WHITE HOUSE – The United States is deploying extra troops at its base in Djibouti because it considers whether or not to evacuate diplomats from Sudan, the place an influence battle between two army factions has led to days of violence that has killed greater than 330 individuals.
John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, spoke Friday with VOA’s White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara in regards to the ongoing combating in Sudan. He additionally previewed subsequent week’s White House state go to by President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea.
This transcript has been edited for readability and brevity.
VOA WHITE HOUSE BUREAU CHIEF PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: I’d like to begin with Sudan. What’s the most recent on the evacuation of American diplomats and the deployment of troops to the bottom in Djibouti?
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS JOHN KIRBY: There’s been no choice to evacuate our diplomats. We’re nonetheless targeted proper now on pre-positioning acceptable army capabilities close by within the area, not in Sudan, simply in case there’s a choice made to evacuate our embassy.
The backside line is the scenario on the bottom in Khartoum is just not good. The violence continues, the combating continues regardless of either side calling or urging the opposite to abide by cease-fires. There’s nonetheless plenty of violence inside Khartoum, and so it is a very tenuous, very harmful scenario. And as we have stated, if you’re an American citizen, and also you did not take our warning to go away Sudan and notably Khartoum, it’s essential to maintain your personal security and safety, shelter in place, discover a place to remain the place you possibly can keep secure and never be shifting round.
VOA: So there is no evacuation for American residents at this level?
KIRBY: There isn’t any expectation that there is going to be a U.S. authorities evacuation of American residents. That stays the case proper now.
VOA: Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken has referred to as the leaders of each opponents to push for a cease-fire. Obviously, that hasn’t occurred. The U.S. has very restricted leverage as a result of we’ve got pulled U.S. help because the coup in Sudan in 2021. Which international locations within the area are you reaching out to, to assist push for a cease-fire?
KIRBY: We’re speaking to the African Union, we’re speaking to the Arab League. Clearly, we’re speaking bilaterally with different nations round Sudan within the area who clearly have a stake in ensuring that peace and safety, stability has an opportunity there in Sudan. And sure, we’re reaching out straight. You’ve talked about Secretary Blinken, however there are different traces of communication reaching out straight with the leaders on either side there, General [Abdel Fattah] Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and General [Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo] ‘Hemedti’ of the RSF and to induce them to place down their arms, truly put in place a sustainable cease-fire in order that humanitarian help and help can get to the those that want it.
VOA: Would the U.S. administration think about any form of punitive measures to push for a cease-fire?
KIRBY: I haven’t got any muscle actions to talk to proper now. We are targeted proper now on speaking to either side they should put their arms down, they should cease the combating. We must get the flexibility for individuals to get entry to meals and water and drugs and once more, to have a dialogue a few transition to civilian authority.
VOA: And how involved are you that this might flip right into a proxy battle, the place exterior teams such because the Wagner Group that is already within the area would possibly take alternative from the chaos?
KIRBY: Obviously, we do not wish to see this battle increase or broaden, and we definitely would not wish to see extra firepower delivered to bear; that may simply proceed the violence and proceed to escalate the tensions.
VOA: I wish to transfer on to the South Korean president’s go to subsequent week. One of the leaks confirmed that there’s concern from the South Koreans that President [Joe] Biden would possibly push President Yoon [Suk Yeol] to provide army weapons, munitions notably to Ukraine. Has this leak sophisticated the go to in any respect?
KIRBY: We are very enthusiastic about having our second state go to be the Republic of Korea. President Biden and President Yoon have a terrific relationship. We as a nation have a fantastic relationship with the Republic of Korea, our South Korean allies. And it’s an alliance. We have precise alliance commitments with South Korea. And there’s an terrible lot on the agenda and it will not simply be Ukraine.
But there’s an terrible lot of different issues on the agenda, every little thing from excessive know-how to local weather change to definitely threats contained in the Indo-Pacific area. Obviously, North Korea will probably be on the agenda. There’s lots to speak about. And it is a terrific relationship.
VOA: President Yoon stated he could also be open to offering army assist to Ukraine below some circumstances. Is this one thing that President Biden will push President Yoon for?
KIRBY: This is not about pushing South Korea in any respect. It’s about having a significant dialog about objects of mutual shared concern and curiosity and positively the battle in Ukraine is one thing that South Korea shares that concern with. I’ll let President Yoon communicate to what he’s or is not keen to do.
We have stated from the very starting that what a nation decides to do with respect to supporting Ukraine is as much as them to resolve. It’s a sovereign choice. The complete thought of supporting Ukraine, this complete battle is about sovereignty. It’s about independence. And how ironic and hypocritical wouldn’t it be for the United States to dictate phrases to a sovereign nation about what they need to or should not do.
VOA: Can we anticipate any form of bulletins when it comes to prolonged deterrence, growing U.S. strategic belongings, any form of joint operations of nuclear situations within the area?
KIRBY: We routinely discuss to the South Koreans in regards to the prolonged deterrence. I’m not going to get forward of the president or any particular bulletins or something going ahead.
VOA: On semiconductors, now that China can not entry U.S. know-how but in addition Japanese and Netherlands know-how for semiconductors, they’re reaching out to South Korean corporations. Is this one thing that the president will even focus on?
KIRBY: I’ve little doubt that they will discuss excessive know-how and the necessity to preserve enhancing, preserving, sustaining resilient provide chains in relation to semiconductors. But I will not get forward of the dialog.
VOA: You talked about right this moment’s assembly in Ramstein, Germany, which marks one yr that the Defense Contact Group has been assembly. Secretary [of Defense Lloyd] Austin stated this morning that the main focus will probably be on air protection, ammunition and logistics. What does that say when it comes to the place we’re within the battle proper now and the technique going ahead?
KIRBY: We have developed the capabilities that we’re offering Ukraine … because the battle itself has developed over time. Here we’re previous a yr. And we all know that within the spring when the climate improves, and it is already beginning to enhance, that we will anticipate the Russians to wish to go on the offensive in some areas, and we do not know precisely the place or how they’re going to do this. But we wish to make it possible for the Ukrainians are in a position to higher defend themselves in opposition to that and in the event that they select offensive operations of their very own, that they have the capabilities to conduct these.
And you heard Secretary Austin discuss air protection, discuss armor capabilities as a result of we imagine that one of many issues they usually say they should be higher at is mixed arms warfare, which is maneuver warfare in open terrain. That means, that requires armor, that requires artillery, that requires some air protection. But he additionally talked about logistics as a result of that is actually the lifeblood of any military within the area, is how do you retain it within the area? How do you maintain it? How do you get him spare elements and meals and water and gasoline, the sorts of issues that they should keep operations in a steady manner? So that is bought to be entrance and heart as effectively.
VOA: Last query, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg this week stated that Ukraine’s rightful place is within the Euro-Atlantic household. At this level, do you see Ukraine to be nearer towards turning into a NATO member?
KIRBY: Nothing’s modified about our assist for the Open Door Policy of NATO. Nothing’s modified about that. We proceed to assist an open door for NATO. But we have additionally stated that any dialog about coming into the alliance has bought to be a dialog between the nation in query and the alliance itself.
VOA: But do you see that Ukraine itself has improved on the standards that it should meet?
KIRBY: Our focus proper now with respect to Ukraine is ensuring that they will beat again the Russian aggression. That they are often profitable on the battlefield in order that President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, if and when he is prepared to barter, he could be profitable on the desk. That’s our focus. We’ll let the secretary-general communicate for the alliance.