Pool Reports by Philip Wegmann, RealClearPolitics
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| July 11, 2024 10:22 |
In-Town Pool Report #1: Rolling The motorcade departed White House grounds at 10:21. President Biden was spotted entering the motorcade at 10:18. The press conference, White House announced this morning, is now at 6:30pm. |
| July 11, 2024 10:28 |
In-Town Pool Report #2: Arrival The motorcade arrived at the convention center at 10:25. White House passes along the following: Traveling with the President via motorcade en route to the Walter. E. Washington Convention Center: Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs |
| July 11, 2024 10:47 |
In-Town Pool Report #3: Working Session II Begins President Biden walked into the room at 10:39, shook hands with NATO General Sec. Jens Stoltenberg as well as other assorted leaders, and then took his seat. "Working Session II" is now ongoing. Pool was ushered out of the room at 10:43. POTUS did not speak. The White House passes along the following: The President is briefly meeting with and participating in a photo with Indo-Pacific Partners at the NATO Summit. |
| July 11, 2024 11:02 |
In-Town Pool Report #4: Sullivan Remarks The pool is holding, and Jake Sullivan is speaking to the forum. The White House passes along the following: Please see link below for NSA Sullivan at public forum: https://www.youtube.com/live/AqU4UV1h9pY?si=ohAiylPKEieZHLLD |
| July 11, 2024 13:08 |
In-Town Pool Report #5: Zelensky Bilateral Begins President Zelensky was seated at President Biden's right, and their delegation were arranged in two long lines spreading out in front of them. The bilateral meeting began at 12:52. The pair made brief opening remarks, but they were at such a distance from the press that it was difficult for the pool to make out clearly much of what either said. Pool was ushered out of the room at 12:59. A reporter shouted a question to Biden about whether his decision was final. The president replied, "I support Ukraine to the end." Pool will try to get better audio and pass along additional quotes. White House, in the meantime, passes along the following. The President is holding a bilateral meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. U.S. Delegation T.H. Secretary Tony Blinken, Department of State Ukraine Delegation H.E. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine |
| July 11, 2024 | [APP Note: Report #6 does not exist or was not received by the APP.] |
| July 11, 2024 14:43 |
In-Town Pool Report #7: Working Session III President Biden is seated again at the circular table at the forum. To his left, Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO general secretary. To his right, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The president did not speak. After Stoltenberg opened the meeting, press were subsequently escorted out. The White House passes along the following: The President is participating in a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council. NATO Leaders Invited Guest U.S. Delegation |
| July 11, 2024 17:40 |
In-Town Pool Report #8: Two Minutes till Compact event Two-minute warning to the start of the Ukraine Compact event just given. |
| July 11, 2024 17:43 |
In-Town Pool Report #9: Biden Now Speaking President Biden is now hosting an event unveiling the Ukraine Compact. The event is being live-streamed. President Biden stepped on stage at 5:40pm behind him a blue and yellow wall emblazoned with the words, "Ukraine Compact" and "Securing Ukraine's Future." Ukrainian President Zelensky is at his side. Remarks are ongoing. White House passes along the following: The President is hosting an event on the Ukraine Compact. Speaking Program Attendees |
| July 11, 2024 17:50 |
In-Town Pool Report #10: Remarks Wrap When Zelensky finished his remarks moments ago, the event ended, and President Biden walked off stage. No guidance yet on start time of press conference. It was slated for 6:30. |
| July 11, 2024 18:53 |
In-Town Pool Report #11: Pool Moving Pool is moving to venue now, though exact start time of press conference remains uncertain. |
| July 11, 2024 | [APP Note: Report #12 does not exist or was not received by the APP.] |
| July 11, 2024 19:29 |
In-Town Pool Report #13: Press Conference Begins President Biden is now making remarks about the NATO summit and the war in Ukraine. Remarks are being livestreamed. |
| July 11, 2024 20:30 |
In-Town Pool Report #14: Press Conference Concludes President Biden initially called on eight reporters. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called final question at one point, but then Biden took questions from three more reporters. The remarks were live-streamed. Pool is moving back to motorcade. |
| July 11, 2024 20:41 |
In-Town Pool Report #15: WH Arrival The motorcade left the convention center at 8:36 and arrived back on the White House campus at 8:41. The White House passed along the following after the presser wrapped: The President is participating in a press conference at the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. U.S. Delegation T.H. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State |
| July 11, 2024 20:52 |
In-Town Pool Report #16: Lid White House called a travel/photo lid. |
Pool Reports below by Marek Walkuski, Polskie Radio
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| July 11, 2024 09:49 |
Foreign pool report #1 – NATO engagement with the EU and Indo-Pacific partners Good morning! I'm your foreign pooler for President Biden's engagements during the final day of the NATO summit. The pool has gathered for the departure. We are should be rolling soon. Before the highly anticipated press conference at 6:30PM (see updated schedule), President Biden will attend several summit events, including a NATO meeting with the EU and Indo-Pacific partners, a bilateral meeting with President Zelenskyy, the NATO-Ukraine Council, and the Ukraine Compact. At 10:00 AM, the President will participate in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council, the European Union, and Indo-Pacific Partners (Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea). The EU will be represented by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and President of the European Council Charles Michel. Indo-Pacific attendees include Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio, President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol, and Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia will not be attending the summit and will be represented by his Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense, Richard Marles. Albanese has faced criticism in Australia for his absence, with one media outlet describing him as "missing in action." Background provided by our Japanese colleague Nico Pandi from Jiji Press: NATO has been strengthening its cooperation with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea, collectively referred to as the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4). The first meeting with this group took place in 2016, and it was elevated to the leaders' level at the Madrid Summit in 2022. The leaders participated again at the Vilnius Summit, marking this year as the third consecutive year the group has met with NATO. NATO and the IP4 are expected to discuss their mutual concerns regarding the support the PRC and North Korea have provided to Russia's war efforts. "Ukraine of today may be East Asia of tomorrow," Prime Minister Kishida stated to Congress in April. Additionally, discussions will include common global security challenges such as cyber defense, resilience, maritime security, and arms control. |
| July 11, 2024 12:06 |
Foreign pool report #2 – background on POTUS's meeting with Zelenskyy President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena arrived in Washington on Monday. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy commenced his visit by honoring the victims of the 1932-1933 Holodomor (the famine in Ukraine orchestrated by Stalin) at the Memorial near the US Capitol. He also delivered a speech at the Ronald Reagan Institute. During the NATO summit, Zelenskyy engaged with leaders from Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Slovakia, Canada, and the Czech Republic. He also met with key members of Congress, including the leaders of the House and Senate. Last night, he and the First Lady of Ukraine attended a dinner at the White House. Priorities for Ukraine Before the NATO summit President Volodymyr Zelenskyy listed several priorities for his visit to Washington, including:
Shooting Down Russian Missiles from NATO territory Prior to arriving in the U.S., Zelenskyy visited Warsaw, where he met with Polish leaders and signed the Agreement on Security Cooperation between Ukraine and Poland. Following the signing ceremony, Zelenskyy stated that the document includes a provision for shooting down Russian missiles and drones in Ukraine's airspace from Polish territory. In response, NSC spokesman John Kirby warned that such a move could lead to unnecessary escalation. Polish Prime Minister Tusk later clarified that this is only a topic of discussion, and Polish Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Poland will not target Russian missiles over Ukraine unless the entire NATO alliance agrees. There are no indications that this topic was discussed during the summit. In recent weeks and months, Ukraine has advocated not only for additional air defense systems and other military equipment but also for further relaxation of targeting limits on the use of U.S.-provided military equipment. Previous bilateral meetings: September 1, 2021 – Washington, DC |
| July 11, 2024 13:17 |
Foreign pool report #3 - Zelenskyy's remarks during bilat When the pool entered the room both presidents were seated, with Ukraine and U.S. flags and NATO logo in the background. Zelenskyy was dreesed in an olive-green military style pants and a black sweater with the trident, one of the most iconic symbols of Ukraine. Zelensky spoke after POTUS. Bellow is the full rough transcript: Thank you so much. Mr. President, thank you very much for the invitation to Summit. And thank you for such strong news about the new security package. I'm grateful to you, your team. Your administration, of course, Congress, both parties, both chambers and all Americans for their vital and your strong support of Ukraine, Ukrainian people together, we are saving lives of our people you mentioned, thanks to your support. And thanks to our soldiers really it was it was tough work, but they did it. And together, we are preserving Ukraine's independence and freedom. And these are historic actions that will protect the world from similar wars. And I especially want to thank to the President Biden for his support and personal statement following the Russian strike on the Children's Hospital is in good shape. Yes, this is our largest children's hospital, and it was direct hit by Russian missiles. That is why we greatly appreciate your decisions to strengthen our air defense, the five new patriots and other dozens of other systems. And we have, and I want also to speak today, how we can continue support. And I also want to discuss with President how we can quickly and decisively Stop Russian terror. With this big problem for us. It's guided bombs. And of course, we need some quick steps some to lift all limitations for our Ukrainian soldiers. And of course, we are thankful for that you helped us to save our energy. It's tough period for people without energy. But anyway, we are thankful to you and partners and of course we will discuss achieving adjust and to the war. We must have this word justly and for peace to return as soon as possible. We need a second peace summit this year. Thank you for your participation. And we are counting heavily on America's support in this God bless America. The WH shared the names of the Ukrainian delegation: H.E. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine |
| July 11, 2024 13:45 |
Foreign pool report #4 – Background on NATO-Ukraine Council and Ukraine Compact The NATO-Ukraine Council will be starting soon, followed by the Ukraine Compact. Below is some background on both.. NATO-Ukraine Council The NATO-Ukraine Council was launched at the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius to enhance political dialogue and cooperation regarding Ukraine's aspirations for NATO membership. It also serves as a crisis consultation mechanism between NATO and Ukraine, according to the NATO website. This Council replaced the NATO-Ukraine Commission, which developed the NATO-Ukraine relationship from 1997 to 2023. Support for NATO membership in Ukraine surged following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, rising from less than 50% to over 80%. On Wednesday, the Alliance formally declared that Ukraine's future is in NATO. "We will continue to support it on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership," their statement says. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that Ukraine must join NATO after the war to ensure Russia's invasion never happens again. Ukraine Compact President Joe Biden will convene leaders of 19 countries and the European Union, who have negotiated and signed bilateral security agreements with Ukraine, to launch the "Ukraine Compact." This initiative aims to affirm their support for Ukraine in the coming years. President Biden signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement with Kyiv on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy last month. Countries such as the UK, France, Germany, and Poland have signed similar agreements. "The Ukrainian leadership refers to the agreements as security guarantees, choosing a term that is clear and reassuring for the wider public. But using the term guarantees is misleading," says Leo Litra, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. The security agreements include concrete provisions for military and financial aid as well as training for Ukrainian troops, but they do not oblige the signatories to go to war if Ukraine is attacked. |
| July 11, 2024 14:59 |
Foreign pool report #5 - Marcon on POTUS Before the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting began, President of France Emmanuel Macron entered the room and chatted with another person. He was about 15 ft. from the media riser where I was standing. I asked him about his impression of President Biden. "I don't understand your question about President Biden, he is my counterpart, he is the President of the United States, and we are happy to have him as the President of the United States", Macron replied. I will soon post the video on my X profile @marekwalkuski |
| July 11, 2024 15:28 |
Foreign pool report #6 I'm sharing a link to the better quality video of Macron. Feel free if you need to use it. |
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Pool Reports of July 11, 2024 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/373975