In an interview on Fox News, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that he was “open to” communist China or any other nation “engaging in responsible efforts to try to advance peace” in Ukraine.
Fox News State Department correspondent Benjamin Hall began the segment by asking the secretary of state about China playing “peacemaker” in Ukraine.
China will seek an early ceasefire in Ukraine – Xi Jinping in a conversation with Zelensky
The main statements of the Chinese side:
➖ China did not create the crisis in Ukraine and is not a party to the crisis. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a responsible… pic.twitter.com/7FxI15aDO1
— Spriter (@Spriter99880) April 26, 2023
“It’s very interesting to see President Xi talking to Zelensky recently, and there are Chinese diplomats going to Ukraine at the moment. Are you open to China becoming the peacemaker here?” Hall asked.
“I think we’re open to any country engaging in responsible efforts to try to advance peace,” Blinken responded. “And that begins with a couple of things: It begins, first of all, with a recognition…that what’s fundamentally at stake is the territorial integrity and sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. So, any peace agreement has to have that as its foundation. It’s also very important that anyone who’s engaging in efforts to advance peace be talking directly to the Ukrainians. They’re the aggrieved party.”
The interview then turned to a discussion about the competition between the United States and communist China. This led to Hall questioning Blinken about how the current state of the world has caused nations like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and India to begin distancing themselves from the U.S. — stating that “what we’re seeing with core partners in Europe and in Asia is much greater convergence than I’ve ever seen.”
“Many countries, though, who would once have been firmly on the U.S. side are now in the middle,” Hall said. “You look at Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, perhaps, India, not really coming onto the side of the U.S. That is worrying. That says that they believe this is more equal than it used to be.”
“First, as I said, what we’re seeing with core partners in Europe and in Asia is much greater convergence than I’ve ever seen,” Blinken responded.
The interview also covered the recent controversy around Blinken’s role in the false claims about the Hunter Biden laptop story — which was prompted by testimony from former acting CIA Director Michael Morell, who claimed that then-Biden campaign adviser Blinken had contacted him to “set in motion” the letter signed by 50 former intelligence community members falsely claiming that the story was “Russian disinformation.”
How are we supposed to trust a single thing that Blinken says about Russia now?
Yea guys that was different, trust him now… what’s the worst that could happen? https://t.co/UfXU5Eg14R
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 21, 2023
During the interview with Hall, Blinken claimed that he played no part in the letter.
“One of the great benefits of this job is that I don’t do politics and don’t engage in it,” the secretary of state claimed. “But with regard to that letter, I didn’t — it wasn’t my idea, didn’t ask for it, didn’t solicit it. And I think the testimony that the former deputy director of the CIA, Mike Morrell, put forward confirms that.”
Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall, who was severely injured while covering the war in Ukraine last year, presses Sec. Blinken on his role with the Hunter Biden 'disinformation' letter. Watch @BenjaminHallFNC interview with Blinken tonight at 6 p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel. pic.twitter.com/YF66vKgykf
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 1, 2023
