Interview with John Kirby: “This is an area I’m not allowed to talk about”

The US is working with Ukraine on the possible implementation of a 10-point plan, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says. However, this plan presupposes “that Putin is willing to negotiate”. In an interview with ntv, Kirby also talks about the relationship between US President Biden and Chancellor Scholz and the US conflict with China. Kirby just doesn’t want to say anything about the possibility that Donald Trump could win the presidential election next year.

ntv: Let’s start with the situation in Ukraine. This terrible war has been going on for almost a year and a half now. How do you see the situation on the battlefield?

John Kirby: Fierce fighting is currently going on in the east and south of Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Selenskyj has spoken about it several times in the past few days. Ukrainian troops are attempting to recapture areas occupied by the Russians. And we, as the United States, are trying to ensure that Ukraine has everything it needs to be successful in this war and to ensure that when President Zelenskyy is willing to negotiate with Vladimir Putin, he does so from a position of strength can do.

The Ukrainian President has proposed a global peace summit in Switzerland. What’s your reaction?

We firmly believe that there must be peace, and soon there may be, provided Putin withdraws his troops. But of course he won’t do that. That is why we support President Zelenskyy. Today I cannot make any official comment from the US government on the Zelenskyi proposal for a peace summit in Switzerland, but I can tell you: we are working with the Ukrainians on the possible implementation of a 10-point plan. But that assumes that Putin is willing to negotiate.

Do you see any signs that President Putin is ready to do this?

No, just the opposite. He keeps sending soldiers and weapon systems into Ukraine, killing innocent Ukrainians and destroying civilian infrastructure. There is no sign that he is ready to end this war.

There is a discussion in Europe and Germany about Ukraine joining NATO. When would be the right moment for this?

There was a NATO statement in Bucharest a few years ago that the alliance is the future of Ukraine. And now, in the run-up to the next NATO summit in Vilnius, there are active discussions about what Ukraine’s future might be in terms of the alliance. What I can tell you: The United States will maintain an open-door policy. We believe that any decision on the accession of a new nation, such as in the case of Finland and hopefully soon Sweden, must be a matter of open discussion. Our current focus is on two things: ensuring that Ukraine is able to defend itself and second, long-term aid. Because no matter how this war ends or under what circumstances, Ukraine will continue to have a border with Russia. It’s about safety and self-defense needs. That is what the discussion about NATO membership is all about.

Could NATO make security promises for Ukraine?

There will be discussions within the NATO alliance about possible security commitments. All member states are involved. But I don’t want to prejudge those talks.

If we look at Germany’s role in Ukraine: is Germany doing enough?

Germany is doing more and more. Germany is already one of the biggest donors. And look at the past few months. Germany gave Ukraine the Patriot missile defense system. Germany has supplied armored vehicles. And the German government is intensively looking for ways to make a long-term contribution. We are very grateful for the German support and the leading role that Chancellor Scholz has taken on.

Chancellor Scholz and President Biden speak to each other frequently, but at times one feels that there are tensions in the relationship between the United States and Germany. For example, when it came to the supply of tanks.

President Biden has an excellent relationship with Chancellor Scholz. They get along very well. They talk to each other very often and they assess the situation in Ukraine in a similar way: Russia is the aggressor. Ukraine is the victim and we all must do our part to help Ukraine on the battlefield. But every head of government has his own affairs that he has to take care of. And President Biden is aware of this. He has great respect for Chancellor Olaf Scholz. And Chancellor Scholz has shown courage, leadership and determination in continuing to support Ukraine. And, as I said, we are grateful for that.

Right now, the United States is number one in providing military and other support to Ukraine. But elections are coming up next year, and maybe then Mr. Trump will be back in the White House. Will this be the end of support for Ukraine?

Now we’re getting into an area I’m not allowed to talk about. I can’t talk to you about the campaign here in America. That’s above my pay grade. All I can tell you is that President Biden is our commander in chief. And he is determined, as he has said on numerous occasions, to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

But that’s a concern in Germany and Europe: that relations between Europe and the United States could deteriorate significantly again after the next election.

Since President Biden took office, one of his priorities has been to strengthen our alliances and partnerships with other nations, reinvigorating them and making them what they should be. And he thinks he’s done a good job of it so far. If you look at the strength of our alliances and partnerships right now, we really are at an unprecedented level, and that includes Europe and NATO.

The President keeps saying that support will continue for as long as necessary.

It’s not just President Biden who says that. Every NATO leader says the same thing. Just like the G7 members who just recently met in Hiroshima. It is the international, rules-based order that President Putin would love to destroy in order to reshape the European continent on his terms. We agree with our European allies that he will not succeed.

There is another source of conflict. The situation between China and Taiwan. Will the tensions also end in a war?

We have done nothing but act clearly and consistently. Nothing has changed in the United States’ one-China policy. Our wish for Taiwan not to declare independence hasn’t changed. We don’t want the status quo to be changed unilaterally, let alone by force. There is no reason for this to become an even greater tension or military conflict. And we will continue to work on two things: first, to continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense, but also second, to try to improve the lines of communication that we have with the People’s Republic of China. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Beijing shortly. What he will try there is to discuss ideas that can improve communication with China. Because if you don’t have good lines of communication – and we don’t have that on the military front at the moment – then the risk of miscalculations and misunderstandings increases, and that could increase the risk of conflict. Again, this cannot be in the interest of anyone involved. Certainly not in ours. Not in the interest of the Chinese people either. And frankly, it’s not in the interest of the world either.

Why is the world full of tension right now, no matter where you look?

As President Biden said, we are at a tipping point globally, and there are many different factors that are driving this rise in tension. Some of these are geopolitical in nature. We talked about it: for example the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, and of course what Putin is doing in Ukraine. Some other problems are due to climate change, drought, famine, flooding and extreme weather conditions are compounding this. This is displacing more people and increasing economic instability in the world. But there is also some down to economic variables that no country can control alone. This is precisely why the web of alliances and partnerships that the United States maintains is so important, and why President Biden invests so much time and effort into improving those relationships. Just next week we will have a state visit from Prime Minister Modi from India. While not technically an ally, India is a strong partner. With all the tensions you speak of, it is all the more important that countries and nations are able to communicate, coordinate and settle differences in a way that does not escalate into armed conflict.

Christopher Wittich spoke to John Kirby