GEOFF BENNETT: President Biden is# making his final appearance at an## international summit today, the G20# in Rio de Janeiro.

And this weekend,## PBS News learned the president authorized# Ukraine to fire long-range American weapons## into Russia focused on the region of Kursk, which# Ukraine seized and Moscow is trying to recapture.

Our Nick Schifrin sat down with National# Security Adviser Jake Sullivan for an## exclusive interview this morning to# discuss that authorization for Ukraine,## as well as the Middle East and President# Biden's legacy on the world stage.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Jake Sullivan, thanks# very much.

Welcome to the "News Hour."

JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. National Security# Adviser: Thanks for having me.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Two U.S. officials confirmed to# me.. authorization to use ATACMS, the longest# U.S. weapon -- longest range U.S. weapon## that Ukraine has in its arsenal.# Why have you made that decision?

JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, we don't have# anything to announce or confirm on## that today.

So those remain unconfirmed reports.

One thing I would point out, though, for context# is that Russia has just engaged in a massive## escalation in this war.

They have brought in a# foreign army, North Korea, North Korean troops, to## the front lines of the battle, and that represents# a sea change in the nature of this conflict.

NICK SCHIFRIN: The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry# Peskov, today has responded saying that,## yes, there is no official confirmation.

And if# there were, it would mean that there was direct## involvement of the United States in the war.

JAKE SULLIVAN: If the U.S. were to authorize## the use of any weapon system,# including this weapon system,## it wouldn't mean direct U.S.# participation in the war.

It would mean a continuation of the policy we have# had since the war began, which is that we supply## the means to Ukraine to defend its sovereignty# on territorial integrity, and they fight the war.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In and around Kursk,# there are tens of thousands of troops## being massed to try and retake this# territory that Ukraine has seized## earlier this year.

Inside Russia.

There# are Russian command-and-control sites,## there are air defense, rocket launchers.# Are those good ATACMS targets?

JAKE SULLIVAN: Look, I will obviously defer# to the Ukrainians about how they choose to## prosecute the war.

From our perspective right# now, the major escalation that we have seen## is not about a particular geography or# about a particular part of the front.

It's about the fact that Russia has gone to# another country from another part of the world,## North Korea, brought in thousands# of their troops to the front lines,## and have added them to this war.

That is a change,# a significant change, a change that in fact## we warned the Russians about before they did# it and said, if they did it, we would respond.

And, of course, we will respond.

NICK SCHIFRIN: In the past, you have tried to# avoid provoking the Russians from escalating## at times.

You didn't provide tanks and# then you did decide to make that decision## to provide tanks.

You didn't provide# F-16s.

Then you did provide those F-16s.

Do you believe, at this point, looking# back, if you had provided any of those## authorizations earlier, it would have# made a difference to Ukraine in the war?

JAKE SULLIVAN: Have we seen a marked difference# since we have provided tanks to Ukraine in## terms of the battlefield?

Similarly, on# F-16s, have we seen a marked difference?

Our view has been that there's not one# weapon system that makes a difference## in this battle.

It's about manpower, and# Ukraine needs to do more, in our view,## to firm up its lines in terms of the# number of forces it has on the front## lines.

It's about munitions and it's# about all of the other things that## go to a country's national strength, their# morale, their cohesion, their industrial base.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But I ask because Ukraine is losing# more territory today than at any point this year.## So do you really believe that nothing the U.S.# could have done earlier would have changed that?

JAKE SULLIVAN: We have provided the# tanks.

We have provided the F-16s.## We have provided the HIMARS.# We have provided the Patriots.## We have provided many of the things that# you said earlier we wouldn't provide.

And it's not back then.

It's, rather,# today that Ukraine finds itself in a more## challenged position on the battlefield,# suggesting that there's not a straight## line between those weapons systems# and how it does on the battlefield.

Where is the straightest line between Ukrainian## performance and inputs?

It's# on mobilization and manpower.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Let's switch to the Middle# East, to the latest draft that you guys## have been working on in terms of a cease-fire# in Lebanon.

Has Hezbollah agreed to the draft?

JAKE SULLIVAN: We don't have agreement.

If we did,## we'd be out announcing it and# trumpeting it from the rooftops.

But we believe that we're seeing# progress and we think both sides,## both the Lebanese side and the Israeli# side, have indicated a willingness to## get this done and to get it done on a short# time frame.

So we will continue working at## this until we can get both sides to# sign on the proverbial dotted line.

NICK SCHIFRIN: You have said that you# have extracted further commitments from## the Israeli side in the last week about increasing## humanitarian aid into Gaza.# What are those commitments?

JAKE SULLIVAN: What the Israelis have# agreed to do is to create a new route,## a new road to move aid on a daily basis# into the humanitarian zone known as Mawasi,## where a huge number of Palestinian# civilians are currently living.

And so we have seen a significant uptick in the## amount of aid going day by day# into that humanitarian zone.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Those steps that you say# Israel has taken have come in response## to a letter sent by Secretaries Blinken# and Austin a little over a month ago.

A consortium of NGOs judged 19 demands in that# letter.

They say that Israel has substantially## complied with none of them, partially complied# with four and not complied with 14.

Given that,## how can you really say that Israel has made# substantial progress since that letter was sent?

JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, first, as you noted,# this is a letter from our secretary of## state and our secretary of defense.

They# will work through a process to make their## own judgments, the State Department and# the Defense Department, about compliance.

What we have seen -- and I think this is very# difficult to argue -- is that, since that letter## was sent, there has been a change in the approach# that Israel has taken on these issues.

It's not## enough, not even close to enough.

So, we expect# more aid in both Northern Gaza and Southern Gaza.

But the exercise of sending this letter,# of laying out the terms of what we expect## in very -- a very detailed way, that has# generated a change.

And that is what American## diplomacy should be about.

And so we will keep# pushing on it until we achieve an outcome in## which there is a sufficient degree of sustained# humanitarian aid for all of the civilians of Gaza.

NICK SCHIFRIN: You have said you're prepared# to work with the incoming administration to## try and release the hostages that are# still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

But can you do that until the Trump team# signs a memorandum of understanding that## actually officially allows you to share# classified information with that team?

JAKE SULLIVAN: So, we can't engage in# a normal transition until the incoming## team signs the memorandum of understanding.

But we can have informal conversations# with the folks who are coming into our## positions.

Those informal conversations# can help shape a common message that says## both the outgoing team and the incoming team# are committed to bringing the hostages home.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Last week, the FBI and# the Cybersecurity Agency acknowledged## a Chinese cyber espionage campaign compromised## multiple telecommunications networks and# including information given to U.S. law## enforcement under court orders from# those telecommunications companies.

Does China still today have access to those# telecommunications companies and that information?

JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, as you noted,# this is an active investigation between## the Federal Bureau of Investigation,# the Department of Homeland Security.

But what I will tell you is, this is a# significant event, the intrusion into## these private telecommunications networks# that also involve communications on an## unclassified level by government officials.# So it's something we take deeply seriously.

NICK SCHIFRIN: You say the investigation is# ongoing, but is the intrusion ongoing as well?

JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, I'm saying# the investigation covers both the## question of what's happened in the# past and what's happening right now.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Let me ask a question about legacy.

Are you concerned that one of your# legacies will be facilitating the way## Israel has fought in Gaza that has killed# tens of thousands of women and children?

JAKE SULLIVAN: The U.S. has taken a very clear# position since this war began, which is that## Israel had a right to defend itself after the# worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

The U.S. also, over the course of the past year,# has made a massive difference, in terms of whether## there would be widespread famine in Gaza or# not widespread famine, in terms of working with## the Israelis to try to minimize civilian harm# over the course of the months of the conflict.

I do believe that us standing up for# Israel in its hour of need at a moment## when its enemies were descending upon it# has made a major difference for the good,## from the perspective of the United States.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Do you think the# withdrawal from Afghanistan is## part of your legacy and would you have done# every -- anything differently looking back?

JAKE SULLIVAN: I believe that ending America's# longest war, and not passing it on to yet## another president, is a significant# part of President Biden's legacy and,## therefore, as someone who works# for him, as part of my legacy.

I would further point out that,# to date, despite the warnings,## we have not seen a deadly terrorist attack# on the U.S. homeland while President Biden## was president.

In addition, we are able to# stand up to and push back against Russian## aggression in Ukraine to keep Kyiv from# falling without having them have sitting## ducks of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to go# after by, for example, arming up the Taliban.

So I think it's a good thing that the United# States is no longer fighting in that war,## and I believe that that is an important# part of President Biden's legacy.

NICK SCHIFRIN: And, on Ukraine, do# you think your legacy will be defined,## in fact, in the end by your successor?

JAKE SULLIVAN: I believe that our legacy has# already been substantially defined on Ukraine.

And it can be defined in two words: Kyiv stands.# The country was at risk of being wiped off the## map.

And thanks to the brave Ukrainian people# and their resourcefulness and their courage,## but also thanks to President Joe Biden# rallying countries from around the world,## we defended Kyiv, we defended# Ukraine, and Ukraine will continue## to be a thriving democracy anchored# in Western institutions in the future.

And I do not believe that anything that# comes next is going to change that.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Jake Sullivan, thank you very much.

JAKE SULLIVAN: Thank you.