President Obama and Taoiseach Kenny at the White House

Me and the Taoiseach last year at Qunnipiac
 

The following, shared unedited here, was released by the White House today. It is "Remarks by President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Prime Minister Kenny of Ireland at St. Patrick's Day Reception"

 

 

 

 

 

Read on:  

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Hello, folks!  Welcome to the White House.  Folks, my name is Joe Biden.  I work for Barack Obama.  (Applause.)  And I have the great honor of introducing our next three guests. 

 

In 1963, President Kennedy addressed the Irish parliament and said, “Our two nations, divided by distance, have been united by history.”  Today we celebrate that shared heritage that has defined so many of us as individuals, and it’s defined our country, as well.

 

     And it’s clear why this day is so important to many of you, and to me and the President, who have ancestors who are from Ireland, who left behind everything to find a new home and find a place in that Promised Land -- America.  In the face of oppression, they held strong, strong, strong beliefs.  They planted deep roots, and they looked to the future.  It’s the immigrant story of all who came here. 

 

And the truth is that the greatest contribution the Irish brought to this country is a set of values:  hard work, family, a sense of community, pride, faith, and idealism. 

 

     My mother had an expression -- and I mean this sincerely -- she talked about being Irish was about family, faith, but most of all, it was about courage.  She said, because without courage, you cannot love with abandon.  And to be Irish is to be able to love with abandon -- to be able to dream. 

 

     Oscar Wilde said, “Yes, I’m a dreamer, for a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight.  And his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”  Millions -- millions -- of Irish men and women look to that dawn, and they forge their dreams into the foundation stones that literally formed this great nation of ours, all believing in something that defines America in a single world.  The uniqueness of this country, in my view, can be summed up in one word.  We're all about possibilities.  Anything -- anything -- is possible.

 

     That's who we are as Americans.  In my view, that's the Irish of it.  I felt it.  My family has felt it.  All of you have felt it.  And the three people I’m about to introduce, they have felt it, as well.

 

     Ladies and gentlemen -- my friend, the President of the United States, Barack Obama; the Taoiseach of Ireland, Enda Kenny; and his wife, Fionnuala.  (Applause.)

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Welcome to the White House, everybody.  (Applause.)  Happy St. Patrick’s Week.  Once again, today is not technically St. Paddy’s Day.  And once again, this does not seem to bother any of you one bit.  (Laughter.)  But if you are lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough.  (Applause.) 

 

This, of course, is one of my favorite events.  I get to welcome my people.  (Laughter and applause.)  And the Obamas of Leinster are nothing if not welcoming.  We’ve got “trad.”  We’ve got pints of black.  It’s up to you to provide the “craic.”  (Applause.) 

 

This is my eighth St. Patrick’s Day as President.  And this is my 25th set of St. Patrick’s Day remarks as President.  This is true.  When you include the speeches I’ve given in Dublin and Northern Ireland, we are pushing 30.  But, fortunately, the Irish are not short on inspiration.

 

Everybody here is Irish -- I am positive of it.  There’s some particularly “indomitable Irishry” in the house.  But we are thrilled to once again host Taoiseach Enda Kenny.  Give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  His wife, Fionnuala -- give her a bigger round of applause.  (Applause.)  And we are in the presence of one of America’s great Irish-American heroes -- Vice President Joe Biden.  (Applause.) 

 

Blessed are the peacemakers -- and from Northern Ireland, we welcome their first female First Minister, Arlene Foster -- (applause) -- and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.  (Applause.)  The UK’s Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers is here.  Give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  And Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan -- they’ve done a great job of representing their governments in the negotiations that led to the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements.  So we're very proud of them.  (Applause.) 

 

And former Senator Gary Hart, as Secretary Kerry’s personal representative, has done an extraordinary job representing America -- (applause) -- along with our Consul General in Belfast, Dan Lawton.  Thank all of you.  (Applause.) 

 

In addition, our Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Matthew Barzun, is here, as is our Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O’Malley. (Applause.)  As you can see and hear, although Kevin has only been in Ireland for 18 months, he has crammed in almost eight years of work.  One of his legacies will be his “Creative Minds” initiative, in which he’s been busy connecting the next generation of Irish and American leaders who will be singing in this room someday.  So, thank you, Kevin.  Your Mayo grandparents would be proud.  (Applause.) 

 

And one of the warmest women you’ll ever meet is Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States, Anne Anderson.  (Applause.)  I'm going to embarrass Anne for a second.  A few days ago, she became the first woman ever admitted into the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.  (Applause.)  And to underscore what a big deal this is, only one other person ever has been “adopted” into that society. This is true -- it was this guy right here, George Washington.  So you are keeping good company, Anne.  Congratulations.  (Laughter.) 

 

Our Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, is also here.  And she may have made the longest trip.  And although Caroline never likes to draw attention to herself, she’s out here somewhere.  (Applause.)  Obviously, Caroline’s family will forever represent the centrality of Irish heritage to our American story. 

 

There’s a whole brood of Irish-American members of Congress here, as well, including from Caroline’s family -- Joe Kennedy, who’s a new father to a baby girl.  (Applause.)  That's worth congratulating.  You can't beat daughters.  If anyone is in need of a good song, Joe Crowley has one of the finer singing voices in Washington.  (Laughter.)  But, Joe, please wait until I'm done speaking.  (Laughter.) 

 

Now, some of you may have seen a front page of the Galway City Tribune last summer that blared, in huge print, “He’s On the Way!  Hopes that Obama will make Paddy’s Day speech in Eyre Square.”  I don't know how this rumor got started.  It might have been somebody on my staff who just wanted another trip to Ireland.  (Laughter.)  But I do have joyous memories of my own trips to the Emerald Isle.  And Ireland really is, as Seamus Heaney described it -- a place that can “catch the heart off guard and blow it open.”  Most of all, I remember how the Irish people made me feel so at home -- like my cousin Henry, and his pubkeeper, Ollie, who are here again today.  (Applause.)  There you go!  They’re around here somewhere. 

 

So I now understand what President Kennedy meant when he said that once he couldn’t run again, he’d endorse the Democratic candidate who would promise to appoint him ambassador to Ireland. (Laughter.)  I would like to point out I have not yet endorsed -- (laughter.)  A certain commitment, quietly made, would not hurt.

 

Of course, for the Irish, home is everywhere.  And perhaps no other country in the world is more “everywhere” than the United States.  We are braided together in so many ways, America and Ireland.  We’ve been for centuries, through history and bloodline.  We’ve waged war side by side.  We’ve waged peace side by side.  We are family and we are friends.

 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Proclamation.  And I’m struck with how ahead of its time the proclamation was.  It was a daring document; one which its authors were very particular to address to “Irishmen and Irishwomen.”  It’s built around “religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities,” and “cherishing all the children of the nation equally.”

 

Cherishing all the children of the nation equally.  That's a vision statement 100 years ago, and it would be a visionary statement today.  It's a universal value, like the ones in America’s own founding documents, that compels us to continually look forward; that gives us the chance to change; that dares us, American and Irish alike, to keep toiling towards our better selves.

 

Cherishing all the children of the nation equally means striving to make sure they grow up with equal rights and equal opportunities.  And I should point out that Ireland, last year, legalized marriage equality, and a month later, America was proud to join you.  (Applause.)  This year, New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is allowing Irish LGBT groups to march for the very first time.  (Applause.)  As Ambassador Anderson has said, “Irish America is making a statement:  There are no second-class citizens, no children of a lesser God.”

 

Cherishing all the children of the nation equally means making our immigration system smarter and fairer and more just.  I think of something powerful that the Taoiseach said here a few years ago about people “waiting to be herded into ships; mothers soothing children, perhaps not even their own; husbands calling for wives, and wives calling for husbands -- two peoples who would cross that single dividing ocean, the Irish to freedom; the Africans to slavery.”

 

My own daughters have the blood of both peoples, Irish and Africans, running through their veins.  And that makes them something more powerful -- it makes them Americans.  All of us come from someplace else.  America is made of generations of men and women who crossed oceans and borders to come here, some in extraordinarily dire circumstances.  Tireless waves of immigrants -- from Ireland, yes, but also Italy and Germany, from Russia and China, Southeast Asia, from Latin America and Africa.  And many set down roots and became some of our most influential citizens.

 

We encourage the latest generation of eligible immigrants -- some 8.8 million permanent residents, including many Irish -- to take the same step in their American journey.  Many are students who, except for the circumstances of their birth, are as American as my own daughters, as Joe’s children and grandchildren -- students who bravely came out as undocumented in the hopes that they could earn the right to become citizens and make a difference in the country that they love. 

 

Our neighbors, our classmates, our friends -- they did not come here in search of a free ride.  They came to work, and to study, and to serve in our military, and above all, to contribute to our success.  That is the American Dream.  And the American Dream is something that no wall will ever contain.  (Applause.) 

 

Cherishing all the children of the nation equally means nurturing a lasting peace in Northern Ireland.  Eighteen years of peace means a whole generation has grown up living the dreams of their parents and grandparents.  To travel without the burden of checkpoints, or roadblocks, or soldiers on patrol.  To enjoy a sunny day free from the ever-present awareness that violence could blacken it at any moment.  To befriend or fall in love with whomever they want.  And while so many of you in this room negotiated the terms of peace, the fate of peace is up to our young people.  After all, 18 years of peace means that peace can vote now.  So we have to keep setting an example, through our words and our actions, that peace is a path worth pursuing. 

 

The Irish author, Colum McCann, who America now claims as our own, I understand is here today.  Where are you, Colum?  He’s an excellent writer.  He may be -- he’s all the way in the back. I love his books.  There he is right there.  (Applause.)  Colum once wrote, “Peace is indeed harder than war, and its constant fragility is part of its beauty.  A bullet need happen only once, but for peace to work, we need to be reminded of its existence again and again and again.” 

 

That’s what so many of you have worked to do -- again and again and again.  And the world has noticed.  As I said in Belfast, hope is contagious.  And you’ve designed a hopeful blueprint for others to follow.  You’re proof of what’s possible. I’m very proud that my administration has played a part in helping you to make hope one of your greatest exports.  (Applause.) 

 

In closing, on the occasion of my final St. Patrick’s Day with all of you --

 

AUDIENCE:  Nooo --

 

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, I mean, we may meet in a pub in Dublin or something.  (Applause.)  I'm saying, in the White House.  (Laughter.)  And my 30th set of remarks for an Irish audience, I’d like to close with a poem from an Irishwoman, Eavan Boland, that she wrote about a 30th anniversary.

 

this is the day to think of it, to wonder:

all those years, all those years together --

the stars in a frozen arc overhead,

the quick noise of a thaw in the air,

the blue stare of the hills -- through it all

this constancy:  what wears, what endures.

 

To the constancy of our enduring friendship.  May Ireland and America forever cherish and brilliantly sustain all our sons and daughters equally. 

 

Happy St. Paddy’s Day, everybody.  Goodnight and may joy be with you all. 

 

Let me now introduce our honored guest, Taoiseach Kenny.  Please, come to the stage.  (Applause.) 

 

PRIME MINISTER KENNY:  (Speaks in Irish.)  Thank you, and you're all welcome. 

 

Mr. President; Mr. Vice President; Mr. Flannigan; First and Deputy First Minister; Ambassadors; ladies and gentlemen:  When I was outside, I said to the President, it’s not often you get the chance of speaking with the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, and my wife.  (Laughter.) 

 

     PRESIDENT OBAMA:  There she is.

 

     PRIME MINISTER KENNY:  And so I said, the election is over in Ireland.  There are a few things I want to say about it.  So I’m going to speak for two hours.  (Laughter.)  That was just a fleeting thought.  (Laughter.) 

 

     Thank you, Mr. President.  It gives Fionnuala and myself, on behalf of the people of Ireland, the greatest of pleasure to mark St. Patrick’s Day/Week/time with you, a special time for the Irish family worldwide. 

 

And let me again thank you, President, for all the times we've been here, for the warmth of your hospitality, the generosity of your time, and the continued interest that you and your administration have shown for Ireland and Northern Ireland. Gary Hart, George Mitchell, Joe Biden, Kevin O’Malley, everybody -- thank you.  (Applause.)

 

     And actually the bowl of shamrock is more important than it looks because it’s a symbol.  It’s a link.  It’s a symbolic link, a symbolic claim going back these many St. Patrick’s Days.

 

     Now, you all know what happened.  A teenager was taken away from his home.  He was transported to Ireland.  He was put into slavery, mind sheep on a hillside.  He was a shepherd, yes, but he was also a slave.  And those who made him a slave had no idea that in time and in the process, they were also making him the saint and symbol of a nation.

 

     Similarly, years later, having returned to the scene of his slavery, he picked up a little three-piece, piece of greenery, just to illustrate an idea.  You will understand that this was in the days before PowerPoint displays and so on.  And to St. Patrick, the shamrock was just a handy little piece of greenery, just a prop.  No more than that.  And that tiny piece of greenery became the quintessence, the instantly recognizable brand of a modern nation.  And more, here in this White House, designed by James Hoban, from Dublin, it has become a yearly reminder of the ties that bind our two nations.  And the ties that bind America and Ireland are ties of blood and kinship; ties of trade and tradition; ties of hopes and dreams. 

 

     Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to you for your outstanding leadership over the last seven years, to thank you for all you've done for Irish-U.S. relationships in that time.  (Applause.)

 

     Sir, Mr. President, you came into office at the most challenging times in terms of the global economic situation.  And I believe that your steadfast and courageous leadership played a huge role in ensuring that the global recession did not become a global depression.  (Applause.) 

 

Leadership requires courage.  Ultimately, that's what politics is about -- the triumph of hope over hate.  Because when hate is deployed, it doesn't just diminish those who deploy it, it diminishes all of us.  Whereas hope, hope is that golden currency that never devalues, that never tarnishes.  And hope -- and not hatred -- was what animated the dreamers and the patriots in the 1916 rebellion in Dublin.  Hope -- not hatred -- was what animated great Presidents, like Lincoln, to turn enemies into friends. 

 

     Very many of the Irish found hope in America.  They found opportunity.  They found challenge.  And they found a society that valued hard work and that valued contribution.  They became police officers, nurses, firefighters, domestic servants, dockers, coal miners, railroaders, and so on.  They built bridges and railways and docks and skyscrapers.

 

     During my time as Taoiseach, we’ve reached out to the Irish diaspora as never before to see more of those descendants of those who left coming back to experience a new Ireland, where, in the words of Seamus Heaney, hope and history rhyme.

 

     So, although a small country, we’ve always been committed to making a big difference in the world.  We know that any contribution that we can make to tackling global problems such as terrorism, hunger, climate change, can only be achieved through strong global partnership.

 

     I want to applaud publicly President Obama’s tireless efforts on the world stage in promoting dialogue, common sense, and partnership in the pursuit of peace and a sustainable future for humanity.  (Applause.)

 

     Ask any of the 35 million Americans who now have the hope and the realization of health assistance in their time of need, and they can answer, Barack Obama delivered that for me.  (Applause.)

 

     In conclusion, let me again mention 1916.  As many of you know, the United States is the only country that was specifically mentioned in the 1916 Proclamation.  The signatories recognized, as they said, the support of our exiled children in America, a reference to the many millions of our people in this country who supported the cause of Irish freedom for generations.  The inscription is on the bowl:  Our exiled children in America.

 

     Let me just conclude on this.  What St. Patrick did, whether he realized it or not, was actually the quintessence of great leadership -- or should I say, in the words of one more eloquent and more famous than I, the audacity of hope, and the determination to leave the world better than he found it, just like President Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

 

     And so now it is my pleasure and my privilege on behalf of the people of our country and the 70 million Irish people all over the world, to present this bowl of shamrock, tried and tested, to President of the United States Barack Obama.

 

     Thank you all very much.  Hope you have a wonderful evening.  (Applause.)

 

                             END           6:26 P.M. EDT

Read President Obama's full statement on Ferguson, Missouri and Iraq

The following statement was released by the White House today after President Obama spoke from Massachusetts on what occurred in Ferguson, Missouri, when Michael Brown was killed by a police officer, and what he has ordered, and the status of Iraq.. It is shared unedited here:

 

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT 

Edgartown, Massachusetts

12:49 P.M. EDT 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everybody. This sound system is really powerful.  Today, I’d like to update the American people on two issues that I’ve been monitoring closely these last several days. 

First of all, we continue to make progress in carrying out our targeted military operations in Iraq.  Last week, I authorized two limited missions:  protecting our people and facilities inside of Iraq, and a humanitarian operation to help save thousands of Iraqi civilians stranded on a mountain.

A week ago, we assessed that many thousands of Yezidi men, women and children had abandoned their possessions to take refuge on Mount Sinjar in a desperate attempt to avoid slaughter.  We also knew that ISIL terrorists were killing and enslaving Yezidi civilians in their custody, and laying siege to the mountain. Without food or water, they faced a terrible choice -- starve on the mountain, or be slaughtered on the ground.  That’s when America came to help. 

Over the last week, the U.S. military conducted humanitarian air drops every night –- delivering more than 114,000 meals and 35,000 gallons of fresh water.  We were joined in that effort by the United Kingdom, and other allies pledged support. Our military was able to successfully strike ISIL targets around the mountain, which improved conditions for civilians to evacuate the mountain safely. 

Yesterday, a small team of Americans -– military and civilian -– completed their review of the conditions on the mountain.  They found that food and water have been reaching those in need, and that thousands of people have been evacuating safely each and every night.  The civilians who remain continue to leave, aided by Kurdish forces and Yezidis who are helping to facilitate the safe passage of their families.  So the bottom line is, is that the situation on the mountain has greatly improved and Americans should be very proud of our efforts. 

Because of the skill and professionalism of our military –- and the generosity of our people –- we broke the ISIL siege of Mount Sinjar; we helped vulnerable people reach safety; and we helped save many innocent lives.  Because of these efforts, we do not expect there to be an additional operation to evacuate people off the mountain, and it’s unlikely that we’re going to need to continue humanitarian air drops on the mountain.  The majority of the military personnel who conducted the assessment will be leaving Iraq in the coming days.  And I just want to say that as Commander-in-Chief, I could not be prouder of the men and women of our military who carried out this humanitarian operation almost flawlessly.  I’m very grateful to them and I know that those who were trapped on that mountain are extraordinarily grateful as well.

Now, the situation remains dire for Iraqis subjected to ISIL’s terror throughout the country, and this includes minorities like Yezidis and Iraqi Christians; it also includes Sunnis, Shia and Kurds.  We’re going to be working with our international partners to provide humanitarian assistance to those who are suffering in northern Iraq wherever we have capabilities and we can carry out effective missions like the one we carried out on Mount Sinjar without committing combat troops on the ground. 

We obviously feel a great urge to provide some humanitarian relief to the situation and I’ve been very encouraged by the interest of our international partners in helping on these kinds of efforts as well.  We will continue air strikes to protect our people and facilities in Iraq.  We have increased the delivery of military assistance to Iraqi and Kurdish forces fighting ISIL on the front lines. 

And, perhaps most importantly, we are urging Iraqis to come together to turn the tide against ISIL –- above all, by seizing the enormous opportunity of forming a new, inclusive government under the leadership of Prime Minister-designate Abadi.  I had a chance to speak to Prime Minister-designate Abadi a few days ago, and he spoke about the need for the kind of inclusive government -- a government that speaks to all the people of Iraq -- that is needed right now.  He still has a challenging task in putting a government together, but we are modestly hopeful that the Iraqi government situation is moving in the right direction.  

Now, second, I want to address something that’s been in the news over the last couple of days and that’s the situation in Ferguson, Missouri.  I know that many Americans have been deeply disturbed by the images we’ve seen in the heartland of our country, as police have clashed with people protesting.  Today, I’d like us all to take a step back and think about how we’re going to be moving forward. 

This morning, I received a thorough update on the situation from Attorney General Eric Holder, who has been following it and been in communication with his team.  I’ve already tasked the Department of Justice and the FBI to independently investigate the death of Michael Brown, along with local officials on the ground. 

 

The Department of Justice is also consulting with local authorities about ways that they can maintain public safety without restricting the right of peaceful protest and while avoiding unnecessary escalation.  I made clear to the Attorney General that we should do what is necessary to help determine exactly what happened, and to see that justice is done.  

I also just spoke with Governor Jay Nixon of Missouri.  I expressed my concern over the violent turn that events have taken on the ground, and underscored that now is the time for all of us to reflect on what’s happened, and to find a way to come together going forward.  He is going to be traveling to Ferguson.  He is a good man and a fine governor, and I’m confident that, working together, he is going to be able to communicate his desire to make sure that justice is done and his desire to make sure that public safety is maintained in an appropriate way.  

Of course, it’s important to remember how this started.  We lost a young man, Michael Brown, in heartbreaking and tragic circumstances.  He was 18 years old.  His family will never hold Michael in their arms again.  And when something like this happens, the local authorities –- including the police -– have a responsibility to be open and transparent about how they are investigating that death, and how they are protecting the people in their communities.  

There is never an excuse for violence against police, or for those who would use this tragedy as a cover for vandalism or looting.  There’s also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests, or to throw protestors in jail for lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights.  And here, in the United States of America, police should not be bullying or arresting journalists who are just trying to do their jobs and report to the American people on what they see on the ground.  Put simply, we all need to hold ourselves to a high standard, particularly those of us in positions of authority.

I know that emotions are raw right now in Ferguson and there are certainly passionate differences about what has happened.  There are going to be different accounts of how this tragedy occurred.  There are going to be differences in terms of what needs to happen going forward.  That’s part of our democracy.  But let’s remember that we’re all part of one American family.  We are united in common values, and that includes belief in equality under the law; a basic respect for public order and the right to peaceful public protest; a reverence for the dignity of every single man, woman and child among us; and the need for accountability when it comes to our government. 

So now is the time for healing.  Now is the time for peace and calm on the streets of Ferguson.  Now is the time for an open and transparent process to see that justice is done.  And I’ve asked that the Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney on the scene continue to work with local officials to move that process forward.  They will be reporting to me in the coming days about what’s being done to make sure that happens.  

Thanks very much, everybody.  

                                                          END      

 

PHOTO CREDIT: (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) A protester kicks a smoke grenade, that had been deployed by police, back in the direction of police on Aug. 13, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo. 

Watch: President Obama talks about plane shot down in Ukraine



 

A release from the White House included the transcript of  President Obama's remarks regarding the downing of the Malaysian airliner. The White House also released a video of the president, which is below as well.




The full remarks are below the video and are not edited:

 

11:52 A.M. EDT

 

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody. 

 

Yesterday, Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 took off from Amsterdam and was shot down over Ukraine near the Russian border.  Nearly 300 innocent lives were taken -- men, women, children, infants -- who had nothing to do with the crisis in Ukraine.  Their deaths are an outrage of unspeakable proportions.

 

We know at least one American citizen, Quinn Lucas Schansman, was killed.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family for this terrible loss.

 

Yesterday, I spoke with the leaders of Ukraine, Malaysia, and the Netherlands.  I told them that our thoughts and prayers are with all the families and that the American people stand with them during this difficult time.  Later today, I’ll be speaking to Prime Minister Abbott of Australia, which also suffered a terrible loss.

 

By far, the country that lost the most people on board the plane was the Netherlands.  From the days of our founding, the Dutch have been close friends and stalwart allies of the United States of America.  And today, I want the Dutch people to know that we stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, in our grief and in our absolute determination to get to the bottom of what happened.

 

Here’s what we know so far.  Evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile that was launched from an area that is controlled by Russian-backed separatists inside of Ukraine.  We also know that this is not the first time a plane has been shot down in eastern Ukraine.  Over the last several weeks, Russian-backed separatists have shot down a Ukrainian transport plane and a Ukrainian helicopter, and they claimed responsibility for shooting down a Ukrainian fighter jet. Moreover, we know that these separatists have received a steady flow of support from Russia.  This includes arms and training.  It includes heavy weapons, and it includes anti-aircraft weapons. 

 

Here’s what must happen now.  This was a global tragedy.  An Asian airliner was destroyed in European skies, filled with citizens from many countries.  So there has to be a credible international investigation into what happened.  The U.N. Security Council has endorsed this investigation, and we will hold all its members -- including Russia -- to their word.  In order to facilitate that investigation, Russia, pro-Russian separatists, and Ukraine must adhere to an immediate cease-fire.  Evidence must not be tampered with.  Investigators need to access the crash site.  And the solemn task of returning those who were lost on board the plane to their loved ones needs to go forward immediately.

 

The United States stands ready to provide any assistance that is necessary.  We’ve already offered the support of the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board, which has experience in working with international partners on these types of investigations.  They are on their way, personnel from the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board. 

 

In the coming hours and days, I’ll continue to be in close contact with leaders from around the world as we respond to this catastrophe.  Our immediate focus will be on recovering those who were lost, investigating exactly what happened, and putting forward the facts. 

 

I want to point out there will likely be misinformation as well.  I think it's very important for folks to sift through what is factually based and what is simply speculation.  No one can deny the truth that is revealed in the awful images that we all have seen.  And the eyes of the world are on eastern Ukraine, and we are going to make sure that the truth is out.

 

More broadly, I think it's important for us to recognize that this outrageous event underscores that it is time for peace and security to be restored in Ukraine.  For months, we’ve supported a pathway to peace, and the Ukrainian government has reached out to all Ukrainians, put forward a peace plan, and lived up to a cease-fire, despite repeated violations by the separatists -- violations that took the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and personnel.

 

Moreover, time and again, Russia has refused to take the concrete steps necessary to deescalate the situation.  I spoke to President Putin yesterday in the wake of additional sanctions that we had imposed.  He said he wasn’t happy with them, and I told him that we have been very clear from the outset that we want Russia to take the path that would result in peace in Ukraine, but so far at least, Russia has failed to take that path.  Instead, it has continued to violate Ukrainian sovereignty and to support violent separatists.  It has also failed to use its influence to press the separatists to abide by a cease-fire.  That’s why, together with our allies, we’ve imposed growing costs on Russia.

 

So now is, I think, a somber and appropriate time for all of us to step back and take a hard look at what has happened.  Violence and conflict inevitably lead to unforeseen consequences.  Russia, these separatists, and Ukraine all have the capacity to put an end to the fighting.  Meanwhile, the United States is going to continue to lead efforts within the world community to de-escalate the situation; to stand up for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine; and to support the people of Ukraine as they courageously work to strengthen their democracy and make their own decisions about how they should move forward.

 

Before I take just a couple of questions let me remark on one other issue.  This morning, I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel about the situation in Gaza.  We discussed Israel’s military operation in Gaza, including its efforts to stop the threat of terrorist infiltration through tunnels into Israel.  I reaffirmed my strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself.  No nation should accept rockets being fired into its borders, or terrorists tunneling into its territory.  In fact, while I was having the conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, sirens went off in Tel Aviv.

 

I also made clear that the United States, and our friends and allies, are deeply concerned about the risks of further escalation and the loss of more innocent life.  And that’s why we’ve indicated, although we support military efforts by the Israelis to make sure that rockets are not being fired into their territory, we also have said that our understanding is the current military ground operations are designed to deal with the tunnels, and we are hopeful that Israel will continue to approach this process in a way that minimizes civilian casualties and that all of us are working hard to return to the cease-fire that was reached in November of 2012. 

 

Secretary Kerry is working to support Egypt’s initiative to pursue that outcome.  I told Prime Minister Netanyahu that John is prepared to travel to the region following additional consultations.

 

Let me close by making one additional comment.  On board Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, there were apparently nearly 100 researchers and advocates traveling to an international conference in Australia dedicated to combating AIDS/HIV.  These were men and women who had dedicated their own lives to saving the lives of others and they were taken from us in a senseless act of violence.

 

In this world today, we shouldn’t forget that in the midst of conflict and killing, there are people like these -- people who are focused on what can be built rather than what can be destroyed; people who are focused on how they can help people that they’ve never met; people who define themselves not by what makes them different from other people but by the humanity that we hold in common.  It’s important for us to lift them up and to affirm their lives.  And it’s time for us to heed their example. 

 

The United States of America is going to continue to stand for the basic principle that people have the right to live as they choose; that nations have the right to determine their own destiny; and that when terrible events like this occur, the international community stands on the side of justice and on the side of truth. 

 

So with that, let me take just a couple questions.  I’ll start with you, Julie.

 

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  Just on a technical matter, does the U.S. believe that this passenger jet was targeted, or that those people who shot it down may have been going after a military -- thought they were going after a military aircraft?  And more broadly, this incident does seem to escalate the crisis in Ukraine to a level we haven’t seen before.  Does that change your calculus in terms of what the U.S. and perhaps Europe should be doing in terms of a response?

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think it’s too early for us to be able to guess what the intentions of those who might have launched this surface-to-air missile might have had.  The investigation is going to be ongoing, and I think what we’ll see is additional information surfacing over the next 24 hours, 72 hours, the next week, the next month.

 

     What we know right now, what we have confidence in saying right now is that a surface-to-air missile was fired and that's what brought the jet down.  We know -- or we have confidence in saying that that shot was taken within a territory that is controlled by the Russian separatists. 

 

     But I think it’s very important for us to make sure that we don't get out ahead of the facts.  And at this point, in terms of identifying specifically what individual or group of individuals or personnel ordered the strike, how it came about, those are things that I think are still going to be subject to additional information that we’re going to be gathering.  And we’re working with the entire international community to make sure that the focus is on getting to the bottom of this thing and being truthful.

 

     And my concern is obviously that there’s been a lot of misinformation generated in eastern Ukraine generally.  This should snap everybody’s heads to attention and make sure that we don't have time for propaganda, we don't have time for games.  We need to know exactly what happened.  And everybody needs to make sure that we’re holding accountable those who committed this outrage.

 

     With respect to the second question, as you’re aware, before this terrible incident happened we had already ratcheted up sanctions against Russia.  And I think the concern not just of Russian officials but of the markets about the impact that this could have on the Russian economy is there for all to see.

 

     I made clear to President Putin that our preferred path is to resolve this diplomatically.  But that means that he and the Russian government have to make a strategic decision:  Are they going to continue to support violent separatists whose intent is to undermine the government of Ukraine?  Or are they prepared to work with the government of Ukraine to arrive at a cease-fire and a peace that takes into account the interests of all Ukrainians?

 

     There has been some improved language at times over the last month coming from the Kremlin and coming from President Putin, but what we have not seen is an actual transition and different actions that would give us confidence that that's the direction that they want to take.

 

     And we will continue to make clear that as Russia engages in efforts that are supporting the separatists, that we have the capacity to increase the costs that we impose on them.  And we will do so.  Not because we’re interested in hurting Russia for the sake of hurting Russia, but because we believe in standing up for the basic principle that a country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity has to be respected, and it is not the United States or Russia or Germany or any other country that should be deciding what happens in that country.

 

     Q    At this point do you see any U.S. military role that could be effective?

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  We don't see a U.S. military role beyond what we’ve already been doing in working with our NATO partners and some of the Baltic States, giving them reassurances that we are prepared to do whatever is required to meet our alliance obligations.

 

     Steve Holland.

 

     Q    Sir, thank you.  How much blame for this do you put on President Putin?  And will you use this incident now to push the Europeans for stronger action?

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  We don't exactly know what happened yet, and I don't want to, as I said before, get out ahead of the facts.  But what I do know is, is that we have seen a ticking up of violence in eastern Ukraine that, despite the efforts of the Ukrainian government to abide by a cease-fire and to reach out and agree to negotiations, including with the separatists, that has been rebuffed by these separatists.  We know that they are heavily armed and that they are trained.  And we know that that’s not an accident.  That is happening because of Russian support.

 

     So it is not possible for these separatists to function the way they’re functioning, to have the equipment that they have -- set aside what’s happened with respect to the Malaysian Airlines -- a group of separatists can’t shoot down military transport planes or, they claim, shoot down fighter jets without sophisticated equipment and sophisticated training.  And that is coming from Russia.

 

     So we don’t yet know exactly what happened with respect to the Malaysian Airlines, although obviously we’re beginning to draw some conclusions given the nature of the shot that was fired.  There are only certain types of anti-aircraft missiles that can reach up 30,000 feet and shoot down a passenger jet.  We have increasing confidence that it came from areas controlled by the separatists.  But without having a definitive judgment on those issues yet, what we do know is, is that the violence that’s taking place there is facilitated in part -- in large part -- because of Russian support.  And they have the ability to move those separatists in a different direction.

 

     If Mr. Putin makes a decision that we are not going to allow heavy armaments and the flow of fighters into Ukraine across the Ukrainian-Russian border, then it will stop.  And if it stops, then the separatists will still have the capacity to enter into negotiations and try to arrive at the sort of political accommodations that Mr. Putin himself says he wants to see.  He has the most control over that situation, and so far, at least, he has not exercised it.

 

     Q    Tougher sanctions in Europe -- will you push for them?

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think that this certainly will be a wake-up call for Europe and the world that there are consequences to an escalating conflict in eastern Ukraine; that it is not going to be localized, it is not going to be contained.  What we’ve seen here is -- just in one country alone, our great allies, the Dutch, 150 or more of their citizens being killed.  And that, I think, sadly brings home the degree to which the stakes are high for Europe, not simply for the Ukrainian people, and that we have to be firm in our resolve in making sure that we are supporting Ukraine in its efforts to bring about a just cease-fire and that we can move towards a political solution to this.

 

     I’m going to make this the last question.  Lisa Lerer, Bloomberg.

 

     Q    Do we know yet if there were other Americans on board beyond the person you mentioned?  And how do you prevent stricter restrictions, economic sanctions from shocking the global economy and -- 

 

     THE PRESIDENT:  We have been pretty methodical over the last 24 hours in working through the flight manifest and identifying which passengers might have had a U.S. passport.  At this point, the individual that I mentioned is the sole person that we can definitively say was a U.S. or dual citizen. 

 

Because events are moving so quickly, I don’t want to say with absolute certainty that there might not be additional Americans, but at this stage, having worked through the list, been in contact with the Malaysian government, which processed the passports as folks were boarding, this is our best assessment of the number of Americans that were killed.  Obviously that does nothing to lessen our outrage about all those families.  Regardless of nationality, it is a heartbreaking event.

 

     With respect to the effect of sanctions on the economy, we have consistently tried to tailor these sanctions in ways that would have an impact on Russia, on their economy, on their institutions or individuals that are aiding and abetting in the activities that are taking place in eastern Ukraine, while minimizing the impacts on not only the U.S. economy but the global economy. 

 

It is a relevant consideration that we have to keep in mind.  The world economy is integrated; Russia is a large economy; there’s a lot of financial flows between Russia and the rest of the world.  But we feel confident that at this point the sanctions that we’ve put in place are imposing a cost on Russia, that their overall impact on the global economy is minimal.  It is something that we have to obviously pay close attention to, but I think Treasury, in consultation with our European partners, have done a good job so far on that issue.

 

     Thank you very much, everybody.