With invading Russian forces bearing down on Kyiv and the Ukrainian forces holding out very stoutly against them, Friday’s Psaki Show featured Press Secretary Jen Psaki getting pressed on what the United States was doing to help the situation. Doocy Time really led the way on this front by grilling Psaki on why the U.S. was still open to allying with Russia on other pet projects of liberal politics. Then there was the pressing of President Biden again leaving Americans in a warzone.
Fox News’s Peter Doocy noted that the Biden State Department had said “there are still some areas in which the fulfillment of our national security priorities and imperatives require us to engage and coexist” with Russia.
Asking the important question many Americans watching the invasion and hearing of the reported atrocities had, Doocy wondered: “How is it that we are still engaging and coexisting with the Russians?”
Psaki proceeded to embarrass herself by seemingly suggesting the invasion of Ukraine was just “strong disagreements, strong opposition” with Russia. After noting that they work with China despite their human rights abuses (as if that was a good thing), she boasted about working with Russia as part of the “P5+1 as we’re working and making progress on an Iran nuclear deal.”
“So, it is our responsibility and diplomacy means engaging even with countries where you have strong disagreement and strong opposition,” she insisted.
Doocy seemed surprised with her candor on their willingness to work with Russian, asking for clarification:
And just so we can understand then, the approach, that means you guys will sit here and sanction Vladimir Putin, then send diplomats then go sit on the same side of the table with the Russians to hash out the Iran deal. Is that what’s happening?
At his Thursday press conference, Biden said he may wait 30 days for some of the latest sanctions to take effect. Addressing that ridiculous timeline, Doocy wanted to know: “Do you guys think the people in Ukraine have about a month?”
“Well, Peter,” Psaki indignantly said like an angry parent, “let me take a step back and explain to everyone how diplomacy works and how our approach from the United States has worked.”
Her attitude could have also been from this question: “So, what have you guys done throughout this slow-moving Russia crisis that has worked?”
A few minutes later, CBS reporter Kathryn Watson pressed Psaki on Biden’s promise to abandon American citizens in the middle of a warzone:
I know the White House has said that it won’t be sending – the U.S. won’t be sending troops into Ukraine to recuse Americans who are still there. So, what is the U.S. doing about Americans of are still left in Ukraine as the situation gets more dire?
And what was Psaki’s initial response? To blame the people who might have friends or family they wanted to be with. “I would first start by saying that we have been warning for months now about the dire circumstances developing in Ukraine and conveying very directly to American citizens they should leave,” she chided.
Watson’s final question was why Biden was going to Delaware while another foreign crisis was happening on his watch:
The President is obviously now going to be in Delaware this weekend can you share what he’ll be doing there? Will he be traveling with members of his national security team? Will he be receiving regular updates on Ukraine?
Psaki said he does have the ability to work from outside the White House and that he was attending the funeral of a family member (which many Americans were barred from doing during the pandemic).
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBSN White House Press Briefing
February 25, 2022
3:52:49 p.m. Eastern(…)
PETER DOOCY: The State Department just said about the U.S. and Russia that, “there are still some areas in which the fulfillment of our national security priorities and imperatives require us to engage and coexist.” How is it that we are still engaging and coexisting with the Russians?
JEN PSAKI: Peter, I would say diplomacy around the world requires us to engage with countries even where we have strong disagreements, strong opposition, strong condemnation. We’ve been very outspoken and taken actions against China’s human rights abuses, but we have worked with them in other capacities. We’re working – Russia’s a part P5+1 as we’re working and making progress on an Iran nuclear deal.
There’s no question that achievement of that would make the world safer. So, it is our responsibility and diplomacy means engaging even with countries where you have strong disagreement and strong opposition.
DOOCY: And just so we can understand then, the approach, that means you guys will sit here and sanction Vladimir Putin, then send diplomats then go sit on the same side of the table with the Russians to hash out the Iran deal. Is that what’s happening?
PSAKI: That’s right Peter, but I don’t know why you sound so skeptical. But our job here in the United States and from any government is to take steps that are in the interest of the American people and the United States of America. And part of that would certainly be reducing Iran's capacity and ability to have a nuclear weapon. [I] think there's no question about that. Russia is a part of the P5+1.
DOOCY: Okay. There's a report in The New York Times that you guys kept asking China to help you stop Russia from invading Ukraine and they didn't. So, what have you guys done throughout this slow moving Russia crisis that has worked?
PSAKI: In what capacity?
DOOCY: The President talked to Putin, he talked to the G7, he threatened sanctions, he put sanctions in place, and now he says the sanctions are going to take 30 days or about a month. Do you guys think the people in Ukraine have about a month?
PSAKI: Well, Peter, let me take a step back and explain to everyone how diplomacy works and how our approach from the United States has worked. What the President has done is he's built a global coalition to stand up in the face of President Putin, and President Putin's aggression and invasion of Ukraine. What he's done is, he has rallied the world, our European partners -- even at cost to them in some capacities -- to put in place significant sanctions, historic sanctions that would have an enormous impact on the Russian financial sector.
It is President Putin's choice to go to war and invade Ukraine. That is what he has done. It is our choice and our responsibility, and the role of the president of the United States to rally opposition and make sure they feel significant pain from that choice. That is exactly what he have done.
DOOCY: And I understand that you’re saying these sanctions will have an impact on Russia, but what good does that do the people in Ukraine who are seeing that and these U.S. intel assessments that Kyiv is going to fall any day?
PSAKI: Well, Peter, first of all, we are the largest provider of humanitarian assistance, security assistance in the world to the Ukrainian government, which still stands, and the biggest supporter of the Ukrainian people. And we will continue to be. And we are leading this global effort to stand up against the aggression of President Putin.
And so, we are doing the -- the President is doing nearly everything in his power to lead the world and stand up against the actions of President Putin. What he will not do is send U.S. troops to fight in Ukraine, because he is not going to put the American public, the American people, or the United States in a position of fighting a war in Russia.
(…)
4:01:10 p.m. Eastern
KATHRYN WATSON: I know the White House has said that it won’t be sending – the U.S. won’t be sending troops into Ukraine to recuse Americans who are still there. So, what is the U.S. doing about Americans of are still left in Ukraine as the situation gets more dire?
PSAKI: Well, we – I – I would first start by saying that we have been warning for months now about the dire circumstances developing in Ukraine and conveying very directly to American citizens they should leave. We have also been in touch, form the State Department, with every American we can reach. I could point you to them for more specifics on that.
And we continue to have the capacity to, you know, help them in a range of ways even as we don’t have diplomatic presence in Ukraine – I mean, we don’t have people in the country right now. But they are in neighboring countries. I really point you to the State Department for any more specifics.
WATSON: The President is obviously now going to be in Delaware this weekend can you share what he’ll be doing there? Will he be traveling with members of his national security team? Will he be receiving regular updates on Ukraine?
PSAKI: Sure. He will have a meeting with members of his national security team tomorrow in Delaware. I will note that, well, every president can work from anywhere they are because that is how precedencies are equipped. He is traveling to Delaware for the memorial service of a family member. And he will be – that is why he is traveling there this weekend.
(…)
