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00:00We were recently travelling in Colombia and met with Venezuela President Juan Y'know who was risking his life to meet with world leaders including yourself will be headed to Davos. Are you hopeful that these world meetings will shift the momentum and continue the momentum against the Maduro regime. You know I am. When I had a chance to meet with him he is a brave man . He's also a good leader who cares deeply about the Venezuelan people the same interest that the United States has. And so I do hope that he meets with European leaders when he travels to Davos. They too will see that this is a worthy and noble goal that we're engaged in restoring democracy . The humanitarian calamity that is Venezuela now some six million people by the end of this year will have fled the country and a country the size of 30 million or so 20 percent of the population. This is a staggering humanitarian crisis when the United States wants to do its best to resolve in a way that can only happen when there are free fair democratic elections that lead to the people's choice to be the leader of that country . In Colombia President Duke at the conference cautioned against the threat of Hezbollah in the region. And you yourself sir said that Hezbollah has quote found a home in Venezuela. How significant of a role does Hezbollah play in the region. Too much. And I mentioned it in Venezuela. But in the tri border area in Brazil this is this is again an area where Iranian influence. We talk about the most the world's largest state sponsor of terror. We do that intentionally. It's the world's largest is not just a Middle East phenomenon. So while when folks think of Hezbollah they typically think of Syria and Lebanon. But Hezbollah has now put down roots throughout the globe and in South America . And it's great to see now multiple countries now having designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization means we can work together to stamp out the security threat in the region . I'm struck by this because even hearing you what you're saying right now I mean to take a step back an Iranian backed terrorist organization has found a home in America's backyard. It's something we've been talking about for some time. When you when you see the scope and reach of what the Islamic Republic of Iran regime has done. Can't forget they tried to kill someone in the United States of America. They've conducted assassination campaigns in Europe. This is a global phenomenon. When we say that Iran is the leading destabilizing force in the Middle East and throughout the world it's because of this terror activity that they have now spread as a cancer all across the globe. This past week as you've traveled the world we started in Germany in Berlin where you met with world leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel . You talked. I'm sure you talked about Iran. But as you know Europe has not always followed the same strategic route as the United States when it comes to Iran. Did your meetings with European leaders move the needle in that direction at all. Yes sir. Look we've been clear we've had a different view on the right way to proceed to mature that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon that their missile program is contained and that this terror regime we were just talking about is pushback. They've never wavered from the shared objective that just had a different view about about how to proceed. But if you've seen what Iran has done even in the past few weeks. It's nuclear extortion. They're now threatening to leave the NPT. So did we . I talked with my European counterparts while I was there . They have now taken a step under the JCP away to invoke the dispute resolution mechanism. I think not only they but the world can now see that this rogue regime has no intention of complying with the central tenets of what that agreement contained. And the world must unite to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon. I saw President Muqrin say that yesterday . I know he means it now. We need to work together to achieve . So when you say they have no intention then then how do you get Tehran to go to the United Nations to come to the United Nations to work with the international community aside from the sanctions and the various military response options. Ultimately the people of Iran will get what they so richly deserve a regime that behaves in ways that are consistent with the value sets of the Iranian people. In the end the Iranian people will demand their government. You see see it in the protests. You see it when they walk around American flags that were put down by the Islamic Republic's leadership in an attempt to show they can show pictures of Iranian people walking over American flags. In fact people go out of their way not to do that. This isn't about Iran versus the United States. This is about a regime that has treated its own people terribly. The world can see it . It's a regime that even now the IAEA is trying to figure out how nuclear material got to places that the Iranian leadership said it would not be. And so this is a global risk. President Trump started his remarks the night after an American response by saying Iran will never have a nuclear weapon is our primary . But we have a broader set of objectives that we just want them to behave like a normal nation and reenter the society the community of nations and travelling with you all where you can . I'm struck by just the range of the hotspot issues around the world that are going on and back home. The only thing that's they're talking about is impeachment and the Senate impeachment trial. Did that come up at all in your conversations with world leaders. And has the Senate impeachment trial endangered U.S. interests and reputation around the world. Kevin it hasn't come up today except where I received a question at a press conference about it. So you said you would testify. I have said consistently if the law required me to testify I would do so . You know it hasn't come up. It almost never comes up in meetings with my counterparts. There's too many important things going on in the world. America is too close a partner to have with countries in the Caribbean reaching here in Kingston . They care about so much that we do. They're such good friends and allies. They see the noise in Washington. But it is not something they would think in the time that we have between us that they would write. House Democrats are saying that Rudy Giuliani orchestrated a shadow foreign policy. And can you assure diplomats serving overseas all around the world and dangerous places that that's not the case. You know the foreign policy we were executing then is the same foreign policy we're executing today with respect to Ukraine. It's an important country. It sits at this crossroads. It's under enormous pressure from Russia. President Trump has taken actions to counter Russia. President Obama refused to take. We've provided defensive systems for the Ukrainian people so that they can defend themselves. We've supported this new leader President Zelinsky in his efforts to stamp out corruption and to build his democracy for continuing to do that. Our policy with respect to Ukraine has been set on the fundamental principles of reducing the footprint of corruption and helping the Ukrainian people build up a democracy while under threat from the Russians in the east and south. You've said that you look forward to going there that you have other issues that you want to discuss with them. Is that still the case. Yeah I'm gonna get there . I'm going to get there before too long. I had a trip planned and then we had an issue or ISE in the Middle East that had to attend to while that issue was not behind us. There's still a lot of work to do there. I'll get to Ukraine to take a step back. Why should Americans care about what happens in the Ukraine. What's the broader theme here. Who is explaining to the American people why U.S. Ukraine policy matters to the average American . So Ukraine sits at the edge between democracy and tyranny in the eastern most parts of Europe. It's a nation that gave up its nuclear weapons at the end of the Cold War. And America made a commitment that said we would assist them with a number of things so that they could still be a secure sovereign nation . We care about democracy everywhere. They're a huge trading partner for the United States of America. America has a number of interests with respect to Ukraine. And I think the level of resources we've committed there reflects that level of interest . And likewise in contrast to Russia you look at the situation with China you're in Silicon Valley I believe the other week before we expect Mark Gurman on this trip and all throughout this region I've seen far away buildings. I've seen far away phones. And what's your message. How do you convince our allies in this region and all throughout the region to not go that route. You know there's not much convincing that needs to be done about the threat from the Chinese Communist Party. They all understand it. Our task is to make sure that the risks are known to these leaders. I talked about it with each leader here that I've met with today ranging from Haiti and the Dominican Republic to make a listening. They're not going to just walk away. They're trying to work their way through a set of complex commercial national security challenges that they face. And what I want them to know is the United States stands ready to support them and we want to make sure that they understand the risk. If you put this technology into your system you risk exposing the people of your country to having their information their health information their private and private information their financial information exposed to the Chinese Communist Party. It's a risk that they've all taken on board. We're working to make sure that they're as secure as they can be. And then we are in turn working to make sure that American information that might flow across those networks protects the American people's privacy. All right. Just a couple of final questions. The situation in Lebanon they've they've had their cabinet and they've got Hezbollah connections. Is the U.S. going to work with this new cabinet. We'll have to take a look at it. I don't know the answer to that yet as I what happened over the last 24 hours. We've been very clear about the requirements for the United States to engage. Lebanon has a terrible financial crisis that lays in front of it. And just the weeks ahead we're prepared to engage and provide support but only. To a government that is committed to reform and that's important for America. But if you look at the protests that are taking place in Beirut and cities outside of Beirut you can see just like in Baghdad. Go look at the protests in Baghdad . These aren't anti-American protests. These are these are protests demanding sovereignty and freedom. The protests taking place today in Lebanon are saying to Hezbollah no muss no more . We want a non corrupt government that reflects the will of the people of Lebanon . If this government is responsive to that and this new set of leaders is prepared to make those commitments and deliver on that that's the kind of government that we have support around the world the kind of government we would support in Lebanon .

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Pompeo Says He Will Travel to Ukraine ‘Before Too Long’

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks about Iran trying to get a nuclear weapon, unrest in Venezuela, President Trump's impeachment trial, and traveling to Ukraine. Pompeo spoke exclusively to Bloomberg's Kevin Cirilli in Kingston, Jamaica. (Source: Bloomberg)

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