US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot have spoken on a range of issues to reporters at a press conference in Paris, following a bilateral meeting earlier today.
- At the top of the presser, both ministers note that the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire agreement is operating as planned, with a withdrawal of 30% of Israeli troops from Lebanon underway.
- On Gaza, Blinken says: “We’re very close to a ceasefire and hostage agreement… I hope we can get it over the line in the time we have left but if we don’t, then the plan will be handed over to the [Trump administration].”
- Blinken reiterated that a “transformative” agreement to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia is “ready to go” if there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
- On US President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed acquisition of Greenland, Blinken said: “The idea expressed about Greenland is obviously not a good one, but maybe more important: It’s obviously one that is not going to happen, so we probably shouldn’t waste a lot of time talking about it.”
- Barrot says that the Franco-US relationship has survived 59 US elections, and “will survive the 60th”.
- Barrot: “Do we think the US will take Greenland? The answer is no… That being said we are entering a period of time where force is present everywhere…”
- Barrot quotes a comment from French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday saying that Europe needs to “wake up” and “strengthen up”.