
01:57World Food Program to deliver emergency food assistance from American farmers and producers
02:01to people in need in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, and Djibouti. Under this new
02:09award, WFP will distribute 12,702 metric tons of food—yellow split peas, rice, vegetable oil, and
02:18super cereal plus—from our prepositioning warehouses in Houston and Djibouti to support then 1.9 million
02:25vulnerable people. The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian food assistance globally,
02:30and the Department continues to call on other donors to provide additional contributions to address global
02:36humanitarian needs. And before I turn it over to questions, I want to introduce our front row,
02:40as spokesperson Bruce started last Tuesday continuing the pattern here today. We have the
02:46Key Post, Tehran, June Afrique, The Africa Report, NewsNation, Bloomberg, SBT Brazil, and NHK.
02:55So with that, I'll turn it over to some questions.
02:57Thank you, Tommy. On the sanctions on the Brazilian Supreme Court Judge just mentioned,
03:03what is the State Department position to the main reason that led to the sanction
03:09announced by the Department of Treasury? What did the U.S. find as the main threat?
03:15MR PRICE Well, look, Marais is an activist judge that abused his authority by engaging in a targeted
03:21and politically motivated effort designed to silence political critics through the issuance of secret
03:26orders compelling online platforms, including U.S. social media companies, banning the accounts of
03:31individuals for posting protected speech. Marais further abused his position to authorize unjust
03:37pre-trial detentions and undermine freedom of expression. The actions taken by Marais impact U.S.
03:43persons and companies, and the United States does not tolerate malign foreign actors who abuse their
03:48positions of authority to undermine freedom of expression of American citizens.
03:51So do other Brazilian individuals might face the same sanction or if there is any indication of
04:00new travel bans or visa restrictions for Brazilian citizens in general now or in the near future,
04:07even next year when there is a World Cup? MR PRICE Well, I'm not going to preview what we may
04:12have in terms of further sanctions announcements or other actions there. What I can say is just point
04:17to this action and, again, stress how seriously we take this. And the last question, if possible,
04:22how is the diplomatic engagement among those two countries? Secretary Rubio had a meeting here on
04:29this matter if the State Department has a position on this meeting? MR PRICE Well, I have no readout to
04:37provide on a meeting for you. Yes, Leon. Hi. I'd like to come back to what you announced. I mean,
04:42there was a statement this morning, but you repeated it to the sanctions against members of the
04:47Palestinian Authority and the PLO. Could you specify to us who exactly are sanctioned, the officials
04:57that are sanctioned, and at what level? And could you explain to us a little bit the context of this
05:04coming really two days or a couple days after the UN conference at the UN on the Palestinian statehood
05:16and the push of many allies, U.S. allies – France, UK, Canada – for Palestinian statehood?
05:22MR PRICE Well, look, to stress, this is a biannual review. That happens twice a year in every single year.
05:28And this report refers to the review period that ended in January 2025. So in terms of the timing of this
05:33report, this is a biannual report provided to Congress, and that's being provided here. It is
05:37the first report being provided under this administration. So in terms of timing, that's
05:41the timing, and that's why we're seeing this report now. In terms of specific individuals,
05:46outlined in the media note in terms of the policy, one of the many policy options that were available
05:51that is being implemented – I don't want to get into specific cases, because ultimately,
05:54per the report, there is an opportunity for a case-by-case basis consideration for a waiver.
05:59And so we saw the media note outlining certain policy implications, the actions that were taken,
06:05but ultimately, this is a case-by-case or there is that option for in terms of a visa.
06:08MR PRICE Thank you, Tommy.
06:10MR PRICE I'll take two more questions on this specific topic, on the PLO announcement,
06:16and then we can go on to – a broader region for sure, but two more on this specific topic.
06:19But just to follow up on that, you – for example, for Brazil, for the Supreme Court judge,
06:24you didn't have any problems naming him and saying who it was. But in this case,
06:32you're not naming anybody, and could you give us a sense as to what level they are?
06:36How many people are we talking about?
06:38MR PRICE Well, so the sanctions will impose
06:40denial of visas for PLO members and PA officials. And again, to stress, a waiver may be considered on
06:45a case-by-case basis consistent with our national security interests. Yes.
06:49Thank you, Tommy. Appreciate it. You said you were going to take a few more questions on this.
06:55MR PRICE I'll take two more on this specific topic – broader region for sure,
06:58but on this specific one. Yeah. So on that one, specifically,
07:03the previous administration engaged with Palestinian authority to find a solution for the future
07:08governance of Gaza. And that administration and Trump administration also said Hamas has no place
07:16in Gaza's future – a position that is widely shared by many other countries in the world.
07:22How does this action specifically impact Trump administration's ability to engage with PA?
07:31Maybe it doesn't impact it at all. Can you help us understand that? And were there any heads-up
07:37given to Arab states about this action? Thank you.
07:40MR PRICE Well, I'm not going to speculate on what it will look like going forward,
07:42but what I can say is that the Biden administration in this biannual review also found them in
07:47noncompliance. They chose not to take certain actions. This is the first report of this biannual
07:52review that is under this current administration, and we decided to take a few actions that were
07:56available in terms of – once we identified the noncompliance. That is what this indicates.
08:02There's nothing further to read beyond this report except for the report finding noncompliance,
08:06as well as saying we are taking that action in terms of certain restrictions. But I'm not going to
08:09speculate further beyond that. And the Arab states?
08:12MR PRICE I've not done a preview of private diplomatic discussions. Yes.
08:15Sorry, one more behind and then we'll move on to the topic.
08:17Thank you, Tom. Two things. Of course, some actions were taken against the PLO back in 2017.
08:26They shut off the office. They cut off all aid and so on. So this is also – during the first
08:31Trump administration. I wanted to ask you that the Israeli media is reporting that Israel is going to
08:39annex part of Gaza and that they have a green light from the United States of America. That's what
08:43the government claims, the Israeli Government. And that is at a time when the envoy, Steve Whitcock,
08:49is meeting with the Israeli Government, meeting with Netanyahu, what has been described and what
08:54has been described as a very decisive meeting. Can you – do you have anything to elaborate on this?
09:00Can you share with us what is he discussing? Is it going to be – are parts of Gaza going to be annexed?
09:06MR PRICE- Well, what I can say is what my colleague Caroline just spoke to. She spoke
09:11with the special envoy this morning. She outlined just a few minutes ago what the point of the
09:16meetings were addressing the humanitarian issue that – the situation that we are seeing,
09:21addressing next steps for Gaza. I have nothing further to add for her comments, but it is a clear
09:25indication that this administration is determined to getting as much aid as possible into Gaza without
09:31it being looted by Hamas. But do you – does this administration look favorably at annexing parts
09:37of Gaza? MR PRICE- Well, look, what we're focused on now is trying to address this conflict.
09:41We're trying to end this conflict. We are trying to get as much food into Gaza as possible. I'm not
09:46going to speculate or preview where these discussions may go. What I can say is what we've been focused
09:50on doing, what Caroline described just a few minutes ago, what we've been talking about here from
09:54this podium for many, many months, ending this conflict, getting as much food into Gaza as possible,
10:00where it is not being looted by Hamas. Yes.
10:02Two questions – and thank you, Tommy. I appreciate it. I'm Kelly Meyer with NewsNation.
10:07One on Gaza and one on Ukraine, if I may. So with Gaza, I wanted to ask what's the expected outcome
10:12from this visit from Special Envoy Steve Wyckoff as well as Ambassador Huckabee? Is this to push both sides
10:19to break through this jam and get through these negotiations? And will this potentially upset
10:24Israel, who has said that there is no real starvation happening in Gaza?
10:28MR. Well, what my colleague Caroline said, and to reiterate here, it shows that President Trump
10:32has a humanitarian heart, that he wants to get as much food into Gaza as possible without it being
10:37looted by Hamas. The President also truthed earlier today, saying the fastest way to address the
10:42humanitarian crisis in Gaza is for Hamas to surrender and release the hostages. They have refused to do so.
10:47We've also seen the Secretary speak earlier today about how there was a ceasefire in principle with an
10:53agreement, and then Hamas came and rejected the deal. That is the lack of good faith we are seeing
10:57from Hamas when it comes to these conversations. So ultimately, what this shows is that President
11:02Trump wants to get as much aid into Gaza without it being looted by Hamas as possible. That is a
11:08commitment we've had, and that's what this is showing. And just on Ukraine quickly, there's the talk
11:12about getting European allies to pay into this fund in the Treasury Department, and then we would then
11:19send the weapons onto Ukraine. Do you have a sense of just how exactly you're going to make sure that
11:24these European allies do pay into this fund? And do you have a sense of how many so far have agreed to
11:29this? Well, I'm not going to comment on pending congressional action or for you to Congress on
11:34that. But what I can say is talk about the NATO weapons deal that was talked about by the President,
11:38the fact that we have an agreement with NATO in order for them to buy weapons in which they can then
11:42send to other countries if they so choose. And I think this is part of an America First foreign policy and the
11:47burden-sharing that we've seen pushed by President Trump and Secretary Rubio, the idea that we have
11:52other countries stepping up that make stronger alliances, that makes partnerships stronger,
11:56while at the same time helping the American people, revitalizing certain industries,
12:00increasing the amount of purchases that we're seeing. So we're seeing that impetus from this
12:04administration. We're seeing the effort to make the NATO alliance stronger. We're seeing that NATO
12:08weapons deal also being implemented. So we're seeing that effort here to put America first. But when we
12:13do that, address these challenges in a way that we have our allies and partners also stepping up.
12:18Can you please enlighten us who met with whom? We know the Secretary was in the building. He didn't
12:34travel. We know that Russian ambassador was in the building yesterday. Beyond that, there is no public
12:39record of any Russia-U.S. engagement. MR PRICE- Well, I have nothing to read out for you from here.
12:42Were Ukrainians involved as well? MR PRICE- Again, I have nothing to preview from here.
12:46And I know you have heard this from me before that Kyiv is under attack and last night we had
12:52unprecedented, again, attack on civilians. Timing of it is eye-pumping. Any reaction?
12:59MR PRICE- Well, we have been clear, the President's been clear, and so has the Secretary,
13:03about how we view recent actions from Russia. We've seen the President discuss the new timeline that he has in
13:08place in terms of actions he may take regarding Russia, secondary sanctions, or other items.
13:15So what we are seeing here – or tariffs, excuse me, and other items. What we are seeing here,
13:19again, is a clear indication and transparency from this administration about how we view these
13:23recent actions. The fact that we have tried in good faith to approach these discussions to encourage
13:29both parties to come to the table – we have seen that happen, which is a credit to the leadership
13:32of this administration – but also the fact, as the President said, we need to see action,
13:36not words. And so the President's been very clear on that. He's been very consistent,
13:40and he's spoken on this very publicly in recent days.
13:42Thank you, Tommy. If I may, one more topic on Moldova, please.
13:45MR PRICE- Okay, one more.
13:45Moldova President yesterday, she revealed that her country is under attack by Russia.
13:50This information campaign going on prior to the election, your allies in Romania also confirmed
13:54that. Is this something that you guys are concerned about? Is there anything you can do to stop this?
13:59MR PRICE- Well, let me take that back and see if we can get you more details on that question.
14:02Thanks, sir.
14:02MR PRICE- Okay. Yes.
14:03Thanks, Tommy. Following up on Caroline's comments at the White House briefing,
14:07she said there would be a new aid distribution plan announced in Gaza. Do you have any details?
14:11Will GHF be involved in that? Is it exclusively GHF? Will it involve additional openings of crossings,
14:18for example? Anything you can tell us there?
14:19MR PRICE- Nothing to further add in addition to what the President has said on this.
14:23It is clear, though, from Special Envoy Wyckoff's trip that this is a priority. We are working on this.
14:29We're trying to get as much aid in as possible. We've seen the 100 million meals, of course,
14:32almost that number, being delivered by GHF. But the President wants to get as much aid as possible
14:38into Gaza without it being looted by Hamas. And then if I could follow up,
14:41the Administration lifted sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers earlier this year. Is there any
14:46consideration of putting those sanctions back on given there has been no change in behavior by
14:50these settlers and they have, in fact, killed more people in the months since?
14:53MR PRICE- So I'm not going to preview what actions we may take here from the United States
14:57Government. What I can say is that this issue, as Caroline described, was raised by the President
15:02to the Israeli Government. The ambassadors also talked about the fact that he has raised this issue
15:06with the Israeli Government – the fact that we need to see these attacks stop and we need to see
15:11accountability. Yes. Thank you. NHK. I'd like to ask about U.S.-Iran negotiation. Iranian Foreign Minister
15:20Alaguchi told Financial Times that U.S. must agree on compensation before nuclear negotiation
15:26since U.S. attacked Iran's nuclear sites. Do you have any comment on that?
15:30MR PRICE- Well, what I can say is that any demands for financial compensation from the United States
15:35to the Iranian regime are ridiculous. If the Iranian regime really wanted to save money or alleviate some
15:41of the sanctions policy, they would stop taking destabilizing actions. They would stop wasting money on
15:46their nuclear program. They would stop sending money to terrorist death squads across the region. They
15:51would stop oppressing their own people. So if they really wanted to save money or find a way towards
15:57prosperity for their people, they would start taking those actions. So any demands for financial
16:01compensation from the United States are ridiculous. But to stress, the United States is ready to talk
16:06with Iran. Iran has a short window of opportunity, but the ball is in Iran's court. So we're waiting to see
16:12what they do in terms of now it's in their court. Yes.
16:16Thank you, Tommy. To follow up on the topic of Iran, we saw today the joint statement on Iranian
16:25state threat activity in Europe and North America. I was just curious about the timing of this statement
16:32with the U.S. and so many allies signing on and whether this was driven by any kind of a spike in the
16:38attacks that you've seen since – the U.S. has seen since the strike on Iran, or what was the catalyst
16:44for the particular timing of this statement, if there was any catalyst?
16:48No details to provide in terms of that. What I can say is these are discussions that have been
16:51happening with our partners for a long time, and it's an issue that we take incredibly seriously.
16:55And one other question. I noted that Sunday is the deadline for 180 days since President Trump's
17:04executive order for a report from the United Nations ambassador from the U.S., as well as Secretary
17:11Rubio, regarding which international, intergovernmental organizations, conventions, and treaties
17:17the U.S. wants to continue being a party to. Can you give us any kind of an update on where that
17:22review stands or what kind of reforms the U.S. is looking for at the United Nations?
17:27Well, that review is ongoing. While that review is ongoing, we remain a participant in many of the
17:32UN – much of the UN system in order to advance our interests. I don't want to get ahead of what
17:36the President may end up deciding once that review is complete. But what I can say is that this is
17:41part of that effort, again, to put America first, and we're not going to be a part of organizations
17:45when it's not in line with our national interests. We're not going to be part of organizations that
17:49pursue policies that hamper the United States. What we're going to do is defend our national interests,
17:54and we're going to be looking at this in terms of this ongoing review to make sure that our entry
17:58does – our participation in these groups is exactly that. Yes, Nadia.
18:02Thank you. I just want to go back to the PLO office. You just said that the PLO and the PA
18:07MR. Last question on the PLO. Yes, last one, please.
18:09MR. Last one. Okay.
18:10You said that the PA and the PLO are not in compliance of Act 1989 and of the Middle East
18:18Peace Commitment of 2002. Do you believe that Israel is in compliance of these two agreements,
18:25and do you believe that building settlements, enlarging settlements is not in violation of
18:30all previous peace commitment that Israel has signed?
18:34MR. Well, what I can say is speak to this report. That's what I can speak to. And again,
18:37speaking to this report – again, the Biden Administration found the PLO not in compliance
18:42and decided not to take any action, and the PLO remains in noncompliance. This is the first report
18:48that we have had under this administration. That's why we're seeing this action taken,
18:52this biannual report. And it's important that we're vocal about this. We're outlining the
18:56reasoning behind it, as we have. And it's an important issue here. We're identifying this
19:01noncompliance and choosing to take action. Okay.
19:03MR. Yes.
19:04Thank you, Tommy. Caroline Levitt addressed this a bit. President Trump posted earlier today
19:11that the Canadian recognition of a Palestinian state could affect a trade deal between the two
19:16countries. So it goes beyond just disagreement with the countries supporting a Palestinian state.
19:22It looks like it's actually turning into action. To what extent does the recognition of a Palestinian
19:29state by these several countries over the last few days – how is it going to impact the bilateral
19:34relations between the U.S. and those countries?
19:37MR. Well, the president's comments speak for themselves. Though he also spoke about how,
19:41in terms of this recognition that it is helping Hamas, the secretary also spoke to this. It could be seen as a
19:46reward for Hamas in many ways. We actually saw on the day that Hamas rejected – as the secretary
19:52described today – rejected the ceasefire deal was the same day that France announced their recognition.
19:57So we are seeing, as the president's described, that this could be seen as a reward for Hamas.
20:01And in many ways, as the secretary also said, this could hurt the process of peace.
20:05Because of these timelines they set there, Hamas has been the one blocking reaching a ceasefire.
20:09Hamas has been the one blocking peace. And now we have these timelines set that could actually
20:14lead to a reward for Hamas if they continue in this behavior. So that's what we're seeing here.
20:19The president and secretary have talked about this. I have nothing further to add to the
20:22president's comments in terms of trade talks with Canada. Yes.
20:26Yeah, thank you. I wanted to shift to another conflict in Sudan, the worst humanitarian catastrophe
20:32in the world in the U.S. role there – engagement. A Quad meeting had been expected yesterday with the Saudi,
20:38UAE, and Egyptian foreign ministers here in the building. It didn't happen. I'm wondering if
20:42you could tell us about the reasons for the postponement, whether there's a date perhaps around
20:47ANGA for a replacement meeting, and whether that's a setback at all, that this has had to be postponed?
20:54Well, no date was set in terms of a Quad meeting here, in terms of your first question.
20:58And we look forward to bringing the Quad together in the near future. We hope to set that date soon.
21:04But in terms of your last question, we continue to coordinate on our collective engagement. We
21:09continue to coordinate in terms of pursuing outcomes. That dialogue continues, and we are committed
21:15to supporting that dialogue that leads to peace and ends the suffering of the Sudanese people.
21:19Can you clarify the U.S. position on the Sudanese armed forces in their future in a post-war
21:25transitional government? Because that seems to be a sticking point for a lot of the external actors.
21:30You know, I think Egypt in particular wants to see a role for them. Can you clarify what
21:35the U.S. position? Is that a non-starter for you?
21:37MR PRICE- Well, I don't want to get into the details of dynamic diplomatic conversations.
21:42We think the best path to peace and stability is an immediate and durable cessation of hostilities,
21:47and we are in communication with as many partners – the Quad being one of them,
21:50but not limited just to the Quad – in order to try to accomplish that end.
21:54MR PRICE- Can I follow up on what Alex raised in this call with Russian officials?
21:59Why wasn't there a readout provided of it? Is it because the Secretary was acting in his capacity
22:04as a national security advisor? MR PRICE- Again, I have nothing to preview
22:07in terms of that topic. But you're not denying that those calls
22:10happened, just that you're not going to provide an insight into the sections of it?
22:13MR PRICE- Well, again, I have nothing to offer in terms of those conversations here.
22:15But the Secretary wasn't inaccurately referring to a call or anything in this interview that he had
22:19with Vox Moon? MR PRICE- No, I mean, the Secretary's comments speak for themselves. I just have
22:23no additional readout to provide here for you.
22:24Okay. Can I ask on a separate topic where conversations stand with the Chinese
22:29on the two Americans who have been subject to exit bans there? Are you getting all of
22:32the access and clarity on the circumstances that you need?
22:34MR PRICE- Well, I refer you to Secretary – not Secretary, excuse me,
22:38spokesperson Tammy Bruce's comments on this. I have nothing further to add. Let me take that
22:42question back, though, see if we can get a more robust update for you.
22:45Okay. And –
22:45Do you have one more?
22:48MR PRICE- Well, I was going to ask if you also have – on special envoys,
22:52Whitcoff's travel and whether there's any update on city's alternative options for helping hostages
23:00that was referenced in his statement last week. Is there an actual plan that is being
23:07operationalized? Does it coincide with his travel there now?
23:10MR PRICE- Well, I wouldn't speak to sensitive discussions of that nature if there was a plan
23:14or if there wasn't a plan in place, given how important these discussions are. What I can say,
23:19as Caroline said again, is that he is having meetings there discussing next steps for the
23:22situation in Gaza. Amongst the things discussed is the humanitarian situation getting as much food
23:26in as possible, while also the importance of releasing the hostages, of course. That remains
23:31a priority. As the special envoy said, the President talks about – Caroline talks about
23:34making sure we release those hostages and bring them home.
23:37Korea?
23:37MR PRICE- Yes.
23:39Thank you. Thank you, Caroline. Secretary Rubio had a first meeting with the
23:45South Korean foreign minister today. What topic will be discussed in this meeting?
23:51MR PRICE- So I'm not going to get ahead of that. If I'm correct, this is actually happening right now,
23:58so I don't want to get ahead of conversations that are happening currently. What I can say,
24:02taking a step back, as I mentioned in my topper, the fact that our alliance with the ROK is the linchpin of
24:08peace in the region. And we are seeing a large amount of high engagement between the United States
24:14and the ROK. We saw that when the Secretary went to Malaysia. We've seen that since then. We see
24:19this complete and total trade agreement that the President announced. And so we see all this engagement,
24:24and I think this is the latest element of that in terms of conversations between the United States
24:28and the ROK. Thank you.
24:30MR PRICE- Yes.
24:33With regard to the sanctions, could you just – on the PLO and PA – could you just clarify
24:38that this is not in retaliation for or related to or in an effort to hinder the PA's cooperation with
24:48France, Britain, Canada, and the Gulf states who have said that they intend to recognize
24:53Palestinian statehood in September? And the second one, when should we expect the biannual compliance
25:01report on Israel's compliance? I assume that's the same time schedule as the Palestinian assessment?
25:06MR PRICE- Well, I'll say on this one – and I refer you to my earlier answer in terms of the
25:09fact that this is biannual review. This has been therefore in process. The review period ended in
25:14January 2025. Yes.
25:16Sorry, but you didn't answer the first one. Or say – so does that mean the Israel
25:21one is complete and the U.S. found no violations?
25:25MR PRICE- Well, what I can speak to is this report here. That's what I can speak to. And again,
25:28the fact that the Biden administration found compliance, chose not to take any actions – excuse me,
25:32noncompliance, chose not to take actions. We also found noncompliance and chose to take action.
25:36But – and on the – just it's not in retaliation, these sanctions, they have nothing to do with the
25:41statement. MR PRICE- Again, I have just this question. This is part of a biannual review.
25:44Yes. Are you concerned about the degree of global diplomatic isolation to the U.S. on its entire
25:51position relating to the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
25:54MR PRICE- I reject that premise that we are isolated. I think we are showing through the fact that we have
25:59conversations all the time with our allies and partners, the many agreements that are being
26:03signed, the fact that we have many different initiatives that are bearing out here because
26:07of President Trump's leadership. We're seeing this across the board in Europe. We're seeing it in the
26:12Middle East. We're seeing it in the Asia – we're seeing that in the Indo-Pacific. Again and again,
26:16agreements being signed, conversations happening because of the leadership of President Trump.
26:21And also the fact, as my colleague Caroline talked about, all the different peace agreements that
26:24President Trump has helped broker since he's been in office. So I reject the concept of
26:29any sort of isolation here in terms of the United States. I think it's just the opposite while,
26:32of course, putting America first.
26:33But can you – I mean, is there a single country you can name that supports – publicly
26:36supports the GHF?
26:37MR PRICE- Well, look, what I can say is that we do, and I can say we're committed to getting as
26:41many meals as possible into Gaza without it being looted by Hamas. The President also spoke to the fact
26:46that he's looking for new efforts to do just that. He spoke about that when he was in Europe. So what I can say
26:52and speak to is our commitment. And what I can say and speak to is the many different conversations,
26:57agreements, progress we are making with allies and partners around the world.
27:00And just finally, just to add to that, what is the U.S.'s policy for a long-term,
27:07viable peace between Israelis and Palestinians?
27:10MR PRICE- Well, as we've said here before, our focus is on ending the conflict and addressing
27:13the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
27:14I mean, is there a long-term – is there any policy or plan?
27:17MR PRICE- I'm not going to preview right now what that is. What I can say is that our focus is on ending
27:20the conflict and making sure the hostages are released and getting as much food into Gaza as possible
27:25without it being looted by Hamas. Yes.
27:28Thank you, Tommy. I just want to go back to following one of Said's questions regarding
27:35reports on Israeli media. Three days ago – I'll try to be specific – Haaretz reported that
27:41Israeli officials briefed Secretary Ropio in their plan to annex parts of Gaza Strip,
27:49and they received an approval from the Trump administration. Do you have a comment?
27:55MR PRICE- I addressed this question earlier, free to my comments there. Yes.
27:58Thank you, Tommy. Nice to see you again. I'll try to come up with it again. I
28:02want to put a question about the Ukrainian war. U.S. President Donald Trump cut the deadline for
28:07a ceasefire deal with Vladimir Putin from 50 days to 10 days warning as strong sanctions if no action is taken.
28:13MR PRICE- I'm sorry. Could you speak up just a little bit? I'm having trouble hearing you.
28:15MR PRICE- I'm sorry. U.S. President Donald Trump cut the deadline for a ceasefire deal with Vladimir
28:20Putin from 50 days to 10 days warning of strong sanctions if no action is taken. But at the same
28:26time, we see Russia continues to capture new towns and villages almost every day, and this raises
28:32doubts – doubts about Russia's real intention. Do you think this move can lead to real peace talks,
28:39or is it just a political pressure? And what could be the consequences if Russia keeps expanding
28:45its attacks while ignoring the ceasefire deadline? Thank you.
28:48MR PRICE- Well, I'm not going to preview what the President made aside. He's been clear
28:51in terms of the broad considerations he's making. He's also been clear on the timeline that he has.
28:56What I can say in terms of our transparency on how we view Russia's actions – that remains. I
29:02discussed them earlier here. The President has been clear on that. The Secretary has also been clear,
29:06talking about what we've seen, the fact that we need to see actions, not words. And when it comes to this,
29:10the President talking about that itself when he was talking about moving the deadline, moving it
29:14forward. So ultimately, our hope is that we can get the sides to the table, that they can have
29:19conversations toward the ceasefire, that there can be conversations that lead to a long and enduring
29:24peace. Our fundamental, our driving principle here is to end the bloodshed. That remains. That continues.
29:30That's why we've seen the engagement we have seen. That's why we've seen the actions we have seen.
29:34That remains our policy. That remains our effort to try to end this conflict.
29:37Thank you. On the Muslim Brotherhood, the Brotherhood is reportedly being considered
29:45for the designation of a terrorist organization by the administration. It was asked today in
29:51White House briefing as well. My first question is, organizations like Hamas emerge from the ideology
29:58of the Brotherhood. Does the State Department view the Muslim Brotherhood more as an ideology or as a
30:05structured, centralized organization? Second, where does it fall in terms of U.S. national security
30:11concerns? MR. Well, what I can't speak to, again, is our view of Hamas and the fact that they have
30:15blocked peace, they have blocked ceasefire, they have been weaponizing aid against their own people,
30:21the fact that they are the ones who are saying this. I'm asking about Muslim Brotherhood.
30:24Yeah, so – but I can talk about in terms of – you mentioned Hamas, so I'm speaking to that.
30:27Oh, okay. MR. In terms of our broader – that's – so that's what I'm speaking to here.
30:31In terms of our broader policy, when we're looking at different groups in the region,
30:34let me take that back and see if we can get further details for you.
30:36I appreciate it.
30:37MR. But in terms of our view of Hamas, we've been very clear on that. Yes.
30:40I want to follow up on that question you took back on Tuesday from my colleague.
30:45Do you have an update on what the plan is for the millions of dollars of contraceptives that are
30:50currently sitting in a warehouse in Belgium that are meant to be distributed to lower-income countries
30:54under USAID? MR. So we're still in the process here in terms of determining the way forward.
30:58What I can say again – and to clarify, we're not talking about PEPFAR products. We're not
31:02talking about contraceptives in terms of condoms. We're talking about select products that were
31:06purchased under the previous administration that could be – potentially be abortifacients
31:10under the Kemp Castian Amendment and as well could potentially violate Mexico City.
31:14So we are in the process now of determining that pathway forward. When we have an update,
31:18we will provide it.
31:19Lebanon?
31:20Yes, sir.
31:22Thank you. Thank you.
31:23UNIFIL's mandate in southern Lebanon will end in few weeks, in fact, by the end of August.
31:32So my question is whether the United States is going to support the renewal of the mandate of UNIFIL,
31:42and what do you expect regarding the – from the Lebanese Government regarding the disarming from Hezbollah?
31:50MR. Well, we've talked about that here from the podium before in terms of needing to see the
31:54disarmament of Hezbollah and the Lebanese Government's role in that or for each of those comments.
31:59In terms of your first point, let me see if I can get more information for you on that.
32:02About the Italian Japanese general?
32:03MR. Yes.
32:04Yeah, thank you, Tommy. A question on Europe. So we saw the trade deals of 50 percent,
32:10and I'm reading an article from the Italian Corriere della Sera that says that the Italian
32:16Foreign Minister Tajani said that Europe couldn't do better than 50 percent and that somehow they have
32:22to work on this number. But inside the Italian Government, also in the European Union,
32:29there's some concern that because of the European will have to buy so much liquid gas. Somehow
32:37the United States would have a leverage on Europe and foreign policy when – as allies need to take
32:42decisions. So what would you be the answer from the State Department to this?
32:47MR. Well, in terms of trade discussions, I refer you to the U.S.
32:50Foreign policy.
32:51MR. What I can say is that this is strengthening our relationship with our allies and partners
32:56in Europe. This is about strengthening our relationship with the European Union,
32:59but also bilaterally with different countries in Europe. That's what these agreements are doing
33:04through this rebalancing. And we saw that in conversations with the President when they
33:07are talking about this deal just when he was in Europe – that rebalancing, that was necessary
33:11in order to lead to those long-term, stronger relationships. So that's what we're seeing.
33:15That's what we're seeing in a lot of these deals that end up benefiting countries around the world.
33:18And it's, again, showing President Trump putting America first, but when we do that,
33:21we can find common ground and lead to benefits for everybody. All right.
33:24MR. All right. Thank you very much. Thank you.
33:26Thank you, Tom. Thank you.
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