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'Woke' is being used across social media and current affairs, and not for its original meaning of waking from sleep. So, what does woke mean?

As language changes and society evolves, new ideas and concepts come to the forefront, bringing new words with them. Sometimes it can feel hard to keep up with these phrases entering the mainstream, from what does asexual mean (opens in new tab) and what does demisexual mean (opens in new tab) to what is gaslighting (opens in new tab)?

Woke is no different and - to make it even more confusing - it's a word that already has an existing meaning that's different to its slang definition. With the term becoming more and more widespread in modern debates, we've explained what does woke mean, where it comes from and everything else you need to know about the word.

The word woke is used to describe a person who is well-informed and aware of social issues, usually relating to issues of discrimination and injustice. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term as "aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)."

In 2017, the Oxford English Dictionary (opens in new tab) added the term, saying "In the past decade, the meaning [of woke] has been catapulted into mainstream use with a particular nuance of 'alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice', popularised through the lyrics of the 2008 song Master Teacher by Erykah Badu (opens in new tab), in which the words 'I stay woke' serve as a refrain, and more recently through its association with the Black Lives Matter movement, especially on social media."

The word woke was first used in the 1800s, but back then it was only in relation to the act of not being asleep. The politically aware meaning of 'woke' was first used in 1962 in a New York Times article about black slang.

The article was written by African-American novelist William Melvin Kelley (opens in new tab) and was titled 'If You're Woke, You Dig It' (opens in new tab). The article was accompanied by a glossary called 'phrases and words you might hear today in Harlem' - a neighbourhood in the north of New York City where many African-Americans live.

Ten years later, a character in the Barry Beckham play Garvey Lives! says hell stay woke. The line reads "I been sleeping all my life. And now that Mr. Garvey done woke me up, Im gon' stay woke. And Im gon' help him wake up other black folk."

'Woke' is heavily used in reference to the fight against racism and has been widely used as slang in African-American communities.

In 2008, Erykah Badu's song Master Teacher (opens in new tab) used the phrase 'I stay woke', and in 2012 Badu tweeted (opens in new tab) "Truth requires no belief. Stay woke. Watch closely," in support of a Russian feminist group.

Use of the word 'woke' first entered the mainstream in 2012, with the Black Lives Matter movement and the hashtag #staywoke.

In 2012, unarmed African-America teenager Trayvon Martin was shot dead in Florida by neighbourhoodwatch volunteerGeorge Zimmerman. The incident sparked the Black Lives Matter movement after Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder in 2013.

In 2014, the hashtag #staywoke took off again after another unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, was shot dead by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. Though the former officer, Darren Wilson, fired a total of 12 bullets, no charges were brought against him.

The term 'woke' has become weaponised - often by right-wing groups - and used to mock those who campaign for social justice, in a similar way to the term 'politically correct' is sometimes used.

In January 2021, Piers Morgan labelled the people calling for the movie Grease to be banned for sexism 'woke idiots' in a tweet (opens in new tab). Similarly, Jeremy Clarkson criticised Lewis Hamilton for being 'woke' in an article for the Sun (opens in new tab) where he talked about the F1 driver's stance as an environmentalist.

The term 'woke police' has also sprung up recently, and is used to negatively describe those who see themselves as woke, while 'woke washing' describes companies with ethically or morally dubious practices capitalising on social movements.

Video of the Week

Read the original post:
What does Woke mean? Origins and definitions explored - goodtoknow

Being a minority in the U.S. is the most stressful thing Ive ever done in my life. Growing up, everything from my cultural values to my appearance seemed to be at odds with the dominant culture. Anyone can have anxiety around not belonging, but being a person of color in America makes that anxiety inescapable. When I was younger, I thought about my race all the time, because people around me were constantly pointing it out. I was the Asian kid or the Mexican kid (depending on how people perceived my race), and before I entered any room in my predominantly white Texas school, my first thought would always be: I hope theyve seen people like me before.

Being the representative of ones race or ethnicity is a lot of pressure and causes stress, Dior Vargas, a mental health activist who provides education and resources to communities of color, tells me. It makes sense that people of color would move where they feel more supported because psychological safety is extremely important to ones quality of life.

Thats exactly what many young people of color are doing and as increasing numbers of Gen Zers and Millennials become expats, many of them are taking to social media to discuss it. On TikTok, the hashtag #movingabroad has more than 172 million views, and some of the top creators like Krys Tha Sis (@beyonceibnidas) and Amber (@thedreamerslens) are Black and brown people talking about how moving out of the country was the best thing theyve done for their mental health and trying to persuade the rest of us to leave.

Of course, while this may be a relatively new trending conversation on social media, theres a long and illustrious tradition of people of color, especially Black people, leaving America for a better life abroad. Over the course of decades, Black female celebrities including Josephine Baker, Nina Simone, and Tina Turner all relocated to different countries, as PBS reported and they were all quite clear about why. I ran away from home. I ran away from St. Louis, and then I ran away from the United States of America, because of that terror of discrimination, that horrible beast which paralyzes one's very soul and body, Baker said in a 1952 speech upon returning to her hometown of St. Louis to perform after having relocated to Paris.

30 years later, James Baldwin told The Paris Review that he left America because of racism; and 15 years after that, Turner told Larry King in an interview that she moved across the pond because my success was in another country, and Europe has been very supportive of my music significantly more so than the U.S. More recently, Ta-Nahisi Coates, who wrote Between the World and Me, moved to Paris in 2015 because he felt the French respected him more and because he wanted his son to live in a country with less gun violence, he told the Financial Times.

Although were supposedly living in more progressive times, the Black Lives Matter movement and the pandemic have raised new questions about whether staying in America is even worth it. Gen-Z is the most diverse generation of Americans so far, yet they live in a country overwhelmingly run by aging white men who arent exactly doing a great job (see: mass shootings, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and soaring inflation, in recent months alone). According to a Harvard poll from December 2021, more than half of young people feel democracy in America is under threat, and one-third believe things are bad enough to lead to a civil war (in fact, right-wingers have been actively threatening just that lately).

In response to the state of U.S politics that feels increasingly oppositional to their existence, people of color are reverse migrating to their parents homelands (according to the Wilson Center, 29% of reverse migration to Mexico was a result of nostalgia) or moving to countries theyve never been to.

For anyone who grew up believing in or being taught the lie of American exceptionalism, the idea that things could be better elsewhere may be a novel one. But for young people of color, this doesnt feel like a radical idea. Part of that comes from a feeling that theres no real upward mobility in the U.S. Almost one-third of people ages 18 to 25 live with their parents, according to a 2022 Credit Karma study, a product of soaring rent and wages that simply arent keeping up with inflation. Janelle "Jash" Cooper, a 25-year-old teacher and influencer, can relate. Cooper was born and raised in the U.S., and has lived in Italy, Senegal, South Korea, Haiti, and Mexico since graduating from Tuskegee University in 2019. She has a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering, but tells me none of the jobs she applied to post-graduation offered the wages or benefits she wanted, so she took a leap of faith and left the country.

I saw that grass, in fact, was greener in other places, especially as a Black woman, she says. Cooper, who currently lives in Mexico and managed to get visas abroad by working as a teacher, says her work/life balance leans more toward the life part, because the cost of living in most places is actually manageable.

Thats not to say everywhere outside the U.S. is a utopia. Cooper admits that each country shes lived in has its share of problems, but shes felt more at ease everywhere else than she did at home. She says theres a certain and immediate sense of calmness and freedom she experiences as a Black person abroad that she cant access when shes in the U.S.

For one, racism in other countries doesnt always take on the deadly form that it does in the U.S. Widespread access to guns disproportionately kills Black Americans and 1 in every 1,000 Black men in the U.S. can expect to be killed by police, according to a 2019 study published in the journal PNAS. Living in countries where that isnt a concern can free up a lot of mental headspace. Leaving the States was not me running away, but rather, running toward the lifestyle I always dreamed of, Cooper says. Seeking out the things that seem unattainable for people that look like me.

Others are leaving the country in search of things as pragmatic as universal healthcare. The American healthcare system is known globally for all the wrong reasons: In 2020, we spent $4.1 trillion, or $12,530 per person on healthcare, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and lets not even dwell on the fact that a single ambulance ride averages $940. We live in one of the only countries in the world without socialized healthcare, and the U.S. ranks dead last among wealthy countries when it comes to healthcare.

Vanessa M.W., a Mexican-American who lives in Germany and has an Instagram dedicated to teaching people how to live abroad, believes living abroad allows people to build wealth much faster than in the U.S. because of robust safety nets that dont exist at home. Since leaving the U.S., M.W. who works remotely for a tech company lived in China and the U.K., before moving to Germany and obtaining a work visa. One awesome benefit in Germany is the amazing sick leave policy, she tells me.

Germany requires employers to pay for up to a staggering six weeks of sick leave; if someone is sick for more than six weeks, they get fired, right? Nope if they can prove theyve had the same physical or mental illness, they can get an extension called Krankengeld, or paid sick leave for up to 72 weeks. Compare that to the U.S., where theres no federal law requiring companies to provide paid sick leave. And although Germany is a predominantly white country, M.W. admits theres some real passport privilege: When people learn shes American, they treat her with a respect that she doesnt get back at home. She also tells me that, even when racism does rear its head, it mostly manifests itself as passive-aggressive behavior as opposed to violence.

Finding reprieve from violent racism seemed to be a huge motivating factor for most of the people I spoke with, many of whom chose to move to Mexico specifically. For people of color, Mexico exemplifies so many of the allures of leaving America: Its a predominantly non-white country, the cost of living is relatively low, and its rich with culture. Nasir Fleming is a 25-year-old content manager from Connecticut who moved to Mexico City in 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. Fleming, who is Black and queer, tells me his mental health was at an all-time low when he decided to make the move. Something clicked for plenty of Black Americans like myself, he tells me. We asked ourselves, What are we actually doing here?

When he left the country, much of the depressive fog began to lift. When I moved to Mexico, I could truly just exist, he says. I could breathe. I didnt have to worry about getting assaulted or shot by the police solely on the basis of my skin color. Among the things that helped him breathe easier: access to fresh fruits and vegetables, affordable healthcare, housing, and transportation. Granted, Blackness isnt particularly highly regarded in Latin America, but as a foreigner, I didnt carry the weight of the [systemic] oppression that I once did in the U.S., he says.

Disengaging from politics in a new country is a privilege, of course, but its a privilege increasingly more Americans have the desire to exercise. The places theyre moving to are far from perfect, but relocating abroad is less about finding a place without problems than it is about looking for a better quality of life oxymoronically, the very thing immigrants come to America for. Jonathan Perez, a 36-year-old Mexican-American who was born in New York City, currently helps run his familys East Harlem restaurant, Ollin but he says running the business has become increasingly complicated, thanks to soaring food and rent prices. For the past two years, Perez has been scheming a move to Mexico; once he gets his finances together, he tells me, hell get the hell out. His parents are also planning to go back to their hometowns in Mexico once they retire. They all feel like theyve hustled enough in America and are ready to move on.

People of color are moving to the types of places where they dont have to worry about being the only one, being profiled by police, or having to choose between decent healthcare or a decent place to live. Although they have the privileges of U.S. citizenship and remote jobs paid in U.S. dollars, theres also a sense that theyre fleeing an insidious form of persecution, one that forces them to look over their shoulders when they walk down the street or carry a feeling of perpetually being one paycheck away from financial ruin. [In the U.S.] we have to work twice as hard to get half as far, and it is exhausting mentally, physically, and emotionally, Cooper says. Deciding to move abroad was one of the best decisions Ive ever made and Id do it again in a heartbeat.

Stories that Fuel Conversations

Read the original:
Why young people of color are getting the hell out of the U.S. - Mic

Crapo: Inflation Impacting Idahos Agriculture Industry is Out of Control | U.S. Senator Mike Crapo Published: August 26, 2022

Twin Falls, Idaho--Thursday, U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) led Idaho agricultural producers in a news conference on the inflationary pressure impacting Idahos agriculture industry.

Sustained high inflation impacting Idahos agriculture industry is out of control, Crapo said. The party-line budget reconciliation bills Congressional Democrats pursued the past two years only added fuel to the inflation fire with unwarranted increases in federal spending. Further, the tax increases in the Inflation Reduction Act will only make matters worse by increasing burdens on businesses that continue to deal with supply-chain disruptions and the added costs of delivering goods to the marketplace.

Crapo was joined at the conference by Idaho Farm Bureau CEO Zak Miller and Twin Falls County Farm Bureau President Larry Hollifield. Miller and Hollifield added to the Senators concerns regarding sustained high inflation and its impacts on Idahos producers.

As a farmer, we are used to good and bad years; that is normal, Hollifield said. However, there is a great concern about inflated farm inputs. We dont know how long they are going to last.

As the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over international trade, Crapo continues to put pressure on the Biden Administration to pursue more trade agreements.

Sound trade policies that open more international markets to Idaho-produced agricultural goods are also another critical area we can fight inflation and increase economic opportunities for our Gem State agricultural producers, Crapo said.

Video of the press conference is available here: https://youtu.be/UtYqHHydITo

See original here:
Crapo: Inflation Impacting Idahos Agriculture Industry is Out of Control | U.S - Senator Mike Crapo

Parents everywhere try to capture the perfect photo of their children for their first day back to school, then post it on social media. While it may seem harmless, these innocuous pictures could lead to a myriad of privacy consequences for parents, says Byron Lowens, a research fellow in the School of Information at the University of Michigan.

Lowens, whose research focuses on privacy, human-computer interaction, usable privacy, and security, said that predators can use information from photos to target victims, especially children.

Why would a cute photo of the back-to-school moment be problematic?

The photo itself presents less of a concern, but the information in the photo is what poses the risk. For example, if parents are taking pictures of their child at home or in the neighborhood, a hacker or predator may be able to discover the homes location by pieces of information stored in the background. Hackers may also be able to use landmarks in the background to figure out where the child may catch the bus or be dropped off after school.

What else should parents keep in mind?

It might not be safe to post the childs name, grade level, or school. This presents hackers with the information they can leverage to answer security questions on personal and financial accounts. For example, if a parent uses their childs birth year as a security question, a hacker could use the simple information from the social media post to hack into an account. Child predators could also use personal information from a picture to show up at the school and request to pick up the child based on the personal information gathered from social media.

Parents should check the location settings to ensure that the location is not attached to the photograph.

How concerned should teens or family members be if they share their loved ones photos?

I think this is a concern that the sharer is not really aware of. Photos shared on social media can expose rich information about the individuals in the photo, of which some of that information can be considered sensitive. If teens/young adults or other family members are sharing photos of their friends or loved ones online, they are exposing them privacy risks without even knowing. Privacy leaks to personal information can occur based on information in the photo, as well as if privacy settings are not configured to reduce privacy threats. Before sharing anyones photos, consent should be obtained from either the person themselves or a parent or guardian. Individuals may also consider obfuscating sensitive information in the photo (e.g., background landmarks, name tags, location) that may cause threats to privacy. Its also important for users to review their privacy settings and adjust them for more control over personal information if needed.

Do you have any other suggestions or tips?

If friends or family are sharing photos online, it is important to know the intended audience the picture is being shared with.

Also, make sure the privacy settings are configured appropriately. It would be best if photos, especially of children, are only shared with close friends and family members, but not with the public. Some social media sites provide this option in privacy settings. I recommend that social media users periodically review their privacy settings to be informed of how their data is being shared.

Originally posted here:
Pause before posting "Back-to-School" pics on social media - University of Michigan News

');});jQuery('.entry-content p.watermarked > div.watermarked_image > img').each( function() {if ( jQuery(this).hasClass('alignnone') ) {jQuery(this).parent().addClass( 'alignnone' );}if ( jQuery(this).hasClass('alignleft') ) {jQuery(this).parent().addClass( 'alignleft' );}if ( jQuery(this).hasClass('alignright') ) {jQuery(this).parent().addClass( 'alignright' );}if ( jQuery(this).hasClass('size-medium') ) {jQuery(this).parent().addClass( 'has-size-medium' );}if ( jQuery(this).hasClass('aligncenter') ) {jQuery(this).parent().addClass( 'aligncenter' );jQuery(this).parent().children().wrapAll('');}});}});});https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/20220825_Jenkins.mp3

MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone, from the State Departments Brussels Media Hub. I would like to welcome everyone joining us for todays virtual press briefing. Today, we are very honored to be joined by Ambassador Bonnie Denise Jenkins, the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security.

Finally, a reminder that todays briefing is on the record, and with that, lets get started. Ambassador Jenkins, thank you so much for joining us today for this very timely briefing. Ill turn it over to you now for opening remarks.

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Thank you, John, and thank you, everyone whos participating, and John for the introduction. And congratulations, John, on your new role as Director of the Brussels Media Hub. The hub is an integral part of the U.S. Department of State to connect U.S. policymakers and experts with European media. I am very pleased to be here again speaking with all of you.

Now, we are here to talk about the developing situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, a result of Russias full-scale invasion and another example of its irresponsible behavior as a nuclear-weapon state.

The Russian Federation and President Putin have rattled the international community with the threat of a nuclear incident on two occasions already since further invading Ukraine earlier this year: by seizing Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant during the first days of the invasion and then using provocative nuclear rhetoric in the context of Russian aggression.

Chernobyl has returned to full Ukrainian control after five weeks of the seizure, but not without damage to the facilities. And of course, Russias nuclear saber-rattling was especially troubling, given that in early January of this year, Russia reaffirmed in a joint statement with the four other nuclear-weapon states the principle that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.

Their actions at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant have created a serious risk of a nuclear incident a dangerous radiation release that could threaten not only the people and environment of Ukraine, but also affect neighboring countries and the entire international community.

The risk of radiation release could all could be all but eliminated if Russia returns control of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant back to Ukraine and fully withdraws from Ukraines sovereign territory. Russia should immediately cease military operations around the plant and allow the Ukrainian staff working there to fulfill their responsibilities free from the duress of Russian armed forces. Russia should also commit to ensure safe access to experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, to assess the safety and security of all aspects of the plant, and uphold the IAEAs Seven Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security.

So let us be clear: Russias continuing reckless behavior is not surprising. It is part of their playbook to coerce the international community to accept their end game, which is to dismantle Ukraine as a geopolitical entity and dissolve it from the world map. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent nation, and we cannot accept such a fate for Ukraine, or for any other sovereign nation.

The United States continues to stand united with Ukraine.

We have provided more than $13.5 billion in military assistance since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration in January of 2021, and more than $12.8 billion of that is since Russia launched its premeditated, unprovoked, and brutal war against Ukraine on February 24th.

Yesterday, President Biden announced the fourth tranche of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, or USAI, which is worth up to $3 billion. It is the largest single package of security assistance committed to Ukraine to date, and it allows Ukraine to acquire air defense systems, artillery systems and munitions, C-UAS, and radars.

The United States will continue to provide the security assistance required to support Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and its territory.

And on a related note, I am currently calling from New York, where over 190 States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons the NPT are engaged in high-level and intense discussions on how the international community can continue to work together to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, achieve nuclear disarmament, and promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Russias ongoing actions are directly undercutting these interests.

The NPT has served as the cornerstone of the nuclear nonproliferation regime for over 50 years and tomorrow will mark the final day of its Tenth Review Conference. As we conclude negotiations, we will have a real opportunity to not only strengthen this vital multilateral agreement but also to once again prove that the international rules-based order, which has kept us prosperous prosperous for over 70 years, will continue to bring peace and harmony for as long as we all work responsibly together.

Thank you, and over to you, John.

MODERATOR: Thanks very much, Ambassador, for those opening remarks. We have a number of questions coming in, and a few of them follow kind of the same line. From Louise Francis (sic) from Belgium: Do you know, Ambassador, when the IAEA visit to the plant could take place? What are the dates? And do you know under which conditions the visit would take place?

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Thank you, Louise from Belgium. Just want to say that this is a very fluid situation, as you know. So we continue to strongly support the IAEAs visit and work with partners to make that happen. Its very important, as I said, that the IAEA is allowed to visit the Zaporizhzhya Power Plant. Now, the IAEA DG, Director Grossi, has repeatedly said that hes willing to lead a team there as soon as possible. When that would be and the details around that, I will defer to them, of course. But as I said, we definitely want to emphasize the importance of the IAEA visit to the nuclear power plant.

MODERATOR: Thank you, maam. The next question coming from Bulgaria, Momchil Indjov. Your Excellency, do you have information about the potential threat from the plant to the Balkan region? If so, could you specify, please, what that threat would be?

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Yes, thanks for that question as well. If theres a nuclear incident, a radiation release, it will be felt not just in Ukraine but also the neighboring states and the entire international community. And so thats a very important point that I want to make the involvement and the impact to many countries, not just those in the region. And itll also have a humanitarian and economic impact, as you can imagine. So that is why Russia must return control of the plant to Ukraine and cease all military activity there. Nowhere in history of this world has a nuclear power plant become a part of a combat zone, so this really has to stop immediately.

MODERATOR: Thank you, maam. Next question from Setsuko Inaki from Nippon TV in Japan. What would be the hardest challenge to realize the IAEA mission and should it be, IAEA be on site for a longer period to ensure the safety and security of the site?

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Well, actually the hardest challenge at this moment is for the IAEA to actually get access to the site in a manner that respects Ukraines sovereignty. And of course we need Russia to cease all military operations at the site. So on the fundamental details, of course, I will refer to the IAEA.

MODERATOR: Thank you, maam. Well go to a couple of questions from Ukrainian journalists. Dmytro Anopchenko from Inter TV: How realistic, in your point of view, is the idea to create a demilitarized zone around the station, and how could Russia be forced to agree to this plan?

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Well, obviously, fighting near a nuclear plant is dangerous and irresponsible, and I think thats really important that we need to highlight that point over and over again. So as we saw, we continue to urge an end to all military operations at or near Ukraines nuclear facilities and to return full control to Ukraine. And of course, creating a demilitarized zone around these nuclear power plants is something that we are continuing to stress.

MODERATOR: Thank you, maam. If you dont mind, I theres a couple of journalists who have their hands raised. Id like to go to one of those questions.

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Yes.

MODERATOR: Can we go to John Hudson, please, from Washington Post.

QUESTION: Hi, thanks. Ambassador, the state-run nuclear power company in Ukraine issued a release today saying that after shelling and some fires, that the plant has been completely cut off from Ukraines electricity grid for the first time. Can you verify this? Can you tell us at all about the risk that that might pose in general to the plant but also in terms of the wider risk in terms of a radioactive event?

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Well, unfortunately Im not I dont have any information right now that can confirm those reports, whether they are actually true or not. So I dont have any information that I can provide at this point. However, we are very concerned about turning off any of the power plants; we are very concerned about any of the activities that are taking place, particular since we do not have adequate access to see what is actually taking place and what can be the immediate impact of whats going on there. So we dont have anything that we can confirm to you right now.

I mean, Ive heard some of those reports as well. Were trying to confirm whether there is some validity to that. But I think the important thing to highlight is anything like that, whether youre shutting off things or turning things off, will have immediate impact obviously to Ukrainian citizens, entities in the vicinity, and also concerned about any type of potential nuclear incident, a radioactive incident that can occur, and again want to highlight the importance of Russia withdrawing from the site and giving control back to Ukraine and having access of the IAEA so they can actually see whats taking place within the plant.

MODERATOR: Thank you for your answer, maam. Well go back to some of the questions in the Q&A box, from Italy this time. Micol Flammini from Il Foglio: Is Russia using the nuclear threat as a tool to achieve something like it was with the wheat deal, when the threat was the food crisis?

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Thanks for that question from Italy. And like I said in my opening remarks, Russia is engaging in irresponsible behavior as a nuclear-weapon state. And unfortunately, this is not the first time that they have used veiled threats to get their way. So it is something that were concerned about there. So thanks for the question.

MODERATOR: Thank you, maam. Back to Ukraine, from Oleksandr Khymych from RBC-Ukraine News Agency: Shouldnt the United States immediately announce a specific list of sanctions and other reactions that will be taken immediately in the event of any disaster at the nuclear power plant?

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Well, actually the goal is to not have a disaster at the plant and to avoid an incident by calling on Russia to end all of its military actions and return full control to Ukraine.

MODERATOR: Thank you, maam. Were going to go back to quite a journalists who are raising their hands, if you dont mind.

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Yes, thats fine.

MODERATOR: Jennifer Hansler, I believe, from CNN. She may have taken her hand down. Jennifer, go ahead if youre able.

QUESTION: Hi, can you hear me?

MODERATOR: Yeah, we got you.

QUESTION: Okay, great. Thanks so much, Ambassador. I just wanted to follow up. I know the goal is to not have a nuclear catastrophe, but are there active plans right now on how to mitigate any worst-case scenario at Zaporizhzhya if it does come to that? And also, are there any discussions about how to hold Russia accountable should they refuse to cede control back to the Ukrainians here and cause such a disaster? Thank you.

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Well, as you can imagine, we are continuing to have discussions. Weve had a number of opportunities here at the UN Security Council. I was here about two weeks ago at the Security Council. We had a discussion on this issue. We all quite a few countries, I can say, highlighted the importance of Russia withdrawing from the nuclear power plant, Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. We had we had an opportunity to highlight the importance of a demilitarized zone, the safety of the staff and the importance of the IAEA access.

So we have been using every possibility we can to continue to impress upon Russia the importance of doing all of those things that I have highlighted and to be accountable as a nuclear-weapon state and be responsible as a nuclear-weapon state.

On your first question, I cannot say in terms of whether what specific actions are taking place on that in that respect. But obviously theres a recognition of a possible issue there. We are all worried about a potential nuclear incident. We are all worried about a potential radiation that can be leaked based on the irresponsible actions of Russia. So I would just say that were all aware of that, and were taking that into consideration.

MODERATOR: Thank you, maam. The next question, again, to a journalist who is raising their hand from Dmitry Kirsanov, who is from the TASS News Agency.

QUESTION: Hi. Thank you for doing this. Can you hear me okay?

MODERATOR: Yes, we hear you.

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Yes.

MODERATOR: Good morning, Madam Secretary. I have two separate questions. First, who is shelling the station? And secondly, while we have you here, could you update us on the talks or consultations or discussions, if you prefer, between the Russians and the Americans on the New START, on the issues pertaining to the inspections resumption? Thank you so much.

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Im not able, at this point, to make any confirmation about the shelling and where its coming from. But what I would say is that, once again, the important thing to keep in mind and want to continue to reiterate here with all of you is the importance of Russias withdrawal. Because these are all important questions, important issues, but we have to remember that we would not be in this situation if Russia would simply withdraw and give the site back to Ukraine.

On the New START, I think we all are aware that the discussions between the U.S. and Russia on START, the follow-on to the New START, have been are not taking place right now as a result of the situation were dealing with. And those talks will continue in the future when the situation is right for that to happen.

On the inspection issues, I can just say that I know that there still is a were still trying to figure out how we can make that happen. We know that there has been some pushback from the from Russia, but we are still in the process of trying to figure out how we can make that how we can make that go forward.

MODERATOR: Thank you, maam. Next question will be from going to, again, a journalist who is raising their hand, Michael Backfisch from the Funke Media Group in Germany. Michael, please.

QUESTION: Yes, hello. Can you hear me?

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Yes.

QUESTION: Hello. Thank you very much, Madam Ambassador. It is said that the Russians want to cut off Ukraine from the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant and to divert the whole electricity to the Crimea Peninsula. Do you see it that way, and what would be the American countermeasures in order to prevent this? Thank you.

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Yes. I totally agree that anything like that on Russian behavior is unfortunate, which is certainly one way to describe it. We certainly dont want that to happen. We know that will have a ramification, of course, for our Ukrainian counterparts as well. So we dont want that to happen and but were continuing to talk with Russia and through these Security Council discussions and to impress upon Russia not to do that.

I cant recall. Whats the second part of the question?

QUESTION: Yes. That would be, what would be the American countermeasures in order to prevent this?

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Well, I wouldnt put so much countermeasures as much as, obviously, were trying to do the diplomatic efforts. But what I will say is I think that this has raised, in many respects, the importance of understanding the need to not rely on countries who have questionable processes and efforts in terms of relying on energy sources. And one of the things that we are looking at is diversifying energy sources and working with countries who are so dependent on Russia.

And this is not just in the Ukraine context but in the larger context. So I think that raises that point and something that the U.S. is very keen to work with countries on in terms of reliance on countries that have questionable practices. So thank you.

MODERATOR: Thank you, Ambassador. We only have about five minutes left, so Ill go one more question. Lets take one from Kiyomiya Ryo from The Asahi Shimbun, Japan. Ryo, please go ahead.

QUESTION: Hi. Thank you. This is Ryo. So my question is about NPT Review Conference and final document. Among parties, there have been big disagreement, especially with Russia about the matter Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. So how does the U.S. assess the discussion at the Review Conference so far, and how do you see the need to make a compromise and make a consensus?

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Thank you. As I said, we have one more day here of the for the conference, and I know that the U.S. delegation has been working extremely hard to find ways to have a successful Review Conference, have a consensus document. We continue to work toward a consensus outcome that reflects the enduring commitment of all the NPT parties to nuclear nonproliferation, disarmament, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

So I cant really get into the details, particularly so close to the conclusion, but I will say that we that folks are still working around the clock as we speak. We are continuing to be hopeful that we will have a consensus document at the end of the day tomorrow. And so we will all see very soon where we will be at that time. But we are continuing to work closely with all of the NPT parties to try to reach a successful conclusion. So thanks for asking.

MODERATOR: Thanks very much, Ambassador. And unfortunately, thats all the time we have today. Thank you for your questions, and thank you, Ambassador Jenkins, for joining us. Before we close and before I cover a couple of more administrative matters, Ambassador, Id like to see if you have any final remarks for the group.

AMBASSADOR JENKINS: Well, just thank you, John, for inviting me again to speak to all of the all of the journalists. I want to thank all of you again for your participation and actually for your continued interest in these really important issues.

We hope that we will have a successful conclusion, of course, tomorrow to the NPT, but also we once again call on Russia to withdraw from the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. We feel, obviously, thats the best answer to all of these potential problems. But we will also, obviously, keep following up on everything thats going on and encouraging all countries, particularly Russia and Ukraine, to find a way to allow the IAEA to do to go to the plant in a way that respects Ukraines sovereignty.

So once again, thank you, all of you, for listening and for your continued interest in these important issues. Thank you, John.

MODERATOR: Thanks so much, Ambassador. Appreciate that. For everyone else, we will shortly be sending the audio recording of this briefing to all the participating journalists, and well also provide a transcript as soon as it is available. Wed love to hear any feedback you have. You can contact us at any time at TheBrusselsHub, one word, @state.gov. Thanks again for your participation, and we hope you can join us for another briefing in the near future. This ends todays press briefing.

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Originally posted here:
Special Online Briefing with Ambassador Bonnie Denise Jenkins, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security - United States Department...