“And all I can tell you is that it would be a serious mistake for someone to try to change the existing status quo by force,” he said.
China regards Taiwan as part of its territory, something that has been the case since Mao Zedong’s revolution took over China in 1949 and the remnants of the old nationalist regime fled to Taiwan, where they and their successors were a thorn in China’s side. for decades.
A similar dynamic has existed in recent years between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine became an independent nation in the 1990s after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Vladimir Putin’s Russian government seized the Crimean region in 2014, and fighting has been going on along the border for years now.
“As we speak,” Blinken told Todd, “I must tell you that I am really concerned about Russia’s actions on the borders of Ukraine. More Russian troops have been deployed at the borders than at any time since 2014 when Russia first invaded. . That is why we are in close contact, in close coordination, with our allies and partners in Europe. “
He added: “President Biden was very clear about this. If Russia acts recklessly or aggressively, there will be costs, there will be consequences.”
In the extended interview, Blinken also said he expects the United States to “be the world leader in ensuring that the entire world is vaccinated.”
Blinken described the US efforts to increase cooperation on the development and distribution of vaccines, saying that America would cost money there if the world were not protected from Covid.
“Unless and until the vast majority of people in the world are vaccinated, it will still be a problem for us,” he said. “Because as long as the virus repeats somewhere, it can mutate and then it can come back to hit us.”