WEBVTT 00:01.790 --> 00:03.957 Thank you very much everyone for being 00:03.957 --> 00:05.790 here today . It's my pleasure to 00:05.790 --> 00:07.846 introduce Secretary of Defense Lloyd 00:07.846 --> 00:10.012 Austin , the third and chairman of the 00:10.012 --> 00:11.957 Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark 00:11.957 --> 00:14.179 Milley , the secretary and the chairman 00:14.179 --> 00:13.930 will each deliver opening remarks and 00:13.930 --> 00:16.208 then have time to take a few questions . 00:16.208 --> 00:18.208 Please note , I will moderate those 00:18.208 --> 00:20.319 questions and call on journalists and 00:20.319 --> 00:22.374 would ask that you limit your follow 00:22.374 --> 00:21.810 ups due to our tight schedule today . 00:21.810 --> 00:23.921 And I appreciate your assistance with 00:23.921 --> 00:26.254 this secretary Austin over to you , sir . 00:26.254 --> 00:28.310 Thanks Pat . Well , good afternoon , 00:28.310 --> 00:30.820 everybody . We just concluded our 10th 00:30.820 --> 00:33.890 highly successful meeting of Ukraine 00:33.890 --> 00:37.030 Defense Contact Group . But before I 00:37.030 --> 00:39.197 get to that important work , I want to 00:39.197 --> 00:41.690 say just a few words about a troubling 00:41.690 --> 00:45.460 episode yesterday on Tuesday , Russian 00:45.460 --> 00:48.570 aircraft again engaged in dangerous and 00:48.570 --> 00:51.880 reckless and unprofessional behavior in 00:51.880 --> 00:53.880 the international airspace over the 00:53.880 --> 00:57.690 Black Sea . Two Russian jets dump fuel 00:57.700 --> 01:01.310 on an unmanned US MQ nine aircraft 01:01.310 --> 01:03.810 conducting routine operations in 01:03.810 --> 01:06.640 international airspace And one Russian 01:06.640 --> 01:09.400 jet struck RM MQ nine aircraft 01:09.400 --> 01:12.390 resulting in a crash . This hazardous 01:12.390 --> 01:15.940 episode is a part is part of a 01:15.940 --> 01:18.620 pattern of aggressive risk , risky and 01:18.630 --> 01:21.450 unsafe actions by Russian pilots and 01:21.460 --> 01:24.640 international airspace . Now , I just 01:24.640 --> 01:26.529 got off the phone with my Russian 01:26.529 --> 01:29.880 counterpart , Minister Shoigu . As I've 01:29.880 --> 01:32.480 said repeatedly , it's important that 01:32.480 --> 01:35.510 great powers be models of transparency 01:35.520 --> 01:39.070 and communication in the United States 01:39.790 --> 01:42.430 will continue to fly and to operate 01:42.440 --> 01:46.310 wherever international law allows and 01:46.310 --> 01:49.020 it is incumbent upon Russia to operate 01:49.020 --> 01:52.020 his military aircraft in a safe and 01:52.020 --> 01:55.750 professional manner . Oh , 01:56.340 --> 01:58.396 let me turn to the important work of 01:58.396 --> 02:01.180 this contact group today . Our 02:01.180 --> 02:03.069 extraordinary allies and partners 02:03.069 --> 02:06.760 reaffirmed our unity and resolve in 02:06.760 --> 02:09.680 supporting Ukraine's fight for freedom . 02:11.280 --> 02:14.020 We were joined again today by some 50 02:14.030 --> 02:16.450 nations of goodwill from all around the 02:16.450 --> 02:19.160 globe . And they all understand that 02:19.160 --> 02:21.990 Ukraine's battle to defend itself from 02:21.990 --> 02:24.620 Russian aggression . It's vital for 02:24.620 --> 02:27.070 everyone who values the core principles 02:27.070 --> 02:30.990 of sovereignty , self determination and 02:30.990 --> 02:34.470 freedom . Today , we were joined again 02:34.470 --> 02:36.470 by my good friend , Minister Alexey 02:36.470 --> 02:39.690 Reznikoff . He comes to each contact 02:39.690 --> 02:42.210 group meeting with a clear message for 02:42.210 --> 02:44.630 the next steps in Ukraine's resistance 02:44.630 --> 02:47.640 to Russia's campaign of conquest 02:48.610 --> 02:50.777 and the presentations from him and his 02:50.777 --> 02:53.930 team underscore the continued urgency 02:54.240 --> 02:57.670 of our support . This contact group has 02:57.670 --> 02:59.950 pushed hard to ensure that Ukraine can 02:59.950 --> 03:03.470 defend itself from Putin's imperial 03:03.480 --> 03:06.430 aggression . Brave , Ukrainians stood 03:06.430 --> 03:08.590 firm during Russia's ground invasion 03:09.240 --> 03:11.296 with the help of their new anti tank 03:11.296 --> 03:13.310 and anti aircraft missiles which 03:13.310 --> 03:15.532 contact group countries have provided . 03:16.560 --> 03:19.470 And Russia's Russia hopes to grind down 03:19.470 --> 03:22.780 Ukraine in a war of attrition , But 03:22.780 --> 03:25.000 Ukraine has been supplied by more than 03:25.000 --> 03:28.410 40 countries . Meanwhile , Russia 03:28.410 --> 03:31.620 has had to depend on Iran and North 03:31.620 --> 03:34.410 Korea and has had to use equipment 03:34.410 --> 03:37.610 dating back to World War two . So 03:37.610 --> 03:40.610 Russia is running out of capability and 03:40.610 --> 03:44.210 running out of France . Putin has now 03:44.220 --> 03:46.730 had a year's worth of proof that the 03:46.730 --> 03:48.730 United States and the contact group 03:48.730 --> 03:50.897 will support Ukraine's right to defend 03:50.897 --> 03:54.710 itself for the long haul . But Putin 03:54.710 --> 03:56.599 still hopes that he can wear down 03:56.599 --> 03:59.730 Ukraine and wait us out so we can't let 03:59.730 --> 04:01.770 up and we won't . 04:03.730 --> 04:06.008 Ukraine doesn't have any time to waste . 04:06.008 --> 04:07.952 And I heard clearly today that our 04:07.952 --> 04:10.440 fellow contact group members also know 04:10.450 --> 04:12.570 that we have to deliver swiftly and 04:12.570 --> 04:16.230 fully on our promised commitments and 04:16.230 --> 04:18.950 that includes delivering our armored 04:18.950 --> 04:21.800 capabilities to the battlefield and 04:21.800 --> 04:23.856 ensuring that Ukrainian soldiers get 04:23.856 --> 04:26.370 the , get the training , spare parts 04:26.380 --> 04:28.910 and maintenance support that they need 04:28.910 --> 04:31.550 to use these new systems as soon as 04:31.550 --> 04:34.670 possible and we'll continue to dig deep 04:34.670 --> 04:37.890 for new donations . And today we heard 04:37.890 --> 04:40.390 updates on our progress and some 04:40.390 --> 04:43.580 significant new commitments . Sweden 04:43.580 --> 04:45.524 has announced that it will provide 04:45.524 --> 04:48.010 Ukraine with 10 Leopard tanks and key 04:48.010 --> 04:51.270 air defense components . Norway is 04:51.270 --> 04:53.550 partnering with the United States to 04:53.550 --> 04:56.040 donate to NACE um systems to Ukraine . 04:57.010 --> 04:58.788 The Netherlands is making great 04:58.788 --> 05:01.010 progress in initiating , initiating new 05:01.010 --> 05:02.990 contracts to ensure that new 05:02.990 --> 05:05.157 capabilities continue to arrive on the 05:05.157 --> 05:07.500 battlefield . And I want to thank 05:07.500 --> 05:10.200 Slovenia for its latest contribution 05:10.850 --> 05:13.100 which helps meet several of Ukraine's 05:13.100 --> 05:15.211 priority requirements including armor 05:15.820 --> 05:17.931 for more than a year now , farsighted 05:17.931 --> 05:20.590 donations like these by members of this 05:20.590 --> 05:22.534 contact group have been crucial to 05:22.534 --> 05:25.380 Ukraine's fight for sovereignty and we 05:25.380 --> 05:26.991 have provided crucial combat 05:26.991 --> 05:29.800 capabilities that Ukraine's defenders 05:29.810 --> 05:32.210 will use to further repel Russia's 05:32.210 --> 05:36.070 invasion and to exercise initiative and 05:36.070 --> 05:38.240 to create favorable conditions on the 05:38.240 --> 05:40.830 battlefield . But for Ukraine to 05:40.830 --> 05:42.830 protect its sovereign territory and 05:42.830 --> 05:45.108 defend its citizens over the long term , 05:45.690 --> 05:48.300 we must keep going . So we're going to 05:48.300 --> 05:51.120 help Ukraine sustain the tanks , the 05:51.120 --> 05:54.510 infantry fighting vehicles and other 05:54.510 --> 05:56.677 armored vehicles that are making their 05:56.677 --> 05:58.843 way into the front lines . We're going 05:58.843 --> 06:01.066 to continue urgently training Ukrainian 06:01.066 --> 06:03.288 soldiers on the capabilities that we're 06:03.288 --> 06:05.460 providing and on a combined arms 06:05.460 --> 06:07.404 maneuver tactics that they need to 06:07.404 --> 06:10.000 succeed . We're going to keep looking 06:10.000 --> 06:13.200 into our stocks and into our budget to 06:13.200 --> 06:15.640 resupply Ukraine throughout the year 06:16.360 --> 06:18.630 and we're going to continue to continue 06:18.630 --> 06:21.080 our important work in lockstep with our 06:21.080 --> 06:23.320 Ukrainian partners to maintain 06:23.320 --> 06:25.440 accountability for the security 06:25.440 --> 06:28.020 assistance that we're providing . And 06:28.020 --> 06:30.800 finally , above all , we're going to 06:30.800 --> 06:33.240 stay united together . We're helping 06:33.240 --> 06:36.630 Ukraine fight to live free together . 06:36.640 --> 06:38.862 We're helping to show that rules matter 06:39.500 --> 06:41.611 and together we're helping to advance 06:41.611 --> 06:45.450 our shared security in an open world of 06:45.450 --> 06:47.840 rules and rights . And so thank you 06:47.840 --> 06:50.007 very much and I'll now turn it over to 06:50.007 --> 06:52.620 the chairman for his comments . Good 06:52.620 --> 06:54.787 afternoon , everyone . And thank you , 06:54.787 --> 06:56.953 Secretary Austin for your leadership . 06:56.953 --> 06:59.064 This has secretary pointed out as our 06:59.064 --> 07:01.530 10th contact group and these meetings 07:01.530 --> 07:03.641 and the donations that come from , it 07:03.641 --> 07:05.586 would not be happening without the 07:05.586 --> 07:07.530 incredible leadership of Secretary 07:07.530 --> 07:09.530 Austin . So thank you for that . Uh 07:09.530 --> 07:11.697 Your direction remains critical to the 07:11.697 --> 07:13.863 future success of the group . And also 07:13.863 --> 07:15.974 thank you to the Ukrainian Minister , 07:15.974 --> 07:18.308 Defense Resident Cough , my counterpart , 07:18.308 --> 07:20.363 General Kaluzny , who was not on the 07:20.363 --> 07:22.363 call today , but I've talked to him 07:22.363 --> 07:24.530 several times in the past week And the 07:24.530 --> 07:24.360 Deputy Chief of Defense who represented 07:24.360 --> 07:27.490 General Zelezny John , all of them 07:27.490 --> 07:29.990 continue to lead Ukrainians military in 07:29.990 --> 07:32.480 their fight for freedom . Also , thanks 07:32.480 --> 07:34.702 to all the ministers of defense and the 07:34.702 --> 07:37.140 chiefs of defense from 51 participants 07:37.150 --> 07:39.860 in today's meeting , including NATO and 07:39.860 --> 07:41.810 the European Union . They join the 07:41.810 --> 07:43.866 meeting and they continue to provide 07:43.866 --> 07:47.120 critical support to Ukraine . Each 07:47.120 --> 07:49.360 nation is contributing what they can to 07:49.360 --> 07:51.527 ensure Ukraine has the means to defend 07:51.527 --> 07:53.249 itself against the illegal and 07:53.249 --> 07:56.270 unprovoked Russian invasion . It's been 07:56.270 --> 08:00.080 nearly 13 months since Russia invaded 08:00.080 --> 08:02.080 the sovereign nation of Ukraine . 08:02.900 --> 08:05.810 Ukraine has been independent since 1991 08:06.350 --> 08:09.650 and has presented no threat whatsoever 08:09.660 --> 08:13.010 to Russia . Russia launched and has 08:13.010 --> 08:15.670 continued for over a year now , a war 08:15.680 --> 08:19.050 of aggression in flagrant violation of 08:19.050 --> 08:22.280 international law . This is and 08:22.280 --> 08:25.550 remains a Russian frontal assault on 08:25.550 --> 08:27.550 the rules-based international order 08:27.550 --> 08:30.410 that has been in place for 80 years , 08:30.420 --> 08:33.430 eight decades since the end of World 08:33.430 --> 08:35.930 War II , in the face of this act of 08:35.930 --> 08:39.170 aggression in a war of conquest . This 08:39.170 --> 08:42.490 group remains unified . NATO is united . 08:42.500 --> 08:44.750 The people of Ukraine are unyielding . 08:44.760 --> 08:47.220 They're standing steadfast in the face 08:47.230 --> 08:50.770 for the Russian onslaught . Russia 08:50.780 --> 08:53.070 remains isolated there . Military 08:53.070 --> 08:55.590 stocks are rapidly depleting . The 08:55.590 --> 08:58.070 soldiers are demoralized , untrained , 08:58.080 --> 09:00.520 unmotivated , conscripts and convicts 09:01.060 --> 09:03.116 and their leadership is failing them 09:03.840 --> 09:05.562 having already failed in their 09:05.562 --> 09:07.396 strategic objectives . Russia is 09:07.396 --> 09:09.920 increasingly relying on other countries 09:09.930 --> 09:11.930 such as Iran and North Korea as the 09:11.930 --> 09:14.000 secretary pointed out there using 09:14.000 --> 09:16.222 Iranian drones to continue to terrorize 09:16.222 --> 09:19.250 Ukrainian civilians . This relationship 09:19.250 --> 09:21.780 is built on the cruel bonds of 09:21.790 --> 09:24.780 oppressing freedom , subverting liberty 09:24.790 --> 09:27.150 and maintaining their tyranny , yet 09:27.150 --> 09:29.690 free . People will not return to the 09:29.690 --> 09:32.360 shackles of tyranny . Ukrainians remain 09:32.360 --> 09:34.760 defiant with steel in their spines and 09:34.760 --> 09:36.980 courage in their veins and they have 09:36.980 --> 09:39.147 the broad support of the United States 09:39.147 --> 09:41.420 and the international community . The 09:41.420 --> 09:43.930 battle of Bach mood continues but 09:43.930 --> 09:46.180 Ukraine is fighting the valor with 09:46.180 --> 09:48.460 robust defenses . Ukraine has fixed the 09:48.460 --> 09:50.860 Russian forces at that city and their 09:50.860 --> 09:53.082 exacting very heavy costs on the Wagner 09:53.082 --> 09:55.360 group and the Russian regular military . 09:55.790 --> 09:58.090 Ukraine remains strong . They are 09:58.090 --> 10:00.250 capable and trained . Ukrainian 10:00.250 --> 10:02.361 soldiers are strength strong in their 10:02.361 --> 10:04.472 combat units , their tanks , infantry 10:04.472 --> 10:06.639 fighting vehicles and armored vehicles 10:06.639 --> 10:08.639 are only going to bolster the front 10:08.639 --> 10:10.970 line . Ukrainian precision munitions 10:10.970 --> 10:13.380 continue to target the logistics and 10:13.380 --> 10:15.500 communications systems of Russia 10:16.420 --> 10:18.660 lacking effective small unit leaders 10:18.660 --> 10:21.290 and absent the proper equipment . This 10:21.290 --> 10:24.680 is a grinding attrition warfare that 10:24.680 --> 10:27.850 Russia is trying to execute . Wave 10:27.850 --> 10:30.050 after wave of Russian soldiers are 10:30.050 --> 10:32.430 thrown into the chaos of war , absent 10:32.430 --> 10:34.541 any sort of synchronized coordination 10:34.541 --> 10:37.140 and direction . Russia continues to pay 10:37.140 --> 10:39.251 severely in terms of lives , military 10:39.251 --> 10:41.196 equipment for its continued war of 10:41.196 --> 10:43.307 choice . Right now , there is intense 10:43.307 --> 10:45.362 fighting in and around buck mood and 10:45.362 --> 10:47.529 the Russians are making small tactical 10:47.529 --> 10:50.460 advances . But at great cost elsewhere , 10:50.460 --> 10:52.349 the front line remains relatively 10:52.349 --> 10:54.404 static with significant exchanges of 10:54.404 --> 10:56.516 artillery but no significant maneuver 10:56.516 --> 10:59.210 gains by either side . Right now . As 10:59.210 --> 11:01.099 you know , there is a significant 11:01.099 --> 11:02.821 ongoing effort to build up the 11:02.821 --> 11:04.543 Ukrainian military in terms of 11:04.543 --> 11:06.766 equipment , munitions and training in a 11:06.766 --> 11:08.710 variety of countries . In order to 11:08.710 --> 11:10.821 enable Ukraine to defend itself . The 11:10.821 --> 11:12.821 increased Ukrainian capability will 11:12.821 --> 11:14.710 allow the Ukrainian leadership to 11:14.710 --> 11:16.543 develop and execute a variety of 11:16.543 --> 11:18.710 options in the future to achieve their 11:18.710 --> 11:20.654 objectives and bring this war to a 11:20.654 --> 11:23.180 successful conclusion . This is an act 11:23.180 --> 11:25.910 of brutal aggression by President Putin 11:25.920 --> 11:28.087 and the Russian military with complete 11:28.087 --> 11:30.200 disregard for human life , both 11:30.200 --> 11:32.790 civilian and military . The Russians 11:32.790 --> 11:35.180 are wanting li killing civilians and 11:35.180 --> 11:37.000 large attacks and civilian 11:37.000 --> 11:39.056 infrastructure and densely populated 11:39.056 --> 11:41.630 urban areas . The severely undertrained , 11:41.630 --> 11:43.686 poorly led , poorly equipped Russian 11:43.686 --> 11:45.852 forces are conducting mindless frontal 11:45.852 --> 11:47.908 attacks and sacrificing hundreds per 11:47.908 --> 11:49.970 day . The political objectives that 11:49.970 --> 11:53.200 Putin intended to achieve 384 days ago 11:53.210 --> 11:55.377 are obvious to the world and it should 11:55.377 --> 11:57.099 be obvious to Putin that these 11:57.099 --> 11:59.266 objectives are no longer achievable by 11:59.266 --> 12:01.380 continuing this war and Putin can end 12:01.380 --> 12:03.602 this war and he can end it today and he 12:03.602 --> 12:06.750 needs to do so free . People are not 12:06.760 --> 12:08.780 easily conquered and the Ukrainian 12:08.780 --> 12:11.040 people are free and they will never 12:11.040 --> 12:13.151 give up in their fight to stay free . 12:13.690 --> 12:15.850 Two weeks ago , the United States 12:15.850 --> 12:17.906 released another security assistance 12:17.906 --> 12:19.739 package which included high mars 12:19.739 --> 12:22.160 ammunition , artillery , vehicle 12:22.160 --> 12:25.260 maintenance and vehicles . The nine 12:25.260 --> 12:27.427 countries have pledged over 100 and 50 12:27.427 --> 12:29.371 leopard tanks . For example , this 12:29.371 --> 12:31.482 group that met today is providing air 12:31.482 --> 12:33.570 defense artillery , uh regular 12:33.570 --> 12:35.690 artillery , rocket artillery armor 12:35.690 --> 12:38.170 ammunition and that will be critical to 12:38.170 --> 12:40.503 Ukraine's ability to continue the fight . 12:40.503 --> 12:42.726 A broad mix of air defense systems have 12:42.726 --> 12:44.948 been promised and they will protect the 12:44.948 --> 12:47.059 skies of a key and the free cities of 12:47.059 --> 12:49.281 Ukraine , artillery and armor are gonna 12:49.281 --> 12:51.392 strengthen Ukraine lines enable their 12:51.392 --> 12:53.614 forces to synchronize fire and movement 12:53.614 --> 12:55.503 for either offensive or defensive 12:55.503 --> 12:57.448 operations . Long range fires will 12:57.448 --> 12:59.559 challenge Russia's ability to command 12:59.559 --> 13:01.781 and control , protect and sustain their 13:01.781 --> 13:03.837 forces . Ukrainian soldiers wear the 13:03.837 --> 13:05.948 blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag 13:05.948 --> 13:08.170 But the colors of 50 other nations that 13:08.170 --> 13:10.059 met today stand beside Ukraine to 13:10.059 --> 13:11.726 support the principles of the 13:11.726 --> 13:13.726 rules-based international order , a 13:13.726 --> 13:15.837 system in place to prevent aggression 13:15.837 --> 13:17.892 and uphold the values of liberty and 13:17.892 --> 13:19.781 sovereignty . That system is what 13:19.781 --> 13:21.614 preserves the peace and provides 13:21.614 --> 13:23.800 benefits throughout the globe . As 13:23.800 --> 13:25.967 President Biden , Secretary Austin and 13:25.967 --> 13:28.133 many others to include all the leaders 13:28.133 --> 13:30.300 of Europe have said many times that we 13:30.300 --> 13:32.522 will remain committed for as long as it 13:32.522 --> 13:34.689 takes . Thank you . And I look forward 13:34.689 --> 13:34.540 to your questions . Thank you , 13:34.540 --> 13:36.651 gentlemen . First question will go to 13:36.651 --> 13:38.707 Lita Baldor Associated Press . Thank 13:38.707 --> 13:41.810 you . Um Mr Secretary , you said you 13:41.810 --> 13:43.921 spoke with your counterpart . Can you 13:43.921 --> 13:45.699 give us a sense of the Russians 13:45.699 --> 13:49.140 reaction to the call ? Did they suggest 13:49.140 --> 13:52.420 to you their defense that this was an 13:52.420 --> 13:55.290 accident or intentional or that it 13:55.290 --> 13:57.401 never happened ? Um Can you just give 13:57.401 --> 13:59.623 us a better read out of your call ? And 13:59.623 --> 14:01.623 General Milley , have you spoken to 14:01.623 --> 14:03.734 your counterpart or are you intending 14:03.734 --> 14:07.160 to do so ? And do you believe after 14:07.160 --> 14:08.882 what you've seen that this was 14:08.882 --> 14:11.250 intentional ? Is this considered an act 14:11.250 --> 14:15.190 of war ? Thanks 14:15.190 --> 14:18.690 for the question leader . Um I won't 14:18.690 --> 14:22.330 speak for Minister Shoigu . Nor would I 14:22.330 --> 14:24.274 will I get into the details of our 14:24.274 --> 14:27.800 discussion ? I'll just reiterate that 14:27.800 --> 14:31.240 the United States will fly and operate 14:31.250 --> 14:34.300 wherever international law allows . 14:35.210 --> 14:38.490 Now , we take any potential for 14:38.490 --> 14:40.546 escalation very seriously and that's 14:40.546 --> 14:42.910 why I believe it's important to keep 14:42.910 --> 14:45.670 the lines of communication open . I 14:45.670 --> 14:48.360 think it's really key that uh that 14:48.370 --> 14:50.370 we're able to pick up the phone and 14:50.370 --> 14:53.350 engage each other . Uh And I think that 14:53.360 --> 14:55.570 that will help to prevent 14:55.570 --> 14:57.630 miscalculation going forward . 14:59.370 --> 15:01.470 So Lena , thanks for the question on 15:01.470 --> 15:03.920 the intentionality . Don't know . I do 15:03.930 --> 15:06.290 plan to talk to my counterpart , 15:06.300 --> 15:08.522 General Gerasimov . We have a scheduled 15:08.522 --> 15:10.744 call , we'll see if that works out . Um 15:10.744 --> 15:12.920 So it wasn't intentional or not . I 15:12.930 --> 15:14.819 don't know yet . We know that the 15:14.819 --> 15:16.986 intercept was intentional . Uh We know 15:16.986 --> 15:18.819 that the aggressive behavior was 15:18.819 --> 15:20.986 intentional . We also know it was very 15:20.986 --> 15:20.900 unprofessional and very unsafe . Uh , 15:20.910 --> 15:23.390 the actual contact of the fixed wing , 15:23.400 --> 15:27.240 uh Russian fighter with our U A V . The 15:27.240 --> 15:29.250 physical contact of those two . Not 15:29.250 --> 15:31.820 sure yet that remains to be seen , but 15:31.820 --> 15:33.790 I can't , uh , I can tell you with 15:33.790 --> 15:35.957 certainty though that we have absolute 15:35.957 --> 15:37.760 evidence of the contact , the 15:37.760 --> 15:39.760 intercepts , etcetera and it's very 15:39.760 --> 15:41.760 aggressive . You've heard about the 15:41.760 --> 15:41.680 dumping of the fuel and everything else . 15:41.680 --> 15:44.013 We have video evidence of all that . So , 15:44.013 --> 15:46.236 um there's , there's no question that , 15:46.236 --> 15:48.458 that part of its intention , the actual 15:48.458 --> 15:50.569 physical contact of the aircraft that 15:50.569 --> 15:50.240 I'm not so sure . So we'll have to 15:50.250 --> 15:52.417 figure that out that we're not , we're 15:52.417 --> 15:54.639 not positive of that yet . As far as an 15:54.639 --> 15:56.750 act of war goes , I'm not gonna , I'm 15:56.750 --> 15:56.690 not gonna go there incidents happen . 15:56.700 --> 16:00.550 Um And , and clearly we do not seek 16:00.560 --> 16:03.320 armed conflict with uh with Russia and 16:03.320 --> 16:06.060 uh and , and , and I believe that uh at 16:06.060 --> 16:08.282 this point , we should investigate this 16:08.282 --> 16:10.393 incident and move on from there , but 16:10.393 --> 16:12.616 we will continue to exercise our rights 16:12.616 --> 16:14.560 in international airspace . Okay , 16:14.560 --> 16:16.671 let's go to Dan the Washington Post . 16:22.580 --> 16:24.580 Gentlemen , thank you for your time 16:24.580 --> 16:26.800 today . Uh Secretary Austin announced 16:26.800 --> 16:28.744 and likely presidential candidates 16:28.744 --> 16:30.689 already have declared that Ukraine 16:30.689 --> 16:32.911 should not be an American priority . Uh 16:32.911 --> 16:35.133 Given that the Biden administration has 16:35.133 --> 16:37.356 promised to support Ukraine for as long 16:37.356 --> 16:39.411 as it takes . Are you concerned that 16:39.411 --> 16:41.300 election rhetoric could undermine 16:41.300 --> 16:43.522 support for Ukraine in Congress or with 16:43.522 --> 16:45.411 the American people ? Uh And then 16:45.411 --> 16:47.522 Chairman Milley , uh the MQ nine came 16:47.522 --> 16:49.689 down in the Black Sea where the United 16:49.689 --> 16:51.911 States has not had any military vessels 16:51.911 --> 16:55.770 Uh for more than a year . Um is it fair 16:55.770 --> 16:57.770 to say that the US will not recover 16:57.770 --> 16:59.548 this MQ 9 ? And do you have any 16:59.548 --> 17:01.770 concerns about what value it might have 17:01.770 --> 17:03.992 to Russia , either strategically or for 17:03.992 --> 17:05.381 propaganda ? Thank you . 17:09.680 --> 17:13.510 Um Thanks Dan . I would uh 17:14.070 --> 17:16.080 in terms of the importance of , of 17:16.080 --> 17:18.247 Ukraine . First of all , we've , we've 17:18.247 --> 17:21.370 seen bipartisan support for this for 17:21.380 --> 17:23.213 providing security assistance to 17:23.213 --> 17:26.100 Ukraine throughout up to this point , I 17:26.100 --> 17:28.267 expect that we'll continue to see that 17:28.267 --> 17:30.489 going forward . We've heard some senior 17:30.489 --> 17:33.370 leaders on both sides of the fence . Uh 17:33.380 --> 17:35.720 say that and so I expect that that will , 17:35.730 --> 17:37.910 will continue to enjoy that support . 17:38.580 --> 17:41.090 Well , you know , Dan Ukraine matters , 17:41.100 --> 17:44.590 it matters not to just Ukraine or to 17:44.590 --> 17:46.701 the United States , it matters to the 17:46.701 --> 17:48.812 world . This is about the rules based 17:48.812 --> 17:50.868 international order . It's about one 17:50.868 --> 17:52.979 country's ability to , to wake up one 17:52.979 --> 17:54.868 day and change the borders of its 17:54.868 --> 17:58.020 neighbor and an ex its neighbors uh 17:58.030 --> 18:00.690 sovereign territory . And as we've seen 18:00.690 --> 18:03.330 countries around the world , uh don't 18:03.330 --> 18:05.552 think that's a good idea and that's why 18:05.552 --> 18:07.890 you've , you've seen 50 countries , not 18:07.890 --> 18:09.779 only come to the , you know , the 18:09.779 --> 18:12.001 initial meetings of the Ukraine Defense 18:12.001 --> 18:14.057 Contact Group , but they continue to 18:14.057 --> 18:16.057 come back and they continue to work 18:16.057 --> 18:17.890 hard to ensure that Ukraine gets 18:17.890 --> 18:19.612 everything that it needs to be 18:19.612 --> 18:21.690 successful and that will remain our 18:21.690 --> 18:24.960 focus going forward . So , down on the 18:24.970 --> 18:27.081 recovery p we know where it landed in 18:27.081 --> 18:29.303 the Black States , probably about maybe 18:29.303 --> 18:31.414 four or 5000 ft of water or something 18:31.414 --> 18:33.581 like that . So any recovery operations 18:33.581 --> 18:35.859 very difficult at that depth by anyone . 18:35.859 --> 18:38.026 That's the first point . Secondly , is 18:38.026 --> 18:37.690 true . We don't have any ships there , 18:37.690 --> 18:39.634 but we do have a lot of allies and 18:39.634 --> 18:41.468 friends in the area . We'll work 18:41.468 --> 18:43.801 through recovery operations , that's us , 18:43.801 --> 18:46.023 property . Uh And well , we'll leave it 18:46.023 --> 18:47.912 at that at this point , but uh it 18:47.912 --> 18:50.079 probably broke up there . Probably not 18:50.079 --> 18:52.301 a lot to recover frankly , as far as uh 18:52.301 --> 18:54.190 the loss of anything of sensitive 18:54.190 --> 18:56.412 intelligence , etcetera uh as normal we 18:56.412 --> 18:58.190 would take . Uh and we did take 18:58.190 --> 19:00.134 mitigating measures . Uh So we are 19:00.134 --> 19:02.050 quite confident that whatever uh 19:02.060 --> 19:04.116 whatever was of value is no longer a 19:04.116 --> 19:06.171 value . Our next question will go to 19:06.171 --> 19:09.010 Ellie Watson CBS . Thanks for doing 19:09.010 --> 19:11.440 this . Secretary Austin . Um General 19:11.440 --> 19:13.384 Milley mentioned the video , we've 19:13.384 --> 19:15.607 heard reports there . You're working to 19:15.607 --> 19:17.829 declassify five video of the incident . 19:17.829 --> 19:19.884 What does that video show ? And when 19:19.884 --> 19:21.773 will that video be released ? Why 19:21.773 --> 19:23.662 hasn't it been released yet ? And 19:23.662 --> 19:25.718 General Milley , uh Secretary Austin 19:25.718 --> 19:27.884 talked about the pattern of behavior . 19:27.884 --> 19:30.030 How often is Russia conducting these 19:30.030 --> 19:32.760 harassing maneuvers and has it 19:32.760 --> 19:34.316 increased in recent weeks ? 19:36.310 --> 19:40.090 Thanks Ellie . Is , is uh as you 19:40.090 --> 19:42.312 know , as you said , we are still going 19:42.312 --> 19:45.810 through videos and photographs 19:45.820 --> 19:49.530 to uh to ascertain what , what we can 19:49.540 --> 19:52.480 release what we can provide . Uh But in 19:52.480 --> 19:54.500 terms of what the video shows , we 19:54.500 --> 19:57.270 remain confident in the facts that we 19:57.270 --> 20:00.240 have conveyed thus far . Uh And I that 20:00.250 --> 20:02.194 will not , that will not change in 20:02.194 --> 20:04.417 terms of , you know , what happened and 20:04.417 --> 20:07.720 how it happened . Uh And , and so again , 20:07.720 --> 20:09.980 we'll work through um as quickly as we 20:09.980 --> 20:13.300 can to evaluate videos . And if we'll 20:13.300 --> 20:15.300 let you know when we have something 20:15.300 --> 20:17.300 that we in terms of video or stills 20:17.300 --> 20:19.590 that we can provide you in terms of the 20:19.590 --> 20:21.730 pattern of behavior early . Um Yes , 20:21.730 --> 20:24.063 this is a part of a pattern of behavior . 20:24.063 --> 20:25.897 Uh The United States and Russian 20:25.897 --> 20:28.119 military forces operate in proximity to 20:28.119 --> 20:30.286 each other throughout the world , were 20:30.286 --> 20:32.508 operating in the Middle East in Syria , 20:32.508 --> 20:34.730 for example , uh that the we have areas 20:34.730 --> 20:37.130 up in Alaska that uh routinely either 20:37.130 --> 20:39.074 maritime or aerial vessels come in 20:39.074 --> 20:42.160 contact uh in the in the maritime areas 20:42.160 --> 20:44.271 outside of Hawaii , for example , but 20:44.271 --> 20:45.882 also obviously in Europe and 20:45.882 --> 20:47.993 particularly in Ukraine . So the fact 20:47.993 --> 20:50.049 that we operate in proximity to each 20:50.049 --> 20:52.216 other is not particularly unusual . Uh 20:52.216 --> 20:53.716 And we do try to establish 20:53.716 --> 20:55.827 deconfliction channels uh in order to 20:55.827 --> 20:57.493 make sure that our forces are 20:57.493 --> 20:59.660 physically separated and we don't have 20:59.660 --> 21:01.716 incidents like this , but there is a 21:01.716 --> 21:01.310 pattern of behavior recently where 21:01.310 --> 21:03.421 there is a little bit more aggressive 21:03.421 --> 21:05.754 actions being conducted by the Russians . 21:05.754 --> 21:07.810 Uh We think we haven't completed our 21:07.810 --> 21:09.921 analysis as to why that's happening . 21:09.921 --> 21:11.977 Uh And it wasn't just involving us , 21:11.977 --> 21:11.900 there was some incidents earlier with 21:11.900 --> 21:13.733 the British and some other other 21:13.733 --> 21:15.956 nations as well . So there is a pattern 21:15.956 --> 21:18.067 of behavior going on here and we have 21:18.067 --> 21:17.390 to figure out exactly what the way 21:17.390 --> 21:19.557 ahead is . I think that was one of the 21:19.557 --> 21:21.557 fundamental reasons for secretaries 21:21.557 --> 21:23.779 called Minister Shoigu . And one of the 21:23.779 --> 21:25.890 fundamental reasons for Michael to uh 21:25.890 --> 21:28.580 General Charisma . Go to Nancy Yousef 21:28.580 --> 21:32.180 Wall Street Journal . Thank you , 21:32.190 --> 21:34.357 General Milley . I wonder if you could 21:34.357 --> 21:36.412 clarify something you said earlier . 21:36.412 --> 21:38.468 You said the U S has a lot of allies 21:38.468 --> 21:40.634 and friends in the region um referring 21:40.634 --> 21:40.250 to the Black Sea . It might it take 21:40.250 --> 21:42.472 from that , that the U S is prepared to 21:42.472 --> 21:44.583 send or request allied ships to go in 21:44.583 --> 21:46.780 and survey and possibly recover uh the 21:46.780 --> 21:49.002 drone or is the expectation that the US 21:49.002 --> 21:51.058 has , does not intend to recover the 21:51.058 --> 21:53.280 drone . And then Secretary Austin , I'd 21:53.280 --> 21:55.502 like to um go back to some comments you 21:55.502 --> 21:57.336 made in Brussels . You said that 21:57.336 --> 21:59.447 Mahmoud was largely symbolic . Um Are 21:59.447 --> 22:01.280 you concerned that the Ukrainian 22:01.280 --> 22:03.470 investment in potentially takes away 22:03.480 --> 22:06.150 resources that could be applied to the 22:06.150 --> 22:08.560 Spring offensive and risk . Um , the 22:08.570 --> 22:11.060 outcome of that offensive . Thank you . 22:11.070 --> 22:13.790 If you don't mind , I'll go first . Uh , 22:13.800 --> 22:17.640 Nancy . I , um , first of all , let 22:17.640 --> 22:20.970 me applaud , uh , the 22:20.970 --> 22:24.120 valor , the persistence that we've seen , 22:24.130 --> 22:27.530 uh , from the Ukrainian soldiers . They 22:27.530 --> 22:29.752 have done amazing things in Bach mood . 22:30.310 --> 22:32.477 I think the Russians have been working 22:32.477 --> 22:34.699 to take back mood for some seven months 22:34.699 --> 22:36.754 or so now and they haven't been very 22:36.754 --> 22:39.300 successful and that's because of the 22:39.300 --> 22:42.180 diligence , the commitment , the focus 22:42.180 --> 22:44.970 of the Ukrainian soldiers 22:48.580 --> 22:51.610 in terms of the significance of Bach 22:51.610 --> 22:54.510 mood . I would say I would point to the 22:54.510 --> 22:56.900 fact that President Zelensky is 22:56.900 --> 22:59.180 fighting this fight and he will make 22:59.180 --> 23:02.230 the calls on what's important and 23:02.230 --> 23:04.870 what's not important to his forces and 23:04.880 --> 23:07.160 whether he needs to reposition or 23:07.160 --> 23:10.020 remain in bach mood . The point that I 23:10.020 --> 23:12.700 would make is if he does make a call to 23:12.700 --> 23:14.811 reposition at some point in time , it 23:14.811 --> 23:18.170 doesn't mean that the war is lost . Uh 23:18.180 --> 23:20.700 It may mean and probably will mean that 23:20.700 --> 23:24.390 he is positioning himself to maintain 23:24.400 --> 23:28.190 uh advantage . And so I think that's 23:28.190 --> 23:30.412 the real key there , but whether or not 23:30.412 --> 23:32.510 he stays there or how long they stay 23:32.510 --> 23:34.510 there , that's Presidents Alinsky's 23:34.510 --> 23:36.980 call and not , you know , not anybody 23:36.980 --> 23:39.290 else's . And again , our goal is to 23:39.290 --> 23:41.512 make sure that we're supporting him and 23:41.512 --> 23:43.679 whatever decision he's got battlefield 23:43.679 --> 23:45.790 decision he's gonna make . And by the 23:45.790 --> 23:47.957 way , we're generating combat power to 23:47.957 --> 23:50.068 a degree that we believe that it will 23:50.068 --> 23:52.123 provide them opportunities to change 23:52.123 --> 23:54.346 the dynamics on the battlefield at some 23:54.346 --> 23:56.401 point going forward , whatever point 23:56.401 --> 23:58.568 that is whatever , you know , whatever 23:58.568 --> 24:00.790 they want to do in the future , I think 24:00.790 --> 24:02.734 the platforms , the training , the 24:02.734 --> 24:04.679 sustainment , the maintenance that 24:04.679 --> 24:06.710 we're providing is it will make a 24:06.720 --> 24:09.080 significant difference . And as we work 24:09.080 --> 24:11.460 through all of this with our allies and 24:11.460 --> 24:13.793 partners in detail today in the meeting , 24:13.793 --> 24:16.730 uh we are on pace and that's in large 24:16.730 --> 24:19.630 measure due to the 24:19.640 --> 24:22.140 professionalism of our forces who are 24:22.150 --> 24:24.330 conducting the training and equipping 24:24.340 --> 24:27.900 but also forces around the around 24:27.900 --> 24:30.350 Europe . As the chairman pointed out 24:30.360 --> 24:32.582 there , there are a number of countries 24:32.582 --> 24:34.670 that are conducting training in , in 24:34.670 --> 24:36.670 their countries . They're providing 24:36.670 --> 24:38.892 various platforms . Uh And uh and we're 24:38.892 --> 24:40.781 really focused on how we're gonna 24:40.781 --> 24:42.948 sustain those platforms as well . So , 24:43.510 --> 24:45.732 and Nancy , on the question of recovery 24:45.732 --> 24:47.843 piece , I wouldn't read too much into 24:47.843 --> 24:49.843 what I said , we do have allies and 24:49.843 --> 24:51.843 friends in the region . Uh We don't 24:51.843 --> 24:53.954 have any naval surface vessels in the 24:53.954 --> 24:56.066 Black Sea at this time . Uh And we'll 24:56.066 --> 24:58.121 work up options . But as I said , at 24:58.121 --> 24:58.060 the outset , this is probably about 24:58.060 --> 25:00.370 four or 5000 ft of water . Uh And it 25:00.370 --> 25:02.481 probably don't know for certain yet . 25:02.481 --> 25:05.720 It'll be days before we have actual 25:05.720 --> 25:07.664 facts on the on the impact on what 25:07.664 --> 25:10.700 debris is there probably sank uh uh to 25:10.700 --> 25:12.680 some significant depths . So any 25:12.680 --> 25:14.680 recovery operation from a technical 25:14.680 --> 25:16.736 standpoint , we're very difficult if 25:16.736 --> 25:18.680 there is reason to believe that we 25:18.680 --> 25:20.736 could or recover something that will 25:20.736 --> 25:22.791 work up options for the Secretary of 25:22.791 --> 25:22.600 the President to consider and we'll 25:22.600 --> 25:24.433 move from there . But we do have 25:24.433 --> 25:26.656 options . We do have friends and allies 25:26.656 --> 25:28.878 in the region . Okay . We have time for 25:28.878 --> 25:30.711 one more . Let's go to costume . 25:33.480 --> 25:35.480 Thank you very much for your time . 25:35.480 --> 25:37.990 Gentlemen , I have two questions , 25:38.000 --> 25:41.240 Chairman Lee , you were in Syria 25:41.250 --> 25:44.500 earlier this month and that visit hit a 25:44.500 --> 25:46.940 lot of headlines in Turkey . And 25:46.940 --> 25:49.440 eventually the Turkish Ministry of 25:49.440 --> 25:51.440 Foreign Affairs summoned ambassador 25:51.440 --> 25:53.440 flake to the ministry to provide an 25:53.440 --> 25:55.980 explanation . What was the message 25:55.990 --> 25:59.280 behind your visit , sir ? And to 25:59.280 --> 26:02.750 secretary Austin Turkiye has requested 26:02.760 --> 26:05.970 to buy new F16 and also 26:05.980 --> 26:08.550 modernization kids for its existing 26:08.550 --> 26:12.120 fleet . Uh and Ankara is saying that 26:12.280 --> 26:15.830 Lack of approval as soon as possible 26:15.840 --> 26:17.840 will not only undermine the Turkish 26:17.840 --> 26:20.062 national security but also the security 26:20.062 --> 26:23.180 of NATO . So I would , I would , I 26:23.180 --> 26:25.730 would , I would like to ask your assess 26:25.730 --> 26:28.230 your insights on this assessment and 26:28.230 --> 26:31.900 your thoughts about providing block 26:31.900 --> 26:34.480 70 of 16 to Turkey . Thank you . 26:35.930 --> 26:39.580 Yeah , Turkey's NATO ally . And uh we 26:39.580 --> 26:42.660 have a strong long standing , strong 26:42.660 --> 26:44.860 relationship with Turkey and we intend 26:44.860 --> 26:47.320 to do everything possible to keep it 26:47.320 --> 26:50.460 that way . Um It's really important to 26:50.460 --> 26:53.770 us that we maintain interoperability 26:53.780 --> 26:57.050 between our NATO allies and and so that 26:57.050 --> 26:59.220 will always be a focus . It'll always 26:59.220 --> 27:03.140 be a priority . Um As you 27:03.150 --> 27:07.010 know , typically we don't comment on 27:07.010 --> 27:10.420 any pending uh equipment 27:10.420 --> 27:13.750 sales prior to Congress being notified . 27:13.750 --> 27:16.750 So I don't have any comments to make on , 27:16.760 --> 27:20.060 on that particular FMS case . Uh But , 27:20.070 --> 27:22.237 but again , I would just highlight the 27:22.237 --> 27:24.680 fact that Turkey remains a very 27:24.680 --> 27:27.350 valuable partner and we'll make sure 27:27.350 --> 27:29.461 that we're doing everything we can to 27:29.461 --> 27:31.794 continue to strengthen our relationship . 27:31.794 --> 27:34.910 And um for my visit , it was nothing 27:34.910 --> 27:36.854 more than a routine troop visit to 27:36.854 --> 27:39.200 determine uh the task purpose mission 27:39.210 --> 27:41.321 to go out and check on that , see how 27:41.321 --> 27:43.432 we're doing . Uh and to assess things 27:43.432 --> 27:45.377 like force protection , etcetera . 27:45.377 --> 27:47.488 We've got almost 1000 troops in Syria 27:47.488 --> 27:49.543 and , and they are at risk . Uh They 27:49.543 --> 27:51.543 are attacked from time to time with 27:51.543 --> 27:53.654 various types of munitions by various 27:53.654 --> 27:55.821 actors that are in the area of Syria . 27:55.821 --> 27:57.988 So I want to go over and check on them 27:57.988 --> 28:00.043 and to make sure that the mission is 28:00.043 --> 27:59.910 validated and , and then come back and 27:59.910 --> 28:02.021 report to the secretary . And what is 28:02.021 --> 28:04.188 with respect to Turkey . Turkey in the 28:04.188 --> 28:06.243 United States have a common interest 28:06.243 --> 28:08.410 here and we have had a common interest 28:08.410 --> 28:08.060 for years . We've been there for years 28:08.220 --> 28:10.276 and the common interest is to ensure 28:10.276 --> 28:12.710 the enduring defeat of Isis Isis . The 28:12.710 --> 28:16.050 Caliphate was destroyed . But the 28:16.050 --> 28:18.161 organization , there's still remnants 28:18.161 --> 28:20.217 of that organization over there . Uh 28:20.217 --> 28:22.383 There's still refugee camps and prison 28:22.383 --> 28:24.550 camps that are there that were helping 28:24.550 --> 28:26.772 out folks training folks to help secure 28:26.772 --> 28:28.994 this . So it's in our interest and it's 28:28.994 --> 28:31.328 in the , it's in Turkey's interest . Uh , 28:31.328 --> 28:31.180 and , and it's for sure , something 28:31.180 --> 28:33.347 that I needed to do and it's , uh it's 28:33.347 --> 28:35.513 appropriately uh perfectly appropriate 28:35.513 --> 28:37.736 for the chairman to go check on how the 28:37.736 --> 28:39.680 forces are doing , especially when 28:39.680 --> 28:42.110 they're in harm's way . Secretary 28:42.110 --> 28:44.277 Austin General Milley . Thank you very 28:44.277 --> 28:46.388 much , gentlemen . This concludes the 28:46.388 --> 28:46.100 time we have available today . Thank 28:46.100 --> 28:48.900 you very much .