Press secretary. Good afternoon, everybody. Happy monday. Ok. Tuesday. Oh, my gosh. Giving myself an extra day. All right. Well. Good to see you guys on tuesday. So we are closely monitoring the impact Hurricane Fiona is having on puerto rico and as the president has said, we are keeping the people of puerto rico in our prayers. I want to provide a brief overview of our response to date. On sunday, before the hurricane made landfall, President Biden issued an emergency disaster declaration to ensure the federal government has was ready to surge resources and Emergency Assistance to puerto rico. Yesterday, as you all know, the president called governor from air force one to discuss puerto ricos immediate needs as the storm made landfall. Karine and today fema administrator will be on the ground to assess the Emergency Response. Right now hundreds of fema and federal responders are on the ground in puerto rico, including u. S. Army corps of engineers, power restoration experts and urban search andres cue teams. More federal responders are arriving in the coming days. Power restoration began yesterday and fema is continuing to work to restore power and meet needs for generators in the meantime. President biden is receiving regular updates on the storm and these emergency efforts and we will all continue to keep the people of puerto rico and all those in the path of the storm in our thoughts. Also, we have a special guest, as you all know, National Security advisor jake sullivan. Hes here to preview the unga meetings and events the president will be attending this week. The president s going to be leaving later today, as you all know. And any other Foreign Policy questions you may have. Jake . Its all yours. Mr. Sullivan thank you. Thanks, everybody. Good to be with you. Im just going to make a few opening comments on what we expect from the trip to new york. A couple of comments on development with respect to russia and ukraine and then id be happy to take your questions. As you all know this evening, President Biden will Board Air Force one for new york to participate in the u. N. General Assembly Tomorrow. And we believe that the president heads to new york with the wind at his back. Were making historic investments here at home, our alliances are as strong or stronger than theyve been in modern memory. Our robust united support for ukraine has helped the ukrainians push back against russian aggression and were leading the world in re response to the most significant transnational challenges the world faces, from Global Health to global Food Security to supply chains to tackling the climate crisis. Meanwhile, our competitors are facing increasingly strong headwinds and neither president xi nor president putin are even showing up to this global gathering. The president will deliver his speech before the u. N. General Assembly Tomorrow morning. This is the traditional speech the president makes annually in which he will describe his vision for american Foreign Policy and principled leadership in the world. Among other things, hell offer a firm rebuke of russias unjust war in ukraine and make a call to the world to continue to stand against the naked aggression that weve seen these past several months. He will underscore the importance of strengthening the United Nations and reaffirm core tenants of its charter at a time when a perm meant tphepbt member permanent member of the Security Council has struck at the very heart of the charter by challenging the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty. He will make significant new announcements about the u. S. Governments investments to address global food insecurity, and hell lay down in detail how the u. S. Has restored its Global Leadership and the integrity of its word on the world stage by delivering on the promises that we make and that he has made as president. On Global Health, on climate, on emerging technologies and so much else. Throughout the day, the president will hold meetings with some of our closest allies, including his first bilateral meeting with new Prime Minister liz trust of the united kingdom. In the afternoon, he will host the pledging session for the global fund to fight hivaids, tuberculosis and malaria for the seventh replenishment conference. The global fund enables programs that prevent, detect and treat the deadliest diseases that we face and ensure countries have the resources they need to build strong, Resilient Health systems within their communities for today and for the future. We expect that this pledging conference will produce a historic outcome in terms of the commitments made, financial commitments made by our partners and by the United States. In the evening, President Biden and the first lady will host the leaders reception, where they have invited almost every head of delegation from around the world, including some of the few remaining leaders that he has not yet had the opportunity to meet. In the context of the u. N. General assembly, im also pleased to announce that the president is endorsing doreen for the next secretary general of the telecommunications union. She possesses the integrity, experience and vision necessary to transform the Global Digital landscape. The next secretary general of the i. T. U. Will play an Important Role in making sure that our Digital Future is inclusive and acceptable for everyone, especially in the developing world. Now, if youll bear with me, id like to just make a few comments on reports were seeing emerge from russia today. Since russia launched its fullscale invasion back in february, the Ukrainian Military and the ukrainian people have resisted admirably. First ukraine repelled russias attempt to conquer kyiv. Then ukraine held the line in the donbas and most recently ukraine undertook a successful counteroffensive in the northeast. It is in this context that president putin appears to be on the brink of pursuing two action. First, as weve been warning for months, russia appears to be proceeding with plans to hold sham referendums in areas of ukraine under its control and even in areas of ukraine not currently under its control, in direct violation of ukraines sovereignty. Russias rushing to hold these referendums in response to ukraines gains on the battlefield, as well as to prepare for potential mobilization measures. These referendums are an affront to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that underpin the tpha International System and that fly at the heart of the United Nations charter we know that these referendums will be manipulated. We know that russia will use these sham referendums as a basis to purportedly annex these territory, either now or in the future. Let me be clear. If this does transpire, and obviously its not a done deal yet, but if this does transpire, the United States will never recognize russias claims to any purportedly an exed parts of ukraine. We will never recognize this territory as anything other than a part of ukraine. We reject russias actions unequivocally and we will continue to work with our allies and partners to impose costs on russia and to provide historic support for ukraine. Second, we are aware of reports that president putin may be preparing to enact mobilization measures. Like its sham annexation planning, this is reflective of russias struggles in ukraine. He may be resorting to partial mobilization, forcing even more russians to go fight his brutal war in ukraine, in part because they simply need more personnel and man power given the success that ukraine has had on the battlefield, particularly in the northeast, but even pushing into other parts of previously occupied russian territory around the country. The bottom line is that russia is throwing together sham referendums on three days notice as they continue to lose ground on the battlefield and as more World Leaders distance themselves from russia on the public stage. And russia is scraping for personnel to throw into this fight. These are not the actions of a confident country. These are not acts of strength. Quite the opposite. And the United States and our allies and partners in the International Community will stand against these transparent efforts on the part of russia and stand firmly with ukraine and the ukrainian people and with that ill be happy to take your questions. Yeah . Reporter thanks. Both the sham referendum [indiscernible] also the president is ordering partial mobilization. How does that [indiscernible] ukraine able to hold the gains it has made and continue countermeasures . Are you worried about russia countering the countering measures at this point . Mr. Sullivan russia has made clear its going to continue to try to fight. But holding sham referendums that everyone in the world and everyone in those territories recognize as being shams isnt going to actually strengthen russias hand on the battlefield. And in fact we continue to see day by day the ukrainians applying pressure against russian positions, both in the northeast and in the south. We expect that to continue in the days ahead. And we continue to supply ukraine with the Weapons Systems that we believe it needs to be able to successfully prosecute those offenses, including an announcement of more than 600 million in weapons just last week. Up to a total of more than 15 billion at mr. Sullivan nobody is resting on the laurels of the recent ukranian successes. The ukranian military is consolidating the gains and continue to make further gains and defend against russian counterattacks and the United States and allies and partners are providing them with the level of support for them to be able to carry out those efforts. [indiscernible] how long ukraine can withstand those assaults . Mr. Sullivan our basic assessment between the consistent, steady support that the west has provided and has indicated as President Biden, we will continue to provide as long as it takes and between that and the skilled courage of the ukranian forces and willingness of ukranians to take up arms, they will show on the battlefield that it is not going to fall prey to russian aggression and push back to conquer territory and take over the country. In terms of russia putting more troops on the battlefield, that will have an impact on the battlefield equation but it will not undermine ukraines ability to continue make ingains. Reporter can you walk us through of the president s commitment of taiwans defense and not a policy shift [indiscernible] mr. Sullivan the president said in his interview on 60 minutes we continue to stand by the onechina policy and we continue to stand for peace and stability. The president has reiterated those basic commitments on every equation including in this interview where he specifically and reenforced the onechina policy. He was a question, hypothetical question and asked a similar question back in tokyo and gave the same answer in may back in tokyo. Someone said specifically to him, have you Just Announced a major policy change and he said no. I answered a hypothetical question. When the president of the United States wants to announce a policy change, he will do so and has not done so. [indiscernible] mr. Sullivan all i will say is, the president is a straightforward person and answered the hypothetical and answered it before in a similar way and also been clear that he does not and has not changed u. S. Policy towards taiwan and stands behind the historic policy to taiwan and has helped keep peace and stability across the taiwan straits. Reporter is your expectation this will shift that conversation in some way and give russia more leveraging when those conversations happen . Mr. Sullivan the key right now is to provide ukraine what it needs to be able to make gains on the battlefield because in our view that will strengthen our hand. And that is the divisive factor in determining how things play out in the conflict in ukraine and given how transparent and how in a way thrown together this whole russian political effort is, announcing a referendum three days from now in a territory that the russians are either holding by brutal force of occupation or dont hold at all, a, it is not a move of great strength on the part of the russians nor do we think it will give them Additional Authority at the negotiating table. Quite the opposite. It is the act of a country that has suffered setbacks, militarily and those setbacks are creating a circumstance in which ukraines capacity to achieve its objectives are enhanced and not diminished. [indiscernible] mr. Sullivan we have seen public reports and i dont have anything to report and expect the mobilization. Reporter i want to ask you about [indiscernible] what more are you learning about the russian invasion . War crimes case that is being built and what is the next step in that process . Mr. Sullivan i had the opportunity to talk to my counterpart, ukranian chief of staff and he gave me a report on what the ukranians are discovering around izium and he said this is worst than butra as ukraine deoccupies towns that have been previously occupied by Russian Armed forces and finding evidence of these mass atrocities and the United States will work with the International Community through every mechanism to hold russia accountable for this. That is not an easy process. And then taking steps to hold them accountable. But we are committed to that process and we are committed to seeing it through the critical part of our overall strategy. You mentioned the 60 minutes interview and he was asked if he was briefed on the top secret documents found at maralago. As National Security adviser, have you been briefed on the potential ramifications of these top secret documents being stored at maralago . Mr. Sullivan i have not been briefed and it is being handled by the department of justice and the director of national intelligence, a member of the National Security council has indicated they have been pursuing the analysis and assessment and each of them have communicated to the press and the public which they are communicating and being handled in those channels and i have not been briefed. Reporter can you talk about how the ukraine counteroffensive will be employed by the president and in his speech how will he talk about it . And take credit . How will it be explored. Mr. Sullivan it will feature prominently and the bravery of the ukranians and to reclaim territory previously occupied by the russians. The main thrust of his presentation when it comes to ukraine will be about the United Nations charter and the preliminary that the country cannot conquer their neighbors by force and cannot seize territory by force. And he will speak to every country those who support ukraine and those so far have been on the sideline. Now is the now to stand behind the premises of the principles of the charter and free people fighting for their land and freedom, they are going to fight with a freedom and capacity and endurance that can outlast any wouldbe conqueror and that is going to be about an International System that worked for all countries and pushes back against aggressors to violently attack their neighbors. Reporter specifically on the u. N. Charter and the u. N. Council, will the president be speaking on that . I know the ambassador has laid out a series of premises presume preliminary . I expect the president will speak to the question of neuvment security reform while he is in new york and whether he communicates publicly or privately we are still working through today but this will be on the agenda and make a Public Statement that is more specific than the premises principles. Reporter what is the administrations [indiscernible] mr. Sullivan i saw a Public Statement about that and i have not communicated directly with him and refer to the foreign assets of treasury. We have in the past provided for various forms of exemptions for the iranians people to communicate with each other and the world but i cant speak on that case because it has to be handled at the treasury department. [indiscernible] mr. Sullivan you cannot conquer your neighbors territory by force and peace will come to ukraine if russia abandons that effort and see every country. They can do it publicly or privately and sending that message to moscow is the most vital thing we can do to produce peace in that region. Reporter what is President Biden going to announce. [indiscernible] mr. Sullivan u. S. Is a cohost to Food Security and the president hoped to go to it but because of the queens funeral, he was unable to make the scheduling work. We are in a very robust on humanitarian assistance and significantly greater than 100 million and work on financial facilities to help build agricultural systems and resilience in the developing world in africa and latin america. The president will be pressing for the elimination of export bans and so there is a better supply of food to the world market and prices come down and he is focused between climate and food, because the impacts of