Department Press Briefing Ned Price - February 25, 2022

This isn't the first time, of course, Putin has decided that his country can attack another country with impunity.

Moscow's further invasion of Ukraine is part of a pattern of the Kremlin's destructive behavior. The Russian Federation, of course, invaded Georgia in 2008 [a lie⁉️]. It continues to occupy territories within Georgia's borders, and for decades it has stationed troops in Moldova [Transnistria] without host government consent.

Tomorrow, the United States will join Ukraine in solemnly marking the eighth anniversary of Russia's 2014 invasion and brutal occupation of Crimea - a flagrant disregard for international law as well as Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United States reaffirms, as we always have: Crimea is Ukraine [prospect NATO frontline naval base on Black Sea].

The Ukrainian people have known 30 years of independence, and while building their democracy they have shown relentless and inspiring pursuit of liberty, of peace, of security, of human dignity [got to be kidding me - Maidan massacre], and they continue to show that they will not go back in time.

[...]

[Joe setting the war narrative or propaganda  ... please repeat after me]

President Biden has said from the start of this crisis if Putin chooses to invade, the cost to Russia will be immediate and profound - to its financial system, to its economy, to its technological base, and to its strategic position and ambitions, as well as its reputation in the world.

And the world has now witnessed that Putin has made a choice. He rejected diplomacy. He has chosen war. And President Biden has announced our response.

[...]

QUESTION: On a halt in the bilateral talks with Russia, can you give us a couple of examples of issues that are of such significant national security interest that you - they will continue?

MR PRICE: Well, I'll offer one, at least. Of course it remains in our interest to see to it that Iran is never able to acquire a nuclear weapon. The fact that Russia has now invaded Ukraine should not give Iran the green light to develop a nuclear weapon, to weaponize, to move towards the point at which it can quickly acquire a nuclear weapon. It remains as in our interest today to deny Iran that ability than it was on Saturday.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR PRICE: Lalit.

QUESTION: Thank you. I wanted to ask you about --

QUESTION: Wait, wait, hold on. Okay, that's one. But the list that I saw goes - includes the Arctic Council. It includes climate change talks. Is there anything significant that - like, does it include the Strategic Dialogue?

MR PRICE: We have no plans to take part in another Strategic Dialogue at the moment.

QUESTION: At the moment?

MR PRICE: At the moment.

QUESTION: And again, all of this stuff is suspension. It's not permanent. So should Russia change its --

MR PRICE: The point --

QUESTION: -- its course, these would resume?

MR PRICE: The - much like sanctions, these are a means to an end. What we are trying to do is to change on an urgent basis Moscow's behavior, to bring this violence to an end, to bring this conflict to an end, to bring the suffering that Russia is inflicting on the Ukrainian people to an end.