1 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)
DECEMBER 17, 2021
Defense Department Briefing
Defense Department Spokesman John Kirby briefs reporters at the Pentagon.
Defense Department Spokesman John Kirby briefs reporters at the Pentagon.
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby Holds a Press Briefing
DEC. 17, 2021
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby
PRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY: Good afternoon, everybody. Thanks for your patience in starting a little bit late on a Friday afternoon. I do have a few things to start out with.
So I think you saw this morning that Secretary Austin spoke during a Hall of Heroes induction ceremony that was conducted over at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. That ceremony honored the recent Medal of Honor recipients, Army Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee, Army Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe and Army Sergeant First Class Christopher Celiz. We echo, of course, President Biden in saying that we are grateful for all that these three soldiers have done, and we certainly honor their courage and -- and bravery under exceptional circumstances.
As I mentioned previously, the Defense Policy Board met this week for the first time since completing -- since we've completed Secretary Austin's zero-based review process. That board, which is chaired by Madeleine Albright, received classified briefings on China military modernization, the National Defense Strategy priorities and strategic approach, integrated deterrence, the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defense Review. Secretary Austin joined the meeting yesterday to receive an out-brief from the board on their findings after reviewing a draft version of the still-classified 2021 National Defense Strategy. The secretary thanked the members for their continued dedication to the nation and their sound advice and counsel as the department continues to refine the NDS.
As you know, the Defense Policy Board is chartered to provide independent advice and recommendations on matters concerning defense policy in response to specific tasks from the secretary, the deputy secretary or the undersecretary of defense for policy. A full readout will be posted on defense.gov later today.
Also on the Secretary's plate today -- this morning he spoke by phone with German Federal Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht this morning to congratulate her on her new appointment to the role. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strong U.S.-German defense cooperation, both bilaterally and of course within the NATO alliance.
They discussed their commitment to work together on a full range of challenges, including addressing Russia's destabilizing actions in Eastern Europe, ensuring NATO alliance unity, maintaining positive trajectory on defense investments, and of course increasing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. A -- a full readout of that should be posted, if not now, certainly very soon on our website.
I'm sure that some of you have also been tracking some recent confirmation hearings. We were very pleased to see the confirmations of John Sherman, the Chief -- new Chief Information Officer, and Nickolas Guertin, the new Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, and of course Admiral Chris Grady, the new Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We welcome them all to their new roles, welcome some of them back into public service, and the Secretary's looking forward to -- to working closely with all three of them.
As I think you know, December 18th is National Wreaths Across America Day. It will kick off tomorrow at 8 am at Arlington National Cemetery, as wreaths will be placed at each marker by volunteers. Chairman Milley plans to attend that ceremony. The event has grown over the past 30 years to include now nearly 3,000 participating locations all across the country. And of course if anyone would like to volunteer, you can go to their website at wreathsacrossamerica.org.
And then lastly, later today, the -- this afternoon, U.S. Air Forces Central will release their Airpower Summary Reports covering February 2020 through November 2021. These reports will provide an overview of air operations, to include strikes, conducted in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan under Combined Forces Air Component Commander authorities.
As you know, the public release of airstrikes in Afghanistan was paused in March of 2020 due to sensitivity surrounding the implementation of the U.S.-Taliban agreement. It is important to remember that during this time, DOD continued to -- I'm sorry -- continued to collect and analyze the data and provided it to Inspectors General for inclusions in -- in their regular reports to Congress.
Seeking to remain as transparent as possible, the Secretary directed that this data again be made publicly releasable. These reports will be available, as I said, later today on U.S. Air Forces Central's website at afcent.mil. And again, they'll go back to February 2020 and then they'll continue going forward... more
DEC. 17, 2021
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby
PRESS SECRETARY JOHN F. KIRBY: Good afternoon, everybody. Thanks for your patience in starting a little bit late on a Friday afternoon. I do have a few things to start out with.
So I think you saw this morning that Secretary Austin spoke during a Hall of Heroes induction ceremony that was conducted over at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. That ceremony honored the recent Medal of Honor recipients, Army Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee, Army Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe and Army Sergeant First Class Christopher Celiz. We echo, of course, President Biden in saying that we are grateful for all that these three soldiers have done, and we certainly honor their courage and -- and bravery under exceptional circumstances.
As I mentioned previously, the Defense Policy Board met this week for the first time since completing -- since we've completed Secretary Austin's zero-based review process. That board, which is chaired by Madeleine Albright, received classified briefings on China military modernization, the National Defense Strategy priorities and strategic approach, integrated deterrence, the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defense Review. Secretary Austin joined the meeting yesterday to receive an out-brief from the board on their findings after reviewing a draft version of the still-classified 2021 National Defense Strategy. The secretary thanked the members for their continued dedication to the nation and their sound advice and counsel as the department continues to refine the NDS.
As you know, the Defense Policy Board is chartered to provide independent advice and recommendations on matters concerning defense policy in response to specific tasks from the secretary, the deputy secretary or the undersecretary of defense for policy. A full readout will be posted on defense.gov later today.
Also on the Secretary's plate today -- this morning he spoke by phone with German Federal Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht this morning to congratulate her on her new appointment to the role. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strong U.S.-German defense cooperation, both bilaterally and of course within the NATO alliance.
They discussed their commitment to work together on a full range of challenges, including addressing Russia's destabilizing actions in Eastern Europe, ensuring NATO alliance unity, maintaining positive trajectory on defense investments, and of course increasing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. A -- a full readout of that should be posted, if not now, certainly very soon on our website.
I'm sure that some of you have also been tracking some recent confirmation hearings. We were very pleased to see the confirmations of John Sherman, the Chief -- new Chief Information Officer, and Nickolas Guertin, the new Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, and of course Admiral Chris Grady, the new Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We welcome them all to their new roles, welcome some of them back into public service, and the Secretary's looking forward to -- to working closely with all three of them.
As I think you know, December 18th is National Wreaths Across America Day. It will kick off tomorrow at 8 am at Arlington National Cemetery, as wreaths will be placed at each marker by volunteers. Chairman Milley plans to attend that ceremony. The event has grown over the past 30 years to include now nearly 3,000 participating locations all across the country. And of course if anyone would like to volunteer, you can go to their website at wreathsacrossamerica.org.
And then lastly, later today, the -- this afternoon, U.S. Air Forces Central will release their Airpower Summary Reports covering February 2020 through November 2021. These reports will provide an overview of air operations, to include strikes, conducted in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan under Combined Forces Air Component Commander authorities.
As you know, the public release of airstrikes in Afghanistan was paused in March of 2020 due to sensitivity surrounding the implementation of the U.S.-Taliban agreement. It is important to remember that during this time, DOD continued to -- I'm sorry -- continued to collect and analyze the data and provided it to Inspectors General for inclusions in -- in their regular reports to Congress.
Seeking to remain as transparent as possible, the Secretary directed that this data again be made publicly releasable. These reports will be available, as I said, later today on U.S. Air Forces Central's website at afcent.mil. And again, they'll go back to February 2020 and then they'll continue going forward... more
Russia proposes US bilateral talks on security guarantees - official
Involving other countries would make talks meaningless, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Ryabkov said
Dec. 18 - MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Moscow offers Washington to negotiate security guarantees exclusively on a bilateral basis. Involving other countries would make them meaningless, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Ryabkov told TASS.
"We propose negotiations on a bilateral basis with the United States. If we involve other countries, we will simply drown it all in debate and verbiage," the diplomat said.
According to Ryabkov, there has never been a situation similar to relations with the United States. "I hope that the Americans do not underestimate how much everything has changed - and not for the better. So far, unfortunately, there are no signs that they are ready to give up their own patterns," the diplomat said.
On Friday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, commenting on the Russian Foreign Ministry publishing draft treaties between Russia and the United States with NATO on security guarantees said that the United States would not conduct consultations on security in Europe in the absence of partners from the European Union.
Involving other countries would make talks meaningless, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Ryabkov said
Dec. 18 - MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Moscow offers Washington to negotiate security guarantees exclusively on a bilateral basis. Involving other countries would make them meaningless, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Ryabkov told TASS.
"We propose negotiations on a bilateral basis with the United States. If we involve other countries, we will simply drown it all in debate and verbiage," the diplomat said.
According to Ryabkov, there has never been a situation similar to relations with the United States. "I hope that the Americans do not underestimate how much everything has changed - and not for the better. So far, unfortunately, there are no signs that they are ready to give up their own patterns," the diplomat said.
On Friday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, commenting on the Russian Foreign Ministry publishing draft treaties between Russia and the United States with NATO on security guarantees said that the United States would not conduct consultations on security in Europe in the absence of partners from the European Union.
White House has seen talks proposals from Russia, in contact with European allies
Dec. 17 - White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the United States has seen proposals from Russia to start talks that could help defuse the crisis over Ukraine and is speaking with its European allies and partners.
Russia said on Thursday it was ready to send a government negotiator "at any moment" to start talks with the United States on the security guarantees it is seeking.
"There will be no talks on European security without our European allies and partners," Psaki told reporters.
"We will not compromise the key principles on which European security is built, including that all countries have the right to decide their own future and foreign policy, free from outside interference," she added.
Ukraine and the United States say Russia has moved more than 90,000 troops within reach of the Ukrainian border and may be poised to invade, which Moscow denies.
Russia says it feels threatened by growing ties between NATO and Ukraine, which wants to join the alliance, and the possibility of NATO missiles being deployed against it on Ukrainian soil.
Psaki said the United States has engaged with Russia for decades and does not see why the United States cannot do that going forward to reduce instability, but reiterated that it will be done in partnership with European allies.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, who held a two-hour video call on Dec. 7, could speak again before New Year, though nothing firm had been agreed.
Dec. 17 - White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the United States has seen proposals from Russia to start talks that could help defuse the crisis over Ukraine and is speaking with its European allies and partners.
Russia said on Thursday it was ready to send a government negotiator "at any moment" to start talks with the United States on the security guarantees it is seeking.
"There will be no talks on European security without our European allies and partners," Psaki told reporters.
"We will not compromise the key principles on which European security is built, including that all countries have the right to decide their own future and foreign policy, free from outside interference," she added.
Ukraine and the United States say Russia has moved more than 90,000 troops within reach of the Ukrainian border and may be poised to invade, which Moscow denies.
Russia says it feels threatened by growing ties between NATO and Ukraine, which wants to join the alliance, and the possibility of NATO missiles being deployed against it on Ukrainian soil.
Psaki said the United States has engaged with Russia for decades and does not see why the United States cannot do that going forward to reduce instability, but reiterated that it will be done in partnership with European allies.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, who held a two-hour video call on Dec. 7, could speak again before New Year, though nothing firm had been agreed.
