James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
2:38 P.M. EDT
MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone.
Q Happy Friday.
MS. PSAKI: Happy Friday. Is there more to say on this historic day? (Laughter.)
Okay. So, I want to first start by outlining our security assistance to Ukraine, and there's been a lot of good questions about this, and we thought this would be a helpful rundown for all of you. It's — the Department of Defense also put out a factsheet that has this detailed as well.
The security assistance the Biden administration is providing to Ukraine is enabling critical success on the battlefield against the Russian-invading force. The number one reason that they're able to fight back is their bravery and courage. The number two reason is the security assistance that we are providing and we are providing in coordination with our allies and partners.
We're working around the clock to fulfill Ukraine's priority security assistance requests, delivering weapons from U.S. stocks when they are available, and facilitating the delivery of weapons by allies and partners when their systems better suit Ukraine's needs.
All of the anti-armor and anti-air systems from the two packages of security assistance the President approved in March have been delivered. We are continuing work with allies and partners to identify additional weapons systems to help the Ukrainian military defend its country. Obviously, there was the announcement about the S-300s earlier today, and our efforts to work to backfill that.
At President Zelenskyy's request, this includes helping Ukraine acquire long-range anti-aircraft systems and munitions that they are trained to use. More than 30 nations have sent Ukraine security assistance, thanks in part to the leadership of President Biden and diplomacy that he has been implementing for months now.
On April 5th, we announced an additional $100 million in security assistance to Ukraine through a presidential drawdown authority. We also announced $300 million in security assistance on April 1st under authorities provided by the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. These announcements bring the U.S. commitment to more than $1.7 billion in security assistance since Russia's February 24th invasion, and $2.4 billion since the beginning of the administration.
I will not read through all of this for you. You can all, of course, read it yourself. And we will provide all of the list to all of you should — if you did not receive the Department of Defense factsheet.
I also wanted to note that, today, according to a new independent study, the Biden administration's historic vaccination program saved 2.3 million lives in the United States, prevented 17 million hospitalizations and 66 million cases, and avoided $900 billion in healthcare costs.
Over the past 15 months, the President has mounted a successful nationwide vaccination effort while executing a comprehensive strategy on treatments, testing, and more. As a result, schools are open, our economy is booming. And importantly, today's report shows we've spared millions of families the immeasurable loss that too many others have suffered.
And because of the President's comprehensive response, we've entered a new moment in our fight against the virus. While COVID isn't over, Americans now have more tools than ever before to protect themselves and this country is moving forward safely, back to many of our more normal routines.
Unfortunately, Republicans in Congress are holding up critical funding we need to make even more progress to save even more lives and to stay prepared against any potential surges or variants. Inaction will leave our nation less prepared for future surges and variants. It will mean fewer vaccines, treatments, and tests for the American people. This is deeply disappointing, and it should be unacceptable to every American.
I also wanted to give you a sense of the week ahead. Just one trip next week that we announced earlier today — at this point. There could be more.
On Thursday, the President will travel to Greensboro, North Carolina, to discuss his administration's efforts to make more in America, rebuild our supply chains here at home, and bring down costs for the American people as part of building a better America.
Following that trip, he will travel to Camp David, where he will remain over the Easter weekend.
And then, finally, as I've been doing a little bit this week, I just want to shout out some amazing colleagues I have: Lewis, who we have stolen from FEMA — not really stolen; he's a detailee. Well, he's a fellow, actually. We've had him since November. Soon, they will steal him back.
And Lewis has been remarkable. Lewis has been reading Russian media, which comes in use — in great use. He has been tracking down a range of coverage about the war in Ukraine. He has been relentless in giving us updates and providing us information. And we're incredibly grateful to Lewis, and we'll be sad to see you go back to FEMA to do very important work.
Many of you know Amanda Finney. I call her "the mayor" because she knows every person, seemingly, who works in the building and on the complex, which is about 2,000 people. I would not survive this job without Amanda Finney. You probably would all not have received all the help you have received about a range of things without Amanda Finney. She is smart, sassy, levelheaded, stable. She's remarkable. And we may all work for her one day in some capacity. I certainly may. But I'm very grateful to her. So, I just wanted to shout that out. And her yellow suit is very joyful for a joyful day.
Okay, with that — it's a Friday!
Q It's Friday. Thanks so much. I've got a couple things.
MS. PSAKI: Sure.
Q First on this — the missile attack at this train station. Does the administration think that Russia might have intentionally targeted the train station, knowing that there will be a lot of civilians there?
MS. PSAKI: Well, what we've seen over the course of the last six weeks — or more than that — has been what the President himself has characterized as war crimes, which is the intentional targeting of civilians.
This is yet another horrific atrocity committed by Russia, striking civilians who were trying to evacuate and reach safety.
Where we are now is we're going to support efforts to investigate this attack as we document Russia's actions, hold them accountable. And we will continue to surge security assistance and weapons deliveries to help Ukraine defend their country.
Obviously, the targeting of civilians would certainly be a war crime. And we've already called a range of the actions we've seen to date a war crime, but we're going to be supporting efforts to investigate exactly what happened here.
Q Okay. Changing topics. Senior administration officials have said publicly on TV, suggesting it's possible the President could get COVID. I'm wondering: Is the administration attempting to prepare the public for the possibility of the President getting the — testing positive?
MS. PSAKI: Well, what we're trying to do is be as transparent and direct with the American people as possible about the fact that while the President is — takes a range of protocols, we have a range of protocols in place here that are aligned and even beyond the CDC requirements. Those include, as we've outlined here many times in the past, testing before you see the President, testing before you travel with him, social distancing when possible.
We believe we have the tools and protocol to address this point we are in the virus. But like anyone else, the President may at some point test positive for COVID. And while we have seen an increase in recent — I would just note: While we have seen an increase in cases around people, I should just say, that some of us may know, I would also note that cases remain down 95 percent since the height of Omicron. That is fact, that is data, even as we've seen cases of people we know.
But what is important for the American people to know is that he has taken a range of precautions, as we all have. But he's also taken steps — like getting the second booster, as he did last week in public. And his doctors are comfortable that he could continue to carry out his duties because of all these steps and precautions and protections he's taken. And we — certainly, that's one of the reasons we encourage the rest of the American public to do the same.
Go ahead.
Q Do you — this is the first time that we've heard a White House official sort of describe it as a certain possibility that the President could get COVID. Are you saying that you think it's more possible now, given sort of the little outbreak that we're seeing in D.C. right now?
MS. PSAKI: No. We're just saying that it is a possibility. Again, we are — cases are down 95 percent across the country since the height of Omicron. While cases are up in Washington, D.C., they're also far below the height of the cases and where they were in Omicron.
But it is also the case that despite all the precautions we take. And even with the President being double boosted, he could still test positive for COVID, just as people in the — many people in the White House have, many people in the press corps have. That is a possibility. And we want to be transparent with the American public about that.
Q By our rough count here, you have at least 18 politicians and people close to the President who have now tested positive this week, though. And you've reiterated all the extra precautions that you are taking to try and keep him safe — some of the extra masking and testing protocol. But just to be safe, have you considered maybe cutting down some of the big indoor events or scaling back any — or changing, sort of, your tactic with some of these events?
MS. PSAKI: Well, clearly, we did the event — the historic event today outside. That was, in part, to ensure that we could have a huge number of people on the South Lawn celebrating the confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. But also, we know that having events outside is better for safety protocols. There's no question about that.
But what's important for the American people to know and understand is that because of all the steps we've taken, because the President is double boosted, because of — you know, obviously he has access to the best healthcare in the world, but his doctors have assessed that these are risks that can be taken. We risk-assess just like everybody out in the country.
And it's important for him to be able to continue his presidential duties now and even if he tests positive in the future, just like Americans out there in the country are taking their kids to school, they go to the grocery store, maybe they're making a decision to go to dinner. This is a time where we are certainly living with the virus, but we have a range of tools at our disposal to do that.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Jen. A couple of quick questions on oil, and then one on the French election. We have some reporting showing that the administration is considering easing sanctions to allow some oil imports from Venezuela as a way to replace banned energy shipments from Russia. Can you talk a little bit about any such considerations?
MS. PSAKI: I'm not aware of that being under consideration.
Q Okay. Okay. At the moment, is it — is it going to perhaps be considered for — going forward? Or —
MS. PSAKI: It has not been, so I'm not aware of it being under consideration.
Q Okay. And one other one on when Daleep was in India. He delivered this warning to India to not raise purchases of Russian oil. And we were wondering if perhaps sanctions along similar lines are being considered for other nations, asking them to keep purchases of Russian oil only limited to previous levels and, perhaps, not raise (inaudible).
MS. PSAKI: First, I wouldn't characterize it as a warning, nor did we at the time. He went and had a constructive conversation and made clear that while it's the decision of each individual country, including India, to determine whether they're going to import Russian oil, it is only 1 to 2 percent of their imports. About 10 percent of their imports is from the United States.
And so he conveyed, of course, they should abide by sanctions, which are not related to that decision, but also, we would be here to help them diversify and move towards even reducing further beyond the 1 to 2 percent.
Q Is that decision, perhaps, being relayed also to other countries, asking them to perhaps follow the same guidelines?
MS. PSAKI: Well, we convey to every country to abide by sanctions. And we've conveyed to a range of European countries, as you know and as we've talked about, that as they work to diversify their energy sources, that we are here to assist in those efforts.
And there are a range of steps we've taken, including efforts on LNG — I mean, that's natural gas, of course — but efforts on LNG and moving some resources from Asia and other places, and ensuring that there are options to — for any country that wants to, to diversify their energy sources.
Q Okay. And one on the French elections. Are you watching the French elections coming up this Sunday, perhaps, with any concerns — especially with the rise of Le Pen, who is a far-right candidate, running against Macron?
MS. PSAKI: We are certainly watching the elections, but I don't have any prediction of what the outcome will be. And once there is an outcome, I'm sure we will speak to it.
Go ahead.
Q Understanding it's a fluid situation, but I think the atrocities in Bucha serve as an accelerant towards the latest sanctions package, the coordination between the G7 —
MS. PSAKI: That we announced two days ago?
Q Yes.
MS. PSAKI: Yes.
Q Is there any sense that the strike that we saw this morning will also accelerate talks on additional sanctions between the coordinated allies?
MS. PSAKI: Well, I would say just go — to go back to a couple of days ago, that obviously the sanctions package we announced on Wednesday, with some — the biggest bank in Russia, Sberbank, certainly that was augmented as a result of the atrocities that we were seeing in Bucha.
And what we have done to date and we will continue to do is look at, unfortunately, the continued atrocities that we're seeing in the country and assess how that's going to impact sanctions, consequences, and, obviously, additional security assistance.
So that's how we've been evaluating and working with our allies to date. And I'm certain, given the video footage we've seen on airwaves across the world and photos, that this will be a part of the discussion that our national security officials are having with their counterparts moving forward.
Q Okay. On the S-300 —
MS. PSAKI: Mm-hmm.
Q — it's been fairly apparent for the last several weeks that that was a process that you guys were engaged in.
MS. PSAKI: Yeah.
Q I know you are deliberately ambiguous as to some of the other processes that may be taking place, but is it fair to say that there are multiple other tracks that are similarly far down the line for other weapons systems? Or how can you characterize how far along you are, compared to where you are now with the S-300, on other systems?
MS. PSAKI: So — well, one, I mean, part of our objective here — and the S-300s are an example of that — is to see that we can get defensive equipment that Ukrainians are trained on and that we know can be effective moved to Ukraine.
So we are, of course, grateful to Slovakia and we work closely with Slovakia to also meet their defense needs. And part of our considerations here as we're looking at the list of requests that the Ukrainians have is: What do we have access to here in the United States? What military equipment do we have access to?
There are systems we may not have access — access to or we may not even have those systems. So how can we work with countries around the world, like Slovakia, to meet those needs?
So there are a range of those conversations happening with our partners and allies at the same time. I will tell you that often it is the preference of these partners and allies not to be public about these conversations. And at times, it is the preference of the Ukrainians. And we certainly respect that.
Q And just one final one. It's been a pretty historic 24 hours —
MS. PSAKI: Yeah.
Q — for the history of the Supreme Court, for the country. We've seen the President speak publicly. Can you talk about — do you have any color in terms of what he's been like behind the scenes, delivering on a campaign pledge —
MS. PSAKI: Yeah.
Q — putting the first African American woman on the Court — how he's been with staff, with the justice, all that?
MS. PSAKI: Sure. I'm going to try not to ugly cry about this day, because — which we were all — we were all doing on the South Lawn.
Look, I was with the President before he went out. I was there on time; I didn't run out, as you would have seen. I was with him before, when he was reviewing his — doing his final review of his remarks.
And what he was reflecting on is — and you saw some of this in his speech — were the number of people, whether it is people who work at the White House; people who are part of his every day; you know, stewards or others who have commented to him how significant this moment is and how — you know, in a place where you are just trying to — trying to make it through every day — and every day is history, in many ways.
History can be heartbreaking. And many days, it has been. History can be exhausting. And many days, it has been. And history can be joyful. And today was a joyful day in history.
And that is certainly how the President was. You saw his granddaughter, Naomi, who he talked about in the speech, come out. She was there also for a brief greet with — with Justice Jackson beforehand. And he made a — made an effort to also introduce the new associate justice to some members of his close staff who just were inspired by the significance of today as well.
So I would say there was a deep recognition of this moment of history, a joy in reaching it. And I think we've all been saying to each other in the hallways, "No one can speal [sic] our — steal our sunshine today," because that's how everybody is feeling.
Q Thanks, Jen.
MS. PSAKI: Go ahead.
