WEBVTT

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Take good morning , everyone

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and welcome to the 11th meeting of the

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Ukraine defense contact group . It's

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been nearly a year since this group

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first met right here at Ramstein and I

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hear that many of you refer to this as

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the Ramstein forum . So it feels right

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that we're back here to reaffirm our

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shared unity in our resolve .

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Now , this contact group started from a

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place of moral clarity .

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We see Putin's war for what it is and

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that is an unprovoked and indefensible

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war of aggression against a peaceful

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sovereign and democratic neighbor .

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Ukraine has been fighting bravely to

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defend its people , its sovereignty and

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its freedom and countries from around

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the world have condemned Russia's

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atrocities and aggression and stood up

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for an open world of rules and rights .

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Ladies and gentlemen , more than a year

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later , Ukraine is still standing

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strong and our support has not wavered

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and I'm proud of the progress that we

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have made together in total . The

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members of this contact group have

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provided more than $55 billion in

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security assistance for Ukraine .

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That's a 10 fold increase since we

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first met just in the past few months .

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We provided the equipment and training

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to support an additional nine armored

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brigades for Ukraine . And that has

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already strengthened Ukraine's position

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on the battlefield . A European

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consortium is donating leopard tanks

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and countries continue to coordinate

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through the contact group on providing

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ammunition and maintenance for those

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tanks . And so this contact group also

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provided key air defense systems to

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protect Ukraine's skies and citizens

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and critical infrastructure that

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includes patriot systems from the

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United States and Germany and the

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Netherlands , Sam T from Italy and

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France and NAAM from Canada and Norway .

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We've also improved training and

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sustainment and the power of our

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industrial basis . And throughout ,

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we've demonstrated our unity and

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determination , our common efforts have

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made a huge difference to Ukraine's

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defenders on the battlefield and they

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underscored just how badly the Kremlin

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miscalculated . Putin thought that he

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could easily topple Kev's

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democratically elected government .

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He thought that the wider world would

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let him get away with it . He thought

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that our unity would splinter but he

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was wrong on each and every count .

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And as we come together again at

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Ramstein , the world hears our

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voices loud and clear .

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The world sees what we've achieved

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together . The Ukrainian military

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stands tall with capability and courage

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after more than a year of Russian

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aggression and deceit , this contact

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group is as united as ever and more

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global than ever in our support for the

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forces of freedom in Ukraine holds

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strong and true .

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Now , I know that many of you have been

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following the reports of unauthorized

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disclosure of sensitive and classified

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us material . I take this issue

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very seriously and we will continue to

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work closely and respectfully with our

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deeply valued allies and partners .

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As I've discussed this issue with our

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allies and partners , I've been struck

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by your solidarity in your commitment

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to reject efforts to divide us and

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we will not let anything fracture our

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unity . Now ,

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we're joined again by my good friend

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Alexi Reznikoff of Ukraine and Alex .

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We're looking forward to hearing

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directly from you and your team on the

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state of the battlefield and your most

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urgent requirements . I also want to

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thank each country joining us today .

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You've shown that nations of goodwill

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from around the world reject Russia's

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cruelty and aggression and many of you

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have dug deep in your own stocks to

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provide assistance to Ukraine and some

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of our allies like Estonia and Latvia

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have donated more than 1% of their GDP

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to Ukraine's cost . The European

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Union recently announced an important

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initiative to ramp up the industrial

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production of ammunition through and

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through the work of our national

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armaments director directors , many

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more countries are also boosting their

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production of the ammunition that

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Ukraine so urgently needs .

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Now , earlier this week , the United

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States announced our 36th presidential

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drawdown of security assistance for

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Ukraine valued at $325 million .

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So we've now provided more than $35

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billion in security assistance to

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Ukraine since Russia's full scale

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invasion began . And in this last

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package , we've included more

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ammunition for high mars , additional

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155 millimeter and 15 millimeter

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artillery rounds and important anti

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armor capabilities . In every step of

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the way , we remain focused on ensuring

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the accountability of our assistance

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along with our Ukrainian partners .

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Now , at today's contact group meeting ,

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we'll focus on three key issues , air

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defense ammunition

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and enablers and Ukraine urgently needs

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our help to shield its citizens and

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infrastructure and forces from Russia's

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missile threat . I also look forward to

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getting an update from General Ato our

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commander of the security Assistance

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Group . Ukraine on our work to build

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Ukraine's armored combat power . We'll

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also hear an update on our progress

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toward maintaining Ukraine's equipment

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for the long term . So we all know

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what's at stake . And for more than a

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year , Ukraine's forces have defended

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their country and their fellow citizens ,

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but they've also defended the basic

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principle that autocrats don't just get

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to assault their smaller neighbors and

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the value and skill of Ukraine's troops

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have inspired the world from the battle

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of Kiev to the liberation of Kirsan .

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Ukraine has shown again and again , the

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power of a free people fighting to

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defend their rights and Ukraine will

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continue to fight just as bravely going

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forward . And all of us have come

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together to stand up for Ukraine and

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for a world based on rules and rights

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we reject Putin's grand vision of a

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world where tyrants get to assault

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their peaceful neighbors and tried to

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impose self declared spheres of

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influence at gun point .

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Ladies and gentlemen , this contact

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group is still guided by moral clarity

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together . We will make sure that

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Ukraine has what it needs to live in

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freedom together . We will defend the

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rules based international order that

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keeps us all secure and together , we

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will support Ukraine for as long as it

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takes . Thanks for being

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here and I will pause and let our

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friends in the media department .