Foreign Affairs

Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate regarding the Blocking Property of Cert

Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Madam President:) Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the "order") that expands the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13660 of March 6, 2014, and expanded by Executive Order 13661 of March 16, 2014, and...

Updated: Mon Feb 21 2022

Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific (Paris, 22 Feb. 2022)

The Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific (Paris, 22 February 2022) will be an opportunity to showcase the European Union strategy for the region and develop tangible projects in this regard. It will bring together Foreign Ministers of EU Member States and some 30 countries in the Indo-Pacific region, representatives of European institutions and representatives of the main regional organizations. What is the objective of the Ministerial Forum? The Indo-Pacific region is of (...)

Updated: Mon Feb 21 2022

Readout of President Biden's Call with President Macron of France and Chancellor Scholz of Germany

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany today about Russia's ongoing escalation along the borders of Ukraine. The leaders strongly condemned President Putin's decision to recognize the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine as "independent." They discussed how they will continue to coordinate their response...

Updated: Mon Feb 21 2022

Readout of President Biden's Call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. President Biden strongly condemned Russian President Putin's decision to purportedly recognize the "independence" of the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine. He updated President Zelenskyy on the United...

Updated: Mon Feb 21 2022

Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Russian Announcement on Eastern Ukraine

We have anticipated a move like this from Russia and are ready to respond immediately. President Biden will soon issue an Executive Order that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine. This E.O. will also provide authority to impose sanctions...

Updated: Mon Feb 21 2022

Statement from Press Secretary Jen Psaki

As the President has repeatedly made clear, we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Lavrov are scheduled to meet later this week in Europe, provided Russia does not proceed with military action. President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement,...

Updated: Mon Feb 21 2022

Remarks by Vice President Harris in Press Gaggle

The Westin Grand MunichMunich, Germany 11:18 A.M. CEST THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, this was an important trip to be here at the Munich Security Conference - in particular this year, as I said yesterday. We are looking at a moment that is a very decisive moment on one of the bases for the Munich Security...

Updated: Sun Feb 20 2022

Background Press Briefing on the Vice President's Events in Munich, Germany

Munich, Germany AIDE: (Inaudible) on background with a senior administration official, and embargoed until the end of the conversation. And it's just going to be [senior administration official]. Q This conversation. AIDE: Embargoed until the end of this conversation, on background with a senior administration official. So, [senior administration official] will give some opening thoughts...

Updated: Sat Feb 19 2022

G7 Foreign ministers' statement on Russia and Ukraine (Feb. 19, 2022)

1. We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, remain gravely concerned about Russia's threatening military build-up around Ukraine, in illegally annexed Crimea and in Belarus. Russia's unprovoked and unjustified massing of military forces, the largest deployment on the European continent since the end of the Cold War is a challenge to global security and the (...)

Updated: Sat Feb 19 2022

Remarks by President Biden Providing an Update on Russia and Ukraine

Roosevelt Room 4:54 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. Today, I made two vital calls, as I've been making for some months now - two vital calls that - on the situation in Russia and Ukraine. The first was to a bipartisan group of members of Congress who are currently representing the United States, along...

Updated: Sat Feb 19 2022

Remarks by Vice President Harris and President Zelenskyy Before Bilateral Meeting

Commerzbank Filiale MünchenMunich, Germany 2:12 P.M. CEST VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: I'm looking forward to our conversation. As you know, this is a decisive moment in our world's history. And this is an important meeting for that and many other reasons. I look forward, in this discussion, to hearing directly from you about the situation on the ground...

Updated: Sat Feb 19 2022

Remarks by Vice President Harris at the Munich Security Conference

Hotel Bayerischer HofMunich, Germany 11:45 A.M. CEST THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Good morning. Thank you, Ambassador Ischinger. And to all of the very extraordinary leaders who are here today, I thank you for the kind introduction and your years of dedicated leadership. And thank you also to Chancellor Scholz for your kind words. So,...

Updated: Sat Feb 19 2022

Statement from Press Secretary Jen Psaki on President Biden's Briefings on Ukraine

President Biden continues to monitor the evolving situation in Ukraine, and is being updated regularly about events on the ground by his national security team. They reaffirmed that Russia could launch an attack against Ukraine at any time. This afternoon, the President received an update on the Vice President's meetings at the Munich Security Conference with President...

Updated: Sat Feb 19 2022

A Proclamation on National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, 2022

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week provides an opportunity to draw attention to one of the most serious mental health conditions impacting the lives of Americans and their families today. Eating disorders - including binge-eating, bulimia nervosa, and anorexia nervosa - affect people of all backgrounds and genders. Nearly 1 in 10 Americans are expected to...

Updated: Fri Feb 18 2022

Bill Signed: H.R. 6617

On Friday, February 18, 2022, the President signed into law: H.R. 6617, the "Further Additional Extending Government Funding Act," which provides fiscal year 2022 appropriations to Federal agencies through March 11, 2022, for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government.

Updated: Fri Feb 18 2022

Day Of Remembrance Of Japanese American Incarceration During World War II

Eighty years ago, on February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, stripping people of Japanese descent of their civil rights. That order and the subsequent actions carried out by the Federal Government represent one of the most shameful chapters in our Nation's history. On this Day of Remembrance of Japanese American Incarceration...

Updated: Fri Feb 18 2022

EU - Jean-Yves Le Drian to attend Foreign Affairs Council meeting (Brussels, 21 Feb. 2022)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian will attend the February 21st meeting of EU foreign ministers. The security of the EU's eastern border region will be discussed in light of the current high tensions with Russia. The minister will reiterate our three guiding principles: a strong stand on the need to respect Ukraine's unity and territorial integrity; close coordination with our partners on European security; and a serious, rigorous dialogue with Russia to help (...)

Updated: Fri Feb 18 2022

French education abroad strengthened with passage of law on AEFE governance and the creation of regional training centers (18

Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Minister of State for Tourism, French Nationals Abroad and Francophonie, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Minister of State for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, attached to the Minister of the Economy, Finance and the Recovery, addressed the National Assembly on February 16 prior to the adoption of the law modifying the governance of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) and establishing regional training centers. In keeping (...)

Updated: Fri Feb 18 2022

Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Senate on the Continuation of the National Emergen

Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Madam President:) Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency...

Updated: Fri Feb 18 2022

Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency Concerning the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

On March 13, 2020, by Proclamation 9994, the President declared a national emergency concerning the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant risk to the public health and safety of the Nation. For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 13, 2020, and beginning March 1, 2020, must continue...

Updated: Fri Feb 18 2022

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Kansas Disaster Declaration

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Kansas and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and straight-line winds on December 15, 2021. Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain...

Updated: Fri Feb 18 2022

Readout of President Biden's Call with Transatlantic Leaders

President Joseph R. Biden spoke today with Transatlantic leaders about the likelihood of further Russian aggression against Ukraine. Together they expressed deep concern over Russia's continued build-up of forces, reiterated their strong support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and discussed the importance of further economic assistance to Ukraine. They pledged to continue pursuing diplomacy...

Updated: Fri Feb 18 2022