UN / US THOMAS-GREENFIELD UNGA
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STORY: UN / US THOMAS-GREENFIELD UNGA
TRT: 03:59
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 17 SEPTEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior UN Headquarters
17 SEPTEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, press room dais
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“We have never given up hope to find a path to peace. This is something that President Biden has been working diligently toward over the past year as it relates to the situation in Gaza, but over the past more than two years, dealing with the situation in Ukraine. We have seen President Zelensky’s Peace Plan. We think it lays out a strategy and a plan that can work, and we need to see how we can promote that as we engage with all of the countries, heads of state, who will be here in New York.”
4. Wide shot, press room dais
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sherwin Bryce-Pease, SABC News:
“What's your view of the veto when it comes to the Ukraine file?”
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“It’s been a problem. You have a country, a permanent member of the Security Council, who has broken every single tenant of the charter by invading a neighbor, actually compromising the sovereignty of that country and the borders of that country. And that country sits on the Security Council with a veto. So, it is problematic.”
6. Med shot, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“And let me be clear on the issues related to the Middle East, we want to see peace, and that's what President Biden has worked for. But at the same time, we have been clear that we support Israel's right to self-defense, and in support of that right to self-defense, as an ally, we have provided support to them to defend themselves. That does not mean we in any way want to see this war continue. We want to see this war end, and I know that President Biden has put every ounce of effort that he has in his power to try to find a solution, to get us to a ceasefire and move us to where we all know we need to move, and that is to a two-state solution.”
8. Med shot, journalist
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, United States:
“As it relates to the resolution that's being proposed by the Palestinians. I think it has a significant number of flaws, particularly as it interprets what the ICJ has said. It goes much further than the actual decision of the ICJ. It is also our view that the resolution, among many defects that it has, it doesn't recognize that Hamas is a terrorist organization, that Hamas actually controls Gaza. It is not the Palestinian Authority, and that is exerting a significant amount of power and influence in Gaza. And it doesn't recognize that Israel has a right to defend itself against what Hamas is doing. So, in our view, the resolution does not bring about tangible benefits across the board for the Palestinian people. I think it could complicate the situation on the ground, complicate what we're trying to do to in the conflict, and I think it impedes reinvigorating steps toward a two-state solution.”
10. Various shots, end of press conference
Briefing reporters on the United States priorities for the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, “We have never given up hope to find a path to peace.”
Speaking today (17 Sep) at the UN, Thomas-Greenfield addressed key international issues including the Middle East conflict and the war in Ukraine.
On the situation in Gaza, the US ambassador emphasized the US commitment to peace, highlighting President Biden's efforts over the past year. She reiterated the US support for Israel’s right to self-defense but made it clear the US seeks an end to the ongoing war. “President Biden has put every ounce of effort that he has in his power to try to find a solution, to get us to a ceasefire,” she said, advocating for a two-state solution as the ultimate goal.
On Ukraine, the Ambassador was critical of Russia’s role in the Security Council, citing the use of veto power as an impediment to peace. “It’s been a problem,” she said, adding that Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, “has broken every single tenant of the charter by invading a neighbor.” Thomas-Greenfield also expressed support for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Peace Plan, calling it a viable strategy that the US is committed to promoting during engagements with world leaders attending the UN General Assembly.
Asked about a Palestinian resolution being proposed, Thomas-Greenfield expressed significant concerns. She pointed out that the resolution contains "a significant number of flaws," particularly in its interpretation of the International Court of Justice's decisions and its failure to acknowledge Hamas as a terrorist organization. The Ambassador warned that the resolution could "complicate the situation on the ground" and hamper efforts to achieve a two-state solution.