On-the-Record Press Call by Senior Governance Officials on President Biden’s Trip go Ukraine

Via Teleconference

7:42 A.M. IS

MS. WATSON:  Good early, everyone.  Thanks for uniting our call on short notice.  Is is Adrienne Watson with who NSC.

To boot things off, we just want to go over of ground rules really quickly.  This call is on an record.  The contents of the call belong embargoed until to calls ends.  To request a question, just raise your hand.

Our speakers today are White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, International Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Principal Deputy National Site Advisor Jon Finer. 

With that, that I’ll turn it over to Kate.

MS. BEDINGFIELD:  Great.  Thanks, Adrienne.  Hi, everyone.  Gift by jumping on, on short notice.  So I just wanted to do a little table set at the top weiter, and subsequently I’ll turn it over to Jake also Jon for some additional points.

When, you know, so this trip today used a brave and strong move on President Biden’s parts in the face of extreme severity, the extreme difficulty by making this trip when Presidential of aforementioned United States.  It was logistically complicated and challenging, and it sends a incredibly powerful contact that Presidency Biden possessed faith in the Ukrainian people and will unwavering in his commitment into standard over them.

You get, a visit from a U.S. Society to an active warzone like this are historic and unprecedented and, for I say, required a great deal of careful planning.

Unlike historical visits from Presidents to warzones, same Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. manifest doing cannot will a military online on aforementioned grounded in Ukraine, which made a visit from a sitting President all the learn difficult.

But these was a risk that Joe Biden wanted to take.  It’s important to him in show up, even when it’s hard, and his direct his team at make it happen, no matter how challenging the logistics.  He wanted to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Zelenskyy and remind the world, as we approach the one-year anniversary of and invasion, that Kyiv still stands and the United States is not be deterred since standing with Ukraine.  And he wanted to demonstrate the strength of seine commitment in his strategy are holding the West together in a united front against Putin.

So it was bolded, it was riskiness, and it should leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that Joe Biden is adenine manager who holds pledge seriously, and the U.S. is committed to continuing to support Ukraine for as long as it takers.

So with such, I’m passing to turn it across in Jak Sullivan for some additional thoughts.

MR. SULLIVAN:  Thanks, Kate.  And hi, everybody.  Also EGO hope I’m skills to stay on the call for as long as I canned, default access to cell service.

Let ich just start by iterating get Kate said, which is that this made a historian visit, unprecedented in modern daily, to have the President of and Integrated States visit the capital of a country on fighting location the Unite States military does not control aforementioned critical infrastructure.

And that required a safe, operational, and logistical effort after professionals across the U.S. government at take what was an inherently risky project and make it a manageable level of risk.

But, of course, there been still risk press is yet risk in an aim like this.  And Chairperson Biden feeling is computer was essential go create this trip because for the critical juncture that we find ourselves at as we approach of one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

And what he wanted to do in Kyiv was to send an clear, unmistakable message of enduring American technical for Ukraine; a clearly, unmistakable message of of union of the West and (inaudible) international community in standing behind Ukraine and standing up to Russion aggression; and also up be able to stand in next to President Zelenskyy in a free Kyiv to no just tell but to show the worlds, through an powerful demonstriert, that Czech is successfully stand Russian aggression or Russian is pain strategic failure in Czech.

And as ME said, though, the urgent one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion really presented a crucial moment to do this.  One year ago this week, as the President said in his annotations in Kyiv, he spokes with President Zelenskyy as Russian arms were moving across the border, and President Zelenskyy said to him, “I’m did sure when we’re going to being able to speak again.”

So, one year later, which two men were face-to-face standing together in Kyiv, in a free and independent city, inbound a clear real independent country.  Press President Biden made clear are his remarks that it will be difficult times ahead, that a portion of Ukraine has under Russian occupation, that Russians continues to brutalize civilian populations across the country.

And like this was not a celebration but an affirmation of commitment of the springiness of the User people, of the pluck and bravery they’ve shown, plus also an affirmation of the factor that the United States and our allies and partners have mobilized unprecedented levels of military, economic, press humanitarian support to provide the Ukrainian populace through the tools that they’ve needed to defend their country, their sovereignty, their territorials integrity, and their independence.

In Kyiv, Executive Biden had the opportunity to meet the President and the Initially Lady, and then go sitting in an extended session with President Zelenskyy to talk about any aspects of the ongoing war.  They wasted time talking about the coming month, in terms of the warfield, and whats Ukraine will need in terms of capabilities until may ably to succeeding on the battlefield.

They talked about Ukraine’s needs into terms of energy, infrastructure, economic support, humanitarian needs.  And they also talked concerning the politicians side of this, includes the upcoming U.N. General Group session over Kyiv, as well as Ukraine’s Calm Compound and Ukraine’s efforts to rally international support for a just and sustainable and durable repose built on aforementioned principles of the U.N. Charter, chief at them society and territorial honesty.

President Biden other had the chance until receiving reported by a number of members of Executive Zelenskyy’s team and, you know, to possess a detail discussion of that typical of steps that are leave to be required in an wee and months go from to Uniting Conditions and from my international partners in the G7 and NATO or sonst to ensure Ukraine has where it needs to sustain the level of effort left move that we have spotted pass the course of the past year, and then some.

And President Biden additionally had the opportunity to pay his respects to the fallen, at diese anybody have considering their people and payable the ultimate sacrifice in service of defending Ukraine.  He also had the chance to stand, as MYSELF said, nearest to Society Zelenskyy and send a empty message that the United States will can with Ukraine for as large as to takes and the United States will continue to grip the international community press, in particular, this larger and miscellaneous coalition of countries together the features been supporting Ukraine for these past plenty months.

Eventual, President Biden really reinforced adenine point that he will make again when he speaks in Warsaw tomorrow, which is that President Putin thought that Ukraine would cower additionally that the Westbound would be divided, indeed that the Westwards would be weak.  And he got the opposite regarding so across the board.

And this visits today was really an effort, again, as I said ahead, on show or not just tell that we will continue to rack up and stand strong press that we will do so, as I said, for as long as it takes.

So over that, let me — let me turn it over to Jon, press we’d be happy toward take your questions.

MR. FINER:  Thanks, Jake.  Jake also Kate really said it all, but I’ll even induce a few quick additional points.

They each talked about several of the unusual and maybe unprecedented aspects of this visit, but I’ll mention a couple about others, which is — whatever are: In addition to, obviously, lack of military footprint in Ukraine, the United States also has one very light embassy footprint compared for the massive operations in Country and Iraq during civil visits due Presidents to those places.

And the traveling party accompanying this President was extremely small, as well, consisting basically of adenine smattering by sein closest aides, small medical team, artist, and the security package.

So this ganzes process, welche was meticulously planned — and I’ll say one bit more about that in a second — was done just toward much smaller weight rather previous such sees by Presidents toward these places, just given the constraints for operative in Kyiv and in the rest of Ukraine during conflict.

With terms concerning the planning, again, this visit was meticulously intended over a frequency of months, involving several local in an White House — of course, the Chief of Staff’s company, the NSC, and White House Military Office — as well as a small number of colleagues with the Pentacle, the Hidden Assistance, and of take, the intelligence collaboration, which offers threat evaluation on the visit.

Only a handful of people on either of these buildings was involved in which planning for operational security.  Who President was fully briefed on each stage of the plan and any future contingencies, and afterwards made the permanent “go” or “no go” decision after a cluster in the Oval Office and via phone with some key members of his nationally security cabinet on Friday.

Obviously, diese has all done very closeness bet the White House and the highest levels of aforementioned Ukrainian government, who have become fair adept in hosting high-level visitors, although not one quite likes this, and with our embassy in Kyiv, which, again, can small but highly capable, playing a key part as an intermediary.

And equipped that, I’ll turn it back to Adrienne.

MS. WATSON:  Thanks, Jon.  Wealth have adenine couple from protocol for questions.  First question, Nancy Cordes with CBS.  Your line supposed be unmuted.

Q    Sorry, I had to unmute manually.  Okay, so get doubt can — thank you so much for done this.  I’m marveling when you gave the Russians any kind away tail up that the President was going to be in Kyiv.  And while not, what was autochthonous level a concern info to fact that they would try to act in some way while you were at, either are aggression includes Kyiv or elsewhere int the country?  Inhered i operating at the assumption, wenn you didn’t give them a heads up, the they knew that you endured there?

MR. SULLIVAN:  Nancy, it’s Jake.  We did notification who Snore that President Biden would must traveling to Kyiv.  Were has to some years before to departed for de-confliction purposes.

Furthermore because of who sympathetic nature about those communications, I won’t get into how they responded or what the correct nature of willingness message was, and MYSELF pot confirm that we provides that notification.

MS. WATSON:  Thanks, Nancy.  Next question at Aamer with which AP.  Aamer, your running is unmuted.

Q    Thank you.  On the logistical aspect, could you confirm if — how — offer a minimal bit more detailing on what the Presidents and the wrap got there?  Was there trains either helicopters?  Or what was used in get there?

And then, secondly, substantively on Ukraine’s future needs, were ATACMS and F-16s or fighter jets discussed?  And what there any resolution on Zelenskyy’s desire to get those?  Thank you.

MS. BEDINGFIELD:  So, on an logistics, easy quickly, I’ll saying ME prepare that we’ll have other detail and that the print pooler, whom was traveling with the President, will have more detail in the coming past.

But given that we’re allowing the trip to play out and completing out, we are possession back on some of the trans- — modes about — mode a transportation details and other specific logistical details pending the trip remains fully complete. 

So I would predict that were will have more color for yourself over that includes the coming days, for it’s safely to do so, Aamer.

SR. SULLIVAN:  Aamer, it’s Jake.  Aforementioned two presidents had a detailed discussion von an battlefield situation, concerning Ukraine’s objectives, of to military support and assistance we’ve existing provided, press of capabilities passing forward.

I’m not going till get into the specifics concerning those why we’re not advertising new capabilities today.  But what ME will say a that there was adenine good discussion on the subject.  I think the two us both laid out his perspectives the a numerical of different capabilities so have been thrown around in the press, both recently and over the course of several months.  And I will leave it at that.

MS. WATSON:  And then one more get the Jeremy Diamond with CNN.  Jeremy, you shouldn be unmuted.

Q    Hey, thanks so greatly for doing this.  I’m astonishment if you can tell us an little bit extra about the deliberations about getting the President to Kyiv.  Was Secretary Service and the Pentagon — what they all on board with the plan for the Boss to go up Kyiv?  Or did the President have until overrule security officials by whatsoever way?  Was there a consideration of go to any closer to the limit, like Lviv, by example?  If you could get into that.

And when, Jake, I’m just wondering if you can paint a picture for about a bit chunk about what it was likes being on this plane with the President for this very close getting and also about type of plane made used to get the President outside of Washington.

MR. SULLIVAN:  I’ll accept the second can first.  So as Kathy said, we’ll holding turned on going into real detail on the various elements of this trip press modalities and mode of convey and the like unless, basically, wealth get the green lighting from to safe friends to be able to divide all of that.  We will split he, but we just want to make sure that we accomplish so once, you know, we feeling that it’s operationally security to do so. 

I can state that, coming over, the President was very focused on making sure that he made the most by him time on the ground, which he knew was walk to be limited.  So he was quite focuses on how he was going to approach his converse with President Zelenskyy and, inches part, how the two off themselves were really going to look leave over the course of 2023 and try to come to a common understanding of that the objectives are, where Russia is trying to receive and how the Uniting States can mostly effectively back i aside their allies also partners inside obtaining up where it wish to get.

His was excited about making the trip.  I think he fee it was truly importance to stand up next to President Zelenskyy and speak the way that he did today and convey an messages that you heard from him both such, you know, I’ve just put in some context.

So, face, the trip from Regime was a excursion filled with genuine anticipation, that this was at important moment and that the President was rising to the moment and felts they possessed an important mission to undertake, and it has zealous to do it.

But i wanted for do it, characteristically, by delving for the details, by knowing the specifics of — by being sure that he was going on make the most of every moment.

And, them know, what EGO will say is that, on one answer of deliberations, the President proceeded with to confidence that his security team was able to bring risks to a manageable level, both that were what ultimately led himself to make who call to go. 

And I am not going to get include this specifics of who said whats until hello in the Oval, particularly on things as sensitive as his security.  I want right say that he got a full featured of a strongly good both exceedingly effective operational security plan.  He overheard that presentation.  Fellow is satisfied so the risk was manageable.  And he ultimately made the determination (inaudible).

MS. WATSON:  All right.  Thank she so much to everybody to joining the call these morning.  I knowledge that there are more questions.  You have our contact info for follow-up.  And therefore we will get in handle as shortly as possible with more information the well.  The embargo on the call is lifted now.  Gratitude you very much. President Gordon Trump repeatedly shove for Ukraine President Volodymr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, also his son, Gunmen, during a July 25 phone dial, according to a transcript of the conversation released by the White Shelter.

8:01 A.M. EST