Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken Holds a Press Availability in Berlin, Germany on Russia-Ukraine War

Excerpt (Secretary Blinkin):  “So let’s recall for a minute what we’re working to do and why we’re working to do it.  First, we are helping Ukraine survive as a democratic, independent, sovereign state.  The UN Charter promises that to every country.  Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, is violating that charter every single day.  Ukraine is fighting with extraordinary courage. A war that President Putin thought would be over in a matter of days has now stretched on for months.  They’re fighting not just for themselves, but for all of us, because if Russia gets away with violating the fundamental principles that are at stake, it’s not just the Ukrainian people who will suffer.  It will drag us back to a much more dangerous time, a much more unstable time.  It will send a message that these principles are somehow expendable, and that would make many countries around the world vulnerable to the very aggression to which Ukraine is now subject.”