Pool Reports by Tarini Parti, The Wall Street Journal
| Sent: | Reports: |
| March 24, 2022 09:33 CET |
Travel Pool #1 Friday meeting note Hello from Brussels! Your pool is waiting to leave for NATO HQ. In the meantime, here’s a note from a White House official: On Friday morning, President Biden will host European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a bilateral meeting at the U.S. Mission in Brussels, Belgium. Note confirms this tweet (https://twitter.com/mamereric/status/1506905304671399941) |
| March 24, 2022 09:40 CET |
Travel Pool # 2 heading to NATO HQ Motorcade rolling at 9:38 am en route to NATO HQ for a very busy day. Pool did not see POTUS. |
| March 24, 2022 09:55 CET |
Travel Pool #3 NATO arrival Motorcade arrived at NATO HQ at 9:53 am after a very speedy, but uneventful ride. Per the WH: POTUS will be greeted by: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Ambassador Julianne Smith, U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO |
| March 24, 2022 10:23 CET |
Travel Pool #4 NATO meeting spray Biden walked into the meeting with Macron at 10:15 am. Boris Johnson was behind him as he went around the room shaking hands and talking to the leaders. Pool was too far away to hear anything. Biden took his seat at 10:18 am and took a long sip of water. He is seated next to NATO gen sec. NATO sec general opened the meeting at 10:19 am. In his remarks, he said it was a critical time for the meeting and leaders were united in their support for Ukraine and against Russia. Will send some quotes in a min. Pool ushered out at 10: 21 am. |
| March 24, 2022 10:31 CET |
Travel Pool # 5 spray remarks From Stoltenberg: "We are determined to continue to impose costs on Russia to bring about the end of this brutal war." "We pay tribute to the great courage of the Ukranian people and the Ukranian armed forces fighting for their freedom and their rights. We also recognize those in the Russia who are bravely speaking out against the war. We hear their voices, they matter." He said they would discuss allied support for Urkaine and "NATO's efforts to strengthen our defenses now and for years to come." An otter link if helpful https://otter.ai/u/hJJQBzhxGyugebonl2F_yAZMpq8 Pool is now holding in a room. |
| March 24, 2022 14:45 CET |
Travel Pool #6 Japan pull aside POTUS did a quick pull aside with Japanese PM Kishida at 2:41 pm just before the G7 family photo. They stood in the corner of the main floor. POTUS put his hand on PM’s back and guided him forward as they walked and talked. Pool was able to observe from a distance but couldn’t hear anything. We were moved out at 2:44 pm. POTUS did not respond to shouted q on how the summit went. Getting in position for G7 photo now. |
| March 24, 2022 14:50 CET |
Travel Pool #7 G7 photo POTUS walked over for the family photo at 2:46 pm with Japanese PM. He was greeted by German chancellor. Biden stood between Trudeau and chancellor for the photo and pointed at the camera and laughed for a second. Boris Johnson pointed at one point as well. And other than that, kept his arms behind his back. Pool was ushered out at 2:47 pm. Now in place for spray. |
| March 24, 2022 14:53 CET |
Travel Pool #8 G7 spray POTUS walked in for G7 meeting with Johnson at 2:49 pm. He took his seat at 2:50 after shaking hands with other leaders on the way. Pool ushered out at 2:51 pm. Your pooler tried again to ask him how the summit went. He smiled but didn’t say anything. |
| March 24, 2022 15:26 CET |
Travel Pool #8b G7 info Per the WH, info on G7. Note Zelensky speaking again. The President is attending a G7 Leaders’ Meeting with: Delivering remarks via videoconference: U.S. Administration Officials attending: |
| March 24, 2022 16:29 CET |
Travel Pool #8c More on Kishida meeting From a White House official: President Biden met with Prime Minister Kishida on the sidelines of the G7 today. The two Leaders discussed DPRK’s launch of a long-range ballistic missile, which both Leaders strongly condemned, stressed the need for diplomacy, and agreed to continue working together to hold the DPRK accountable. President Biden conveyed to Prime Minister Kishida our rock solid commitment to the security of Japan and the Republic of Korea, thanked Prime Minister Kishida for Japan’s robust response to Putin’s war of choice in Ukraine, and agreed on the need for continued unity going forward. |
| March 24, 2022 17:44 CET |
Travel Pool #9 update/Biden getting debriefed Pool was supposed to leave for European Council meeting more than 90 mins ago, but we are still holding at NATO. Per WH official, Biden is debriefing with his advisers and we will have an update on timing soon. Some European leaders who would be at the council meeting have been doing post-NATO meeting pressers, which have not yet wrapped. |
| March 24, 2022 18:01 CET |
Travel Pool #10 Macron meeting readout From a White House official: President Biden met with President Macron of France on the sidelines of the Extraordinary NATO Summit today. The Leaders discussed the U.S. and France’s shared commitment to continue holding Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine, and to support the government and people of Ukraine. |
| March 24, 2022 18:07 CET |
Travel Pool #11 Presser in 30 mins Per WH, change in sched: The President’s press conference will be at 6:30 PM CET at NATO Headquarters. |
| March 24, 2022 18:30 CET |
Travel Pool #12 two-min warning We got the warning at 6:29 pm It’s being live-streamed so won’t be pooling |
| March 24, 2022 18:54 CET |
Travel Pool #13 presser wrapped Presser wrapped at 6:50 pm. Pool is on the move. |
| March 24, 2022 19:04 CET |
Travel Pool #14 NATO departure/sidelines readout Motorcade departed NATO HQ at 7:01 pm en route to the Europa building. Also one more readout — From a White House official: President Biden met with Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy on the sidelines of the G7 today. The Leaders discussed the U.S. and Italy’s shared commitment to continue holding Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine, and to support the government and people of Ukraine |
| March 24, 2022 19:15 CET |
Travel Pool #15 European Council arrival POTUS arrived at the Europa building at 7:13 pm. Per WH — Upon arrival to the European Council, the President will be greeted by: Ragnheidur Roubineau, Head of Protocol at the European Council Then, the President will greet with European Council President Charles Michel. |
| March 24, 2022 19:26 CET |
Travel Pool #16 European Council remarks POTUS entered the room at 7:19. Walking down the red carpet with European Council President Charles Michel. The room was lined with flags from EU countries. Michel made some remarks and welcomed the President. Hard to hear but he said "these were difficult times, challenging times." POTUS congratulated Michel on his re-election and joked. "I dream about that." Biden said he has been warning that Putin has wanted to break up NATO for years. He responded to a shouted q about China. "Yes we will discuss China," he said They left the room at 7:22 pm. Pool will work on sending more of the remarks asap. |
| March 24, 2022 19:47 CET |
Travel Pool #16b more remarks Pool is packed into a hallway and holding for the spray. Here are some more quotes. Please check against transcript. Michel: "Your participation in this meeting is a very strong signal." He said these are difficult times, challenging times and we need to make intelligent decisions for the future. Biden: Tweak to the earlier re-election quote from Biden I sent — He was congratulating him on reelection without opposition, when he said "I dream about that." "From the very beginning ours is the view that the single most important thing we have to do in the west is to be united… I mean it literally." " I spent some time with Vladimir Putin back in November and Dec…and it was clear to me that his intentions were very different than benign intentions." "His overwhelming objective is to demonstrate that democracies cannot function in the 21st century because things are moving so rapidly they require consensus and it's too difficult to get consensus and autocracies are going to rule." He said his goal has been to get "total and complete unity among the major democracies." On Putin's objective of breaking up NATO, he said: "He'd rather face 30 independent countries than 30 United countries… I'm being deadly earnest. I believe that's been his intention from the very beginning." |
| March 24, 2022 20:17 CET |
Travel Pool #17 Euro Council photo spray POTUS entered the room at 8:10 pm. He walked around to his seat, shook hands with leaders on the way Forgot to mention in previous reports but Biden and other world leaders have been maskless today. A group of leaders approached him to chat and shake hands before he sat down. A bell rang at 8:15 to signal the start of the meeting and pool was ushered out. |
| March 24, 2022 20:28 CET |
Travel Pool #17b European Council participants/info Per WH, here's more info/participants on the president's meetings with the European Council. The President’s bilateral meeting with European Council President Charles Michel convened at 7:25 PM and concluded at 7:56 PM. The President is attending a European Council Meeting with: European Union leadership: U.S. Administration officials: |
| March 24, 2022 21:50 CET |
Travel Pool #18 European Council departure Motorcade rolling for RON at 9:47 pm. |
| March 24, 2022 21:55 CET |
Travel Pool #19 RON arrival Motorcade arrived at RON at 9:52 pm. Pool didn’t see POTUS. |
| March 24, 2022 21:57 CET |
Travel Pool #20 lid Travel/photo lid at 9:53 PM CET. Goodnight—it’s been a day! |
| March 24, 2022 22:37 CET |
Travel Pool #21 readout from WH From a White House official: President Biden enjoyed a warm and friendly meeting with EU leaders at their Council meeting tonight, where he shook the hand of nearly every leader in the room and spoke longer with several of them. The discussion focused on Russia and Ukraine, including continued support for sanctions and humanitarian assistance, with a strong message of transatlantic unity and the need to stay the course animating the evening. President Biden delivered powerful closing remarks, speaking from the heart about why Europe—the EU, NATO, the transatlantic alliance—is so important to the U.S. |
Pool Reports below by Tyler Pager, The Washington Post
| Sent: | Reports: |
| March 24, 2022 10:03 CET |
Supplemental Pool Report #1: POTUS arrival Good morning from NATO. I will be serving as a supplemental pooler to cover POTUS arrival and the NATO family photo. Pool spotted POTUS and NSA Jake Sullivan walking into NATO at 9:58 am. We are now positioned for the family photo. |
| March 24, 2022 10:14 CET |
Supplemental Pool Report #2: Family photo POTUS walked in 10:11 am with the NATO Secretary General after most foreign leaders were already positioned for the photo. When asked what his message to Putin was, he said he was going to say hi to Boris Johnson, who he shook hands with. He then greeted Emmanuel Macron of France. He is standing in between the NATO Secretary General and Boris Johnson. Macron is standing behind Biden. |
| March 24, 2022 10:17 CET |
Supplemental Pool Report #3 Exit from Family Photo POTUS and the foreign leaders began departing from the family photo at 10:13 am. POTUS, Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron huddled briefly after the photo broke up but the pool could not hear the conversation. POTUS ignored shouted questions as he walked out with Johnson and Macron. |
| March 24, 2022 10:48 CET |
Supplemental Pool Report #4: NATO Summit attendees Passing along from the White House: The President participated in a Family Photo with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and all 29 other NATO Heads of State and Government. In attendance for the Extraordinary Summit of NATO Heads of State and Government: Heads of State and Government
NATO Leaders
U.S. Administration Officials
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| March 24, 2022 10:53 CET |
Supplemental Pool Report #4a: White House color of NATO Family Photo From a White House official: During the NATO Family Photo, Leaders were on stage together. President Biden shook hands and said a few words to Prime Minister Johnson, President Erdoğan, President Macron, and Prime Minister Kallas. |
Joseph R. Biden, Pool Reports of March 24, 2022 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/355087