WEBVTT 00:05.059 --> 00:07.226 Uh good afternoon everyone . Thank you 00:07.226 --> 00:09.392 very much for being here today . It is 00:09.392 --> 00:11.503 my pleasure to introduce Secretary of 00:11.503 --> 00:13.448 Defense Lloyd J . Austin III . The 00:13.448 --> 00:15.615 secretary will deliver opening remarks 00:15.615 --> 00:17.781 and then we'll have time to take a few 00:17.781 --> 00:19.781 questions . Please note that I will 00:19.781 --> 00:21.837 moderate those questions and call on 00:21.837 --> 00:23.948 journalists . Secretary Austin , over 00:23.948 --> 00:26.115 to you , sir . Well , good afternoon , 00:26.115 --> 00:28.392 everyone . Thanks for joining us today . 00:28.392 --> 00:30.840 And I know that all Americans are 00:30.840 --> 00:32.729 thinking today of President Jimmy 00:32.729 --> 00:35.860 Carter . On this national day of 00:35.860 --> 00:39.549 mourning . He was a great son of my 00:39.549 --> 00:43.180 home state of Georgia . A man of deep 00:43.180 --> 00:46.450 faith . And a tireless champion . 00:47.330 --> 00:49.689 Of democracy and human rights . 00:51.150 --> 00:53.540 And I hope that President Carter's 00:53.540 --> 00:56.819 legacy . We will continue to inspire 00:56.819 --> 01:00.180 people around the world . To find their 01:00.180 --> 01:01.450 own ways to serve . 01:04.349 --> 01:07.389 Now , all Americans are also watching . 01:08.089 --> 01:10.239 The terrifying wildfires that are 01:10.239 --> 01:13.510 ripping . Through parts of Southern 01:13.510 --> 01:16.800 California . The department will 01:16.800 --> 01:20.089 continue to stand ready to surge 01:20.089 --> 01:23.760 support as needed . That includes 01:23.760 --> 01:26.839 federal air assets that California can 01:26.839 --> 01:29.061 request to help fight the fire from the 01:29.061 --> 01:32.139 sky . And many US military 01:32.139 --> 01:35.209 installations are in the area . And 01:35.209 --> 01:37.376 they have personnel and equipment that 01:37.376 --> 01:40.959 can also Be used to fight this awful 01:40.959 --> 01:44.930 blaze . We stand with 01:44.930 --> 01:48.169 the people of California . In this 01:48.169 --> 01:49.169 terrible time . 01:52.290 --> 01:54.919 Now we've just wrapped up the 25th 01:54.919 --> 01:57.449 meeting . Of the Ukraine Defense 01:57.449 --> 02:01.080 Contact Group . And of course that 02:01.080 --> 02:04.599 was my final time convening this 02:04.599 --> 02:06.821 contact group as Secretary of Defense . 02:08.548 --> 02:11.339 And I ended our session by challenging 02:12.059 --> 02:14.098 this history-making coalition to 02:14.098 --> 02:16.458 continue to support Ukraine . 02:18.279 --> 02:20.335 So I'd like to say a few words about 02:20.335 --> 02:23.899 that challenge . But I also want to 02:23.899 --> 02:26.850 take a few minutes to reflect . On how 02:26.850 --> 02:30.440 far we've come . You 02:30.440 --> 02:32.839 know , throughout the day , I've been 02:32.839 --> 02:35.759 thinking back to our very first meeting 02:35.759 --> 02:39.630 here at Ramstein . We gather on April 02:39.630 --> 02:43.559 26 , 2022 , nearly 1000 days 02:43.559 --> 02:47.389 ago . The world was reeling 02:48.059 --> 02:50.003 from the shock of Putin's imperial 02:50.003 --> 02:53.369 aggression . The Kremlin had 02:53.369 --> 02:57.350 invaded . The 2nd largest country 02:57.350 --> 03:00.919 in Europe . With the largest military 03:00.919 --> 03:04.809 in Europe . Russian troops had 03:04.809 --> 03:07.130 just massacred Ukrainian civilians in . 03:09.940 --> 03:12.330 And many pundits said that Ukraine was 03:12.330 --> 03:16.160 doomed . President Biden 03:16.160 --> 03:19.550 saw a way forward . Paid by 03:19.550 --> 03:22.330 Ukrainian courage . And allied 03:22.330 --> 03:26.330 commitment . And I came to Ramstein 03:26.330 --> 03:28.399 after a secret visit to Ukraine with 03:28.399 --> 03:31.600 Secretary Blinken . We were 03:31.600 --> 03:34.949 in Kiev during Orthodox Easter . 03:36.259 --> 03:38.750 And Ukrainian citizens were huddled in 03:38.750 --> 03:42.309 churches to pray . Ukrainian 03:42.309 --> 03:45.669 leaders huddled in bunkers to plan . 03:47.070 --> 03:49.419 I heard directly from Ukraine's most 03:49.419 --> 03:51.809 senior leaders what it needed most . 03:52.830 --> 03:54.663 From President Zaleski on down . 03:56.750 --> 03:59.210 Now in the days after Putin's all out 03:59.210 --> 04:02.850 invasion , many countries were 04:02.850 --> 04:05.279 flooding Ukraine with ad hoc donations 04:05.729 --> 04:09.660 of ammo and other capabilities . But 04:09.660 --> 04:12.770 I knew that if Ukraine was to survive , 04:13.800 --> 04:15.911 We needed to coordinate that security 04:15.911 --> 04:19.359 assistance . And we needed to do so . 04:20.220 --> 04:23.029 In a way that met the evolving nature 04:23.029 --> 04:27.010 of the fight . So I 04:27.010 --> 04:30.809 convened nations of goodwill right here 04:30.809 --> 04:34.649 at Ramstein . And I carried with me the 04:34.649 --> 04:37.269 urgency that I heard in Kiev . 04:38.440 --> 04:39.630 Just hours earlier . 04:42.279 --> 04:46.070 So I opened our hastily arranged 04:46.329 --> 04:50.049 first meeting . By urging some 40 04:50.049 --> 04:53.410 countries . To build a common 04:53.410 --> 04:55.500 understanding of the situation in 04:55.500 --> 04:59.339 Ukraine . And today this contact 04:59.339 --> 05:03.160 group . Provides more than a common 05:03.160 --> 05:06.660 understanding . It provides a common 05:06.660 --> 05:10.600 cause . And today some 50 countries are 05:10.600 --> 05:13.899 conscious . are coordinating closely 05:13.899 --> 05:17.799 with Ukraine to send vital , consistent , 05:18.369 --> 05:20.536 and cutting edge security assistance . 05:22.290 --> 05:24.480 And that has helped Ukraine . 05:26.760 --> 05:28.982 Turn Ukraine's struggle into one of the 05:28.982 --> 05:31.179 great military success stories of our 05:31.179 --> 05:32.179 time . 05:35.220 --> 05:36.831 Ukrainian military has shown 05:36.831 --> 05:40.140 breathtaking courage . And the 05:40.140 --> 05:43.299 Ukrainian people have shown magnificent 05:43.630 --> 05:47.529 defiance . Ukraine's cause 05:47.529 --> 05:50.170 has inspired free people everywhere , 05:50.500 --> 05:54.440 including in my country . And you know 05:54.440 --> 05:56.607 back in the desperate days of February 05:56.607 --> 06:00.200 2022 . Ukrainian 06:00.200 --> 06:02.540 citizens were making Molotov cocktails 06:02.540 --> 06:06.420 to defend their homes . But today 06:06.420 --> 06:08.531 with the help of this contact group , 06:09.640 --> 06:12.109 Ukraine has a battle-tested military 06:12.109 --> 06:15.350 and a booming defense industrial base . 06:17.429 --> 06:19.596 We're meeting the most urgent needs of 06:19.596 --> 06:22.190 Ukraine's troops even as we're building 06:22.190 --> 06:26.179 Ukraine's future force . And over the 06:26.179 --> 06:29.040 past 3 years we've helped coordinate 06:29.040 --> 06:31.100 striking improvements to Ukraine's 06:31.100 --> 06:34.890 capabilities . All while managing our 06:34.890 --> 06:38.339 own readiness . Now 06:38.769 --> 06:41.570 we know that no single capability will 06:41.570 --> 06:44.980 turn the tide . So we have always 06:44.980 --> 06:48.140 stayed focused on what works . And on 06:48.140 --> 06:50.670 the combined effect of Ukraine's 06:50.670 --> 06:54.250 capabilities . You know 06:54.250 --> 06:56.440 Ukraine has started to fly 4th 06:56.440 --> 06:59.859 generation fighter jets . It now 06:59.859 --> 07:03.480 feels Advanced Western air defense 07:03.480 --> 07:06.989 capabilities . And it produces and 07:06.989 --> 07:09.429 operates state of the art unmanned 07:09.429 --> 07:13.339 systems . All of this 07:13.339 --> 07:15.589 positions Ukraine to defeat Russian 07:15.589 --> 07:19.540 aggression today . And to deter Russian 07:19.540 --> 07:23.450 aggression tomorrow . And so our 07:23.450 --> 07:25.859 work has changed the course of history . 07:28.209 --> 07:31.769 Now I am deeply proud of the assistance 07:31.769 --> 07:34.089 that the United States has provided to 07:34.089 --> 07:37.600 Ukraine . President Biden's support for 07:37.600 --> 07:41.269 Ukraine has never flagged . And Ukraine 07:41.269 --> 07:44.579 has also had strong bipartisan support 07:44.579 --> 07:47.950 in Congress . Since February 07:47.950 --> 07:50.549 2022 we have stayed laser focused on 07:50.549 --> 07:53.309 providing Ukraine's defenders with the 07:53.309 --> 07:55.670 capabilities that they have needed at 07:55.670 --> 07:57.910 each stage of the fight . First , 07:59.950 --> 08:01.989 Artillery and rockets have been 08:01.989 --> 08:05.959 fundamental to this war . Since 2022 , 08:06.040 --> 08:08.640 the United States has provided Ukraine 08:08.640 --> 08:12.239 with more than 2 million artillery 08:12.239 --> 08:14.720 rounds and more than 20,000 rockets . 08:15.989 --> 08:19.250 All while maintaining The readiness of 08:19.250 --> 08:20.329 our own forces . 08:23.179 --> 08:26.690 Secondly , we relentlessly 08:27.260 --> 08:29.829 pushed to provide Ukraine with air 08:29.829 --> 08:33.140 defense systems and missiles to defend 08:33.140 --> 08:37.099 its skies , its cities , and civilians . 08:39.278 --> 08:41.479 Third , the department is working to 08:41.479 --> 08:44.989 support Ukraine's drone industry . And 08:44.989 --> 08:47.530 4th , we searched other critical 08:47.530 --> 08:50.289 capabilities to Ukraine , including 08:50.289 --> 08:53.619 Hamars . Ground combat 08:53.619 --> 08:57.549 vehicles . Javelins and much , 08:57.559 --> 09:01.390 much more . And time and again 09:01.390 --> 09:04.669 we've seen the huge significance of 09:04.669 --> 09:06.891 these combined capabilities . In fact , 09:07.429 --> 09:09.485 many of these lower key capabilities 09:09.485 --> 09:11.770 have had a far greater battlefield 09:11.770 --> 09:14.429 impact than some higher profile systems 09:14.429 --> 09:16.429 that we've also helped to provide . 09:17.739 --> 09:20.609 Including F-16s and Abrahams tanks and 09:20.609 --> 09:24.390 attacks . In a war like this . 09:25.989 --> 09:29.469 No single capability is game changing . 09:31.809 --> 09:35.150 As I said in Kiev in October . What 09:35.150 --> 09:37.989 matters is the combined effects of your 09:37.989 --> 09:40.390 military capabilities and staying 09:40.390 --> 09:43.950 focused on what works even as the fight 09:43.950 --> 09:47.890 evolves . Now the 09:47.890 --> 09:49.609 Ukraine crisis exposed some 09:49.609 --> 09:52.960 shortcomings in our Defense industrial 09:52.960 --> 09:56.150 base . We've still got a lot more work 09:56.150 --> 09:59.820 to do . But we have galvanized 09:59.820 --> 10:03.239 our own defense industry . Investing 10:03.239 --> 10:06.869 nearly $70 billion . At 10:06.869 --> 10:09.520 home To produce capabilities for 10:09.520 --> 10:11.700 Ukraine and replenish our own stocks . 10:14.049 --> 10:17.239 And so we still face major challenges 10:17.239 --> 10:20.320 ahead . But as a founder of this 10:20.320 --> 10:23.340 contact group , I am very proud of the 10:23.340 --> 10:25.451 way that our allies and partners have 10:25.451 --> 10:28.390 stepped up . Since April of 10:28.390 --> 10:32.059 2022 . The contact group's other 10:32.059 --> 10:35.219 members have committed more than $60 10:35.219 --> 10:37.330 billion in direct security assistance 10:37.330 --> 10:41.250 to Ukraine . Ukraine's needs on 10:41.250 --> 10:43.361 the battlefield have evolved over the 10:43.361 --> 10:45.650 past 2.5 years . And so have the 10:45.650 --> 10:47.483 contributions of the coalition . 10:49.619 --> 10:53.539 Denmark , Finland . Germany , the 10:53.539 --> 10:56.510 Netherlands , Norway , Poland , 10:56.880 --> 10:59.900 Sweden , and Spain have joined to 10:59.900 --> 11:02.233 provide Ukraine with more leopard tanks . 11:04.010 --> 11:06.890 Germany has developed and led its 11:06.890 --> 11:08.668 immediate action on air defense 11:08.668 --> 11:11.859 initiative . Which has spurred partners 11:11.859 --> 11:14.081 to pledge more than a billion dollars . 11:14.719 --> 11:16.719 To support Ukraine's air defenses . 11:18.770 --> 11:21.719 The Czech Republic has led a dozen 11:21.719 --> 11:24.309 countries . In surging critical 11:24.309 --> 11:27.179 munitions through the Czech initiative . 11:28.510 --> 11:30.399 Which coordinated the delivery of 11:30.399 --> 11:32.960 hundreds of thousands of rounds of 11:32.960 --> 11:34.793 artillery ammunition last year . 11:37.500 --> 11:39.333 Denmark and the Netherlands have 11:39.333 --> 11:42.070 provided Ukraine's first F-16 fighter 11:42.070 --> 11:45.549 jets . And Canada , 11:45.919 --> 11:49.880 Denmark , France , Romania , the UK 11:49.880 --> 11:52.599 and the US have found creative ways to 11:52.599 --> 11:54.080 train Ukrainian pilots . 11:57.039 --> 12:00.500 And Ukraine's partners Have provided 12:00.500 --> 12:03.530 broad and sustained support from 12:04.140 --> 12:07.030 Patriot and Hawk air defense systems to 12:07.030 --> 12:10.859 thousands of armored vehicles . And so 12:10.859 --> 12:13.840 all told , Contact group members have 12:13.840 --> 12:17.760 committed more than $126 billion in 12:17.760 --> 12:19.593 security assistance to Ukraine . 12:20.780 --> 12:23.260 They've expanded production capacity in 12:23.260 --> 12:26.510 factories around the world . And 12:26.510 --> 12:28.500 they've raced in sustainment 12:29.150 --> 12:31.390 capabilities to keep Ukraine's 12:31.390 --> 12:32.779 equipment in the fight . 12:35.979 --> 12:37.969 So this coalition 12:39.820 --> 12:43.330 Has become the arsenal . of 12:43.330 --> 12:44.679 Ukrainian democracy . 12:47.380 --> 12:49.640 It has become an engine of global 12:49.640 --> 12:53.349 security . And this contact group . 12:54.289 --> 12:56.750 Has become the most consequential 12:56.750 --> 12:59.070 global coalition in more than 30 years . 13:02.619 --> 13:04.809 The contact group's mission is now 13:04.809 --> 13:07.409 driven by its capability coalitions . 13:08.479 --> 13:10.201 With support from the National 13:10.201 --> 13:14.150 Armaments directors . And 13:14.150 --> 13:17.989 today 14 countries . And Ukraine 13:17.989 --> 13:21.799 lead these important coalitions . They 13:21.799 --> 13:24.510 focus on Ukraine's air force . 13:25.500 --> 13:27.960 Armor Artillery 13:28.869 --> 13:31.539 Demining Drones 13:32.320 --> 13:36.090 Information technology . Integrated air 13:36.090 --> 13:38.710 and missile defense and maritime 13:38.710 --> 13:42.099 security . And today the ministers of 13:42.099 --> 13:45.500 defense here endorsed each of these 13:45.500 --> 13:48.309 each of the coalition's road map for 13:48.309 --> 13:51.140 Ukraine's future force . Now 13:52.280 --> 13:55.690 each road map lays out an 13:55.690 --> 13:59.150 efficient and sustainable approach . To 13:59.150 --> 14:03.070 helping meet Ukraine's long term and 14:03.070 --> 14:04.830 near-term capability needs . 14:07.309 --> 14:09.420 And that's how this contact group has 14:09.420 --> 14:12.190 produced so much progress . By working 14:12.190 --> 14:14.400 together for our shared security 14:14.400 --> 14:17.789 interests and by standing together for 14:17.789 --> 14:19.469 our shared principles . 14:22.030 --> 14:24.429 And the battlefield results have been 14:24.429 --> 14:28.330 playing . Since 2022 . 14:29.469 --> 14:31.440 Russia has suffered more than 14:31.440 --> 14:35.369 700,000 casualties in Ukraine . 14:37.289 --> 14:40.489 Now , that's more than Moscow has 14:40.489 --> 14:43.530 endured . In all of its conflicts since 14:43.530 --> 14:46.510 World War II . Combined 14:48.919 --> 14:52.309 Russian casualties in Ukraine . Now 14:52.309 --> 14:55.789 surpassed 2/3 of the total strength of 14:55.789 --> 14:57.845 the Russian military at the start of 14:57.845 --> 14:59.178 Putin's war of choice . 15:01.940 --> 15:04.770 In November 2024 alone . 15:06.020 --> 15:09.900 Russia lost nearly 1500 troops a 15:09.900 --> 15:12.640 day . You know , 15:12.770 --> 15:16.000 volunteers cannot make up for these 15:16.000 --> 15:19.650 stunning losses . And so the Kremlin 15:20.020 --> 15:22.780 has been reduced to scouring Russia's 15:22.780 --> 15:25.450 jails and coercing contract soldiers . 15:27.530 --> 15:29.474 Moscow has even rushed troops from 15:29.474 --> 15:32.530 North Korea into a war that They don't 15:32.530 --> 15:36.280 belong in . That's 15:36.280 --> 15:38.479 another clear sign of Putin's 15:38.479 --> 15:42.479 desperation . North 15:42.479 --> 15:46.039 Korean forces . have suffered 15:47.030 --> 15:50.369 More than 1000 casualties since 15:51.419 --> 15:54.659 they enlisted last December in Putin's 15:54.659 --> 15:56.659 war . And of course there are other 15:56.659 --> 15:59.070 estimates that are far north of that . 16:01.840 --> 16:04.039 Meanwhile , the economic cost to 16:04.039 --> 16:07.000 ordinary Russians of Putin's imperial 16:07.000 --> 16:09.719 fantasies has also been staggering . 16:11.210 --> 16:14.679 The Kremlin plans to spend about 40% of 16:14.679 --> 16:18.130 Russia's 2025 budget . To keep up with 16:18.130 --> 16:20.570 the contract group's support to Ukraine . 16:21.969 --> 16:25.820 Now that's a 25% increase . From 16:25.820 --> 16:29.820 last year . Meanwhile , 16:29.900 --> 16:31.859 the Russian ruble has continued to 16:31.859 --> 16:35.729 plummet . The Kremlin has become 16:35.729 --> 16:39.530 more isolated . And Russia's global 16:39.530 --> 16:43.039 stature and strategic position 16:43.630 --> 16:47.460 have continued to decay . And so 16:47.460 --> 16:49.869 Russia has paid an appalling price . 16:51.200 --> 16:52.880 For this indefensible war . 16:55.780 --> 16:59.109 Yet Putin has not achieved . A single 16:59.109 --> 17:01.630 one of his strategic objectives , not 17:01.630 --> 17:05.599 one . In fact , Putin was so bogged 17:05.599 --> 17:08.829 down in Ukraine that when the vicious 17:08.829 --> 17:11.790 Assad dictatorship in Syria collapsed 17:12.239 --> 17:15.400 after more than 50 years , All he could 17:15.400 --> 17:16.550 do was watch . 17:19.420 --> 17:21.869 Russian troops had to race to haul 17:21.869 --> 17:24.036 equipment and personnel out of Syria . 17:24.819 --> 17:27.219 Which had once been a centerpiece of 17:27.219 --> 17:29.219 the Kremlin's global ambitions . 17:31.530 --> 17:33.419 Putin's failure to save the Assad 17:33.419 --> 17:36.550 regime is a stark warning . To the few 17:36.550 --> 17:38.660 remaining countries that might align 17:38.660 --> 17:40.327 themselves with the Kremlin . 17:43.530 --> 17:47.449 Now I am deeply mindful . 17:48.859 --> 17:51.520 Of the anguish that Putin has inflicted 17:51.520 --> 17:55.229 on Ukraine . For 17:55.229 --> 17:58.390 Ukraine These have been years of 17:58.390 --> 18:01.479 tragedy . of entirely 18:01.479 --> 18:04.800 unnecessary agony caused by one man's 18:05.260 --> 18:06.349 imperial greed . 18:09.439 --> 18:11.589 In my final hours at Ramstein as 18:11.589 --> 18:15.219 Secretary of Defense . I mourn 18:15.219 --> 18:18.979 for every Ukrainian man , woman , 18:19.060 --> 18:22.439 and child . Killed in 18:22.439 --> 18:24.069 Putin's murderous war . 18:26.719 --> 18:29.310 And I salute the Ukrainian troops who 18:29.310 --> 18:31.650 are fighting so bravely for their 18:31.650 --> 18:33.428 country and for their freedom . 18:35.949 --> 18:38.116 And this coalition has had their backs 18:38.116 --> 18:41.339 for nearly 3 hard years of war . 18:42.500 --> 18:46.500 And we must not stop now . So 18:48.229 --> 18:50.285 I'm leaving this contact group , not 18:50.285 --> 18:52.562 with a farewell , but with a challenge . 18:54.180 --> 18:56.650 The coalition to support Ukraine must 18:56.650 --> 19:00.479 not flinch . It must not falter . And 19:00.479 --> 19:04.280 it must not fail . Ukraine's 19:04.280 --> 19:08.209 survival is on the line . But so is all 19:08.209 --> 19:11.859 of our security . Putin wants to 19:11.859 --> 19:15.430 avenge a fallen empire . And to 19:15.869 --> 19:19.540 rebuild it . The 19:19.540 --> 19:23.020 Kremlin's assault . Starts with 19:23.020 --> 19:25.780 Ukraine . But it will not end there . 19:27.380 --> 19:29.079 And the dangers are global . 19:31.369 --> 19:33.329 Putin wants a world where empire 19:33.329 --> 19:37.109 tramples sovereignty . A world 19:37.109 --> 19:40.969 where conquest . Trump's human rights . 19:42.560 --> 19:44.949 A world where tyranny bulldozes 19:44.949 --> 19:45.680 democracy . 19:49.699 --> 19:51.866 Every autocrat on Earth is watching to 19:51.866 --> 19:53.977 see whether Putin gets away with it . 19:55.589 --> 19:57.579 And so this coalition 19:58.969 --> 20:01.560 Must continue to stand four square with 20:01.560 --> 20:04.930 Ukraine . And to strengthen Ukraine's 20:04.930 --> 20:07.609 hand for the negotiations that will 20:07.609 --> 20:10.410 someday bring Putin's monstrous war to 20:10.410 --> 20:14.050 a close . Now that road is 20:14.050 --> 20:17.699 challenging . But all the 20:17.699 --> 20:20.810 alternatives . are far worse . 20:23.359 --> 20:25.880 No responsible leader would let Putin 20:25.880 --> 20:29.650 have his way . As I have said , 20:31.030 --> 20:33.069 Peace is not self-executing . 20:35.060 --> 20:37.520 Order does not preserve itself . 20:39.619 --> 20:43.369 And security does not expand on its 20:43.369 --> 20:47.290 own . And so we 20:47.290 --> 20:51.050 must stand up for our security . We 20:52.109 --> 20:54.630 must hold firm to the bedrock principle 20:54.630 --> 20:56.760 that aggression is a sin . 20:58.810 --> 21:01.119 And we must never lose our nerve . 21:03.040 --> 21:05.869 So let me again urge countries of 21:05.869 --> 21:08.750 conscience from around the world . To 21:08.750 --> 21:12.430 help Ukraine succeed . And 21:12.430 --> 21:15.800 to ensure that Putin Does not prevail . 21:17.459 --> 21:20.650 And to my brave Ukrainian teammates . 21:22.349 --> 21:24.459 And to my friends who have already 21:24.459 --> 21:26.849 given and sacrificed far too much . 21:28.530 --> 21:30.697 Let me urge you to stay in the fight . 21:34.319 --> 21:37.160 We have come so far over the past 25 21:37.160 --> 21:40.729 years . past 25 meetings 21:41.390 --> 21:44.930 of this contact group . And the 21:44.930 --> 21:47.599 structure of this coalition is built to 21:47.599 --> 21:51.430 succeed . Built to adapt And 21:51.430 --> 21:55.339 built to last . 3 years ago at 21:55.339 --> 21:57.660 the founding of this contact group , I 21:57.660 --> 22:00.800 said here at Ramstein . That this 22:00.800 --> 22:03.510 coalition reflects a galvanized world . 22:05.280 --> 22:09.079 It still does . I call 22:09.079 --> 22:12.750 Putin's war baseless , reckless , and 22:12.750 --> 22:16.660 lawless . It still is 22:18.920 --> 22:21.869 And I call the Kremlin's onslaught . 22:23.180 --> 22:26.170 A challenge to free people everywhere . 22:28.489 --> 22:32.260 It still is . I 22:32.660 --> 22:36.239 will always be proud . That the 22:36.239 --> 22:38.479 Ukraine Defense Contact Group has held 22:38.479 --> 22:41.479 high the torch of security and freedom . 22:43.729 --> 22:47.449 And so I will keep saying it . Free 22:47.449 --> 22:51.329 people must refuse to replace an open 22:51.329 --> 22:53.162 order of rules and rights with a 22:53.162 --> 22:55.160 violent world of force and fear . 22:59.060 --> 23:01.890 Thanks again for being here . And with 23:01.890 --> 23:03.779 that , I'll be happy to take some 23:03.779 --> 23:06.369 questions . Thank you , Mr . Secretary . 23:06.560 --> 23:08.782 Our first question will go to Tarraco , 23:08.782 --> 23:12.239 Associated Press . Um , Mr . Secretary , 23:12.349 --> 23:14.510 I'd like to start with the wildfires 23:14.510 --> 23:17.150 given the scope and the destruction 23:17.150 --> 23:19.910 going on in California . Um , why 23:19.910 --> 23:22.369 haven't more troops and aircraft been 23:22.369 --> 23:24.536 sent ? Is it because California hasn't 23:24.536 --> 23:27.189 asked ? And if they do ask , how 23:27.189 --> 23:29.078 quickly could DOD send additional 23:29.078 --> 23:32.569 assets there ? And then secondly on 23:32.569 --> 23:35.170 Greenland , um , do you think 23:35.170 --> 23:37.650 President-elect Trump is serious about 23:37.650 --> 23:39.569 taking Greenland from NATO allied 23:39.569 --> 23:42.099 Denmark and how destructive are these 23:42.099 --> 23:44.930 remarks to the NATO alliance and then 23:44.930 --> 23:47.208 for my last and third question for you , 23:47.609 --> 23:50.959 um . Has the incoming administration 23:50.959 --> 23:52.737 reached out to you at all about 23:52.737 --> 23:54.920 continuing the Ukraine defense contact 23:54.920 --> 23:57.280 group ? And if not , how concerned are 23:57.280 --> 23:59.502 you that this might be the last meeting 23:59.502 --> 24:00.891 of this historic group ? 24:04.400 --> 24:07.500 It's terror , isn't it ? Close 24:09.719 --> 24:13.219 Well , Tara , um , 24:13.910 --> 24:17.829 first of all , The US 24:17.829 --> 24:20.229 military stands ready to assist in any 24:20.229 --> 24:24.229 way that we possibly can to help the 24:24.229 --> 24:27.060 people of California . Um , 24:28.420 --> 24:30.531 as you know , California has a lot of 24:30.531 --> 24:32.642 capability on its own , but these are 24:32.642 --> 24:36.380 pretty significant fires . And while 24:36.380 --> 24:39.859 no few requests have been made thus far , 24:40.709 --> 24:43.670 we stand ready to surge capability in 24:44.469 --> 24:46.691 as quickly as possible . I've done some 24:46.691 --> 24:50.069 things to cause our troops to get in a 24:50.069 --> 24:52.479 3 point stance to make sure that you 24:52.479 --> 24:55.550 know if the whistle blows , we are 24:55.550 --> 24:59.270 ready to ready to move in and provide 24:59.270 --> 25:02.780 assistance assets have been requested . 25:03.770 --> 25:07.449 While we are providing some modular 25:07.449 --> 25:09.729 firefighting systems so that when the 25:09.729 --> 25:12.089 winds are allowed , we're able to 25:12.089 --> 25:13.922 employ that system in support of 25:13.922 --> 25:15.922 California , but we have a lot more 25:15.922 --> 25:18.033 capacity , a lot more capability that 25:18.033 --> 25:20.145 can be requested , and so we're going 25:20.145 --> 25:22.290 to make sure that we remain closely 25:22.290 --> 25:26.089 linked to the director of FEMA and and 25:26.089 --> 25:28.890 the leadership in California to ensure 25:28.890 --> 25:31.209 that if they have a need , then we're 25:31.209 --> 25:33.550 ready to respond . Um 25:35.359 --> 25:38.880 In terms of the Contact group . Your 25:38.880 --> 25:42.229 question is whether or not the next 25:42.229 --> 25:45.459 administration will Decide to continue 25:45.459 --> 25:49.020 this effort . That is a decision 25:49.020 --> 25:52.500 that's That's for the next 25:52.500 --> 25:55.270 administration to make . And I won't 25:55.270 --> 25:59.050 speculate on which direction they would 25:59.050 --> 26:02.459 go in , but what I will tell you , Tara . 26:03.170 --> 26:06.599 Is that This is important . 26:07.250 --> 26:11.119 To not only to Ukraine , but to the 26:11.119 --> 26:13.790 United States of America , to Europe , 26:14.119 --> 26:18.119 and to the entire world , and as you 26:18.119 --> 26:21.359 know , we've seen bipartisan support in 26:21.359 --> 26:25.250 Congress . And you know , I think 26:25.250 --> 26:28.969 that again , It's up to the 26:28.969 --> 26:31.209 future administration to make their own 26:31.209 --> 26:33.609 decisions . We want to make sure that 26:33.609 --> 26:36.449 we've done everything we can to ensure 26:36.449 --> 26:38.660 that . You know , we're continuing to 26:38.660 --> 26:40.827 support to , and they have the options 26:40.827 --> 26:42.827 to to go in whatever direction they 26:42.827 --> 26:45.049 want to go in . I'll also tell you that 26:46.219 --> 26:49.209 I heard from my colleagues here today . 26:50.339 --> 26:54.189 Uh , in Stereo , you know , a number of 26:54.189 --> 26:56.910 times that they really believe that 26:56.910 --> 26:59.229 this is important and they really 26:59.229 --> 27:01.396 believe that this format has served us 27:01.396 --> 27:04.390 well and so we'll see what happens . 27:04.469 --> 27:06.636 It's not the only format that can work 27:06.636 --> 27:09.310 obviously , but they believe that this 27:09.310 --> 27:12.670 is important . And , do you think Trump 27:12.670 --> 27:15.339 is serious about taking Greenland ? I 27:15.339 --> 27:17.260 would defer that question to the 27:17.260 --> 27:19.750 president-elect . I won't speculate on 27:20.140 --> 27:21.807 whether he's serious or not . 27:25.020 --> 27:27.187 But how is that to move on to the next 27:27.187 --> 27:29.409 question . Our next question will go to 27:29.409 --> 27:32.280 Uta Spanenberger from ARD . Secretary , 27:34.819 --> 27:38.540 one last question . Looking back at 25 27:38.540 --> 27:41.140 Ukraine group meetings , would more 27:41.140 --> 27:43.540 help have been possible , or did the 27:43.540 --> 27:46.219 group fall short because individual 27:46.219 --> 27:48.900 nations allowed themselves to be too 27:48.900 --> 27:51.900 intimidated by Putin's aggressiveness 27:51.900 --> 27:53.579 and nuclear threats . 27:56.640 --> 28:00.270 So UTA You just heard me say that . 28:03.300 --> 28:06.989 Russia has experienced 700,000 28:06.989 --> 28:10.780 casualties . And the war is not 28:10.780 --> 28:14.569 over . They will continue to experience 28:14.569 --> 28:17.719 more casualties going forward . They've 28:17.719 --> 28:21.170 lost a lot of equipment . Putin's 28:21.170 --> 28:24.780 isolated , you know , he doesn't have 28:24.780 --> 28:26.947 the ability to project combat power as 28:26.947 --> 28:29.113 he would have had in the past , and we 28:29.113 --> 28:31.640 saw that with Syria . Um , so I think 28:33.650 --> 28:35.910 I would I would challenge as to whether 28:35.910 --> 28:39.599 or not Ukraine has fallen short . I 28:39.599 --> 28:43.099 think Russia is falling short . Those 28:43.099 --> 28:46.189 numbers of casualties without 28:47.219 --> 28:50.040 accomplishing a single strategic 28:50.040 --> 28:52.020 objective . That's unthinkable . 28:53.160 --> 28:56.900 Unthinkable . So , um , I 28:56.900 --> 28:58.939 think , I think , you know , this 28:58.939 --> 29:02.550 format and our ability to rush 29:02.550 --> 29:04.550 urgently needed security assistance 29:04.550 --> 29:06.699 into Ukraine . Has been quite 29:06.699 --> 29:09.250 remarkable . We've done that at a speed 29:09.250 --> 29:13.140 and volumes that have not been seen 29:13.140 --> 29:16.790 in the past . So I , uh , I 29:16.790 --> 29:18.989 really applaud the work that the team 29:18.989 --> 29:21.420 has done together . But there's more to 29:21.420 --> 29:23.753 be done , and we clearly recognize that , 29:23.753 --> 29:25.642 and we're going to continue to do 29:25.642 --> 29:27.753 everything we can to help Ukraine for 29:27.753 --> 29:29.864 as long as we can . Thank you , sir . 29:29.864 --> 29:32.142 Our next question will go to Carla Bab , 29:32.142 --> 29:34.309 Voice of America . Hi Mr . Secretary , 29:34.309 --> 29:36.531 thank you so much for doing this . Um , 29:36.531 --> 29:38.476 since you mentioned the remarkable 29:38.476 --> 29:40.642 nature of what you've done in the past 29:40.642 --> 29:40.540 3 years , I want to focus on what 29:40.540 --> 29:42.939 happened today and are the commitments 29:42.939 --> 29:44.772 and the road maps made today for 29:44.772 --> 29:46.828 Ukraine by the capability coalitions 29:46.828 --> 29:48.939 enough to give Ukraine the upper hand 29:48.939 --> 29:51.161 this year , or will it simply keep them 29:51.161 --> 29:53.050 in the fight ? And then since you 29:53.050 --> 29:55.579 mentioned the fall of Assad on Russia's 29:55.579 --> 29:59.500 recent loss of its bases in Syria , has 29:59.500 --> 30:01.859 that affected Russia's ability to 30:01.859 --> 30:04.081 support its military presence in Africa 30:04.081 --> 30:06.248 and the Middle East and then finally , 30:06.489 --> 30:08.895 um . The Justice Department has acted 30:08.895 --> 30:11.117 on behalf of the Pentagon in your final 30:11.117 --> 30:13.339 days in office to enforce plea deals in 30:13.339 --> 30:15.685 the 9/11 cases . Why is this so 30:15.685 --> 30:17.685 important to you ? And is deferring 30:17.685 --> 30:19.574 justice to families who have been 30:19.574 --> 30:21.685 waiting more than 20 years in limbo , 30:21.685 --> 30:25.050 potentially denying them justice ? Uh , 30:25.260 --> 30:27.038 Carla , tell me what your first 30:27.038 --> 30:29.260 question was again . First one is about 30:29.260 --> 30:31.538 the capability coalition's commitments . 30:31.538 --> 30:33.704 Is it enough to give Ukraine the upper 30:33.704 --> 30:35.649 hand , or will it keep them in the 30:35.649 --> 30:39.390 fight ? The capability 30:39.390 --> 30:41.260 coalitions , I think , are doing 30:41.260 --> 30:44.229 tremendous work to build the future 30:44.229 --> 30:47.729 force for Ukraine even as 30:48.349 --> 30:51.229 countries continue to support Ukraine 30:51.229 --> 30:53.589 in the current fight in a very credible 30:53.589 --> 30:57.489 way . And so as we look at what the 30:57.489 --> 31:00.130 capability coalitions are doing and 31:00.130 --> 31:03.849 when things come into play , when 31:03.849 --> 31:05.738 they become available in terms of 31:05.738 --> 31:09.479 capability , it is quite impressive and 31:09.479 --> 31:11.646 you know what I've seen from countries 31:11.646 --> 31:13.689 that are part of these capability 31:13.689 --> 31:16.040 coalitions is that they are absolutely 31:16.040 --> 31:18.969 committed to working hard to ensure 31:18.969 --> 31:21.719 that that capability comes to life 31:22.650 --> 31:25.339 in a . In a um 31:27.239 --> 31:30.209 Expedient time matter of time . So 31:31.300 --> 31:33.411 I'm optimistic about what we're doing 31:33.411 --> 31:35.522 with the capability coalitions . I do 31:35.522 --> 31:38.859 believe that it will provide the means 31:38.859 --> 31:42.510 to continue to modernize Ukraine's 31:42.510 --> 31:45.900 military , which will help it 31:45.900 --> 31:48.122 accomplish other things in the future . 31:48.140 --> 31:50.307 And if you think back to where we were 31:50.307 --> 31:54.300 when we started this fight started . It 31:54.300 --> 31:56.022 was a military based on Soviet 31:56.022 --> 31:59.500 equipment and uh you know used a lot of 31:59.500 --> 32:02.900 Soviet doctrine . We are a long way 32:02.900 --> 32:06.380 from where we were then , so um . 32:07.040 --> 32:09.949 The final question out of the 8 32:09.949 --> 32:13.689 questions that you had . Just 3 this 32:13.689 --> 32:17.300 time . Um . was 32:17.300 --> 32:20.619 regarding Um , the , uh , the 32:21.680 --> 32:24.959 Guantanamo Bay , uh , A recent decision 32:27.310 --> 32:31.010 My , you know , I've stated my 32:32.020 --> 32:34.489 I am on this , and I haven't changed 32:35.140 --> 32:38.979 and so we are in the process of 32:38.979 --> 32:42.959 appealing that ruling . And since we 32:42.959 --> 32:45.959 are appealing it , I don't have any 32:45.959 --> 32:48.579 comments to make on the issue . And 32:48.579 --> 32:51.599 then on the post-Assad , Russia , have 32:51.599 --> 32:54.060 you seen what the the loss of the bases 32:54.060 --> 32:57.000 in Syria affect its ability to um 32:57.829 --> 32:59.940 Conduct military operations in Africa 32:59.940 --> 33:03.540 and the Middle East . I think that you 33:03.540 --> 33:05.596 know based upon the fact that Russia 33:05.596 --> 33:08.400 used its capabilities , its bases in 33:08.400 --> 33:11.319 Syria to project combat power into into 33:11.319 --> 33:15.290 Africa , I think that we will see a 33:16.430 --> 33:18.486 A knock-on effect . We will see that 33:18.486 --> 33:21.790 this will affect their ability to 33:23.329 --> 33:25.810 Place capability into Africa as they 33:25.810 --> 33:28.119 have been in the past and sustain that 33:28.119 --> 33:30.119 capability . So yeah , I think it's 33:30.119 --> 33:32.300 going to have an effect . Our final 33:32.300 --> 33:34.356 question will go to Ansel Stern from 33:34.356 --> 33:36.189 ZDF . Thank you very much , Mr . 33:36.189 --> 33:38.356 Secretary . In a few days Donald Trump 33:38.356 --> 33:40.356 will be president . Will the United 33:40.356 --> 33:43.290 States remain a reliable partner in 33:43.290 --> 33:45.760 NATO ? And what do you expect from your 33:45.760 --> 33:47.979 successor as Secretary of Defense ? 33:48.130 --> 33:51.099 Thank you . Um , 33:52.119 --> 33:54.439 United States of America has always 33:54.439 --> 33:58.119 been a reliable partner . We will 33:58.119 --> 34:00.119 always be a reliable partner in the 34:00.119 --> 34:03.109 future . Just like any other country , 34:03.369 --> 34:05.739 you know , we have administrations 34:05.739 --> 34:09.260 change , and some policies change from 34:09.260 --> 34:11.419 time to time , but our values don't 34:11.419 --> 34:14.899 change . Our commitment to allies and 34:14.899 --> 34:18.469 partners . Doesn't 34:18.469 --> 34:22.280 change either , so . In terms of what 34:22.280 --> 34:25.820 I would expect . That's irrelevant . 34:25.989 --> 34:28.909 The question is , what does his boss 34:28.909 --> 34:32.379 expect from him ? and I've had a great 34:32.379 --> 34:35.310 boss that I've had the ability to 34:35.949 --> 34:39.510 engage frequently and been given a 34:39.510 --> 34:43.000 latitude to accomplish what needs to be 34:43.000 --> 34:46.860 accomplished and so it's been a great 34:46.860 --> 34:49.082 experience for me and I would hope that 34:49.082 --> 34:51.229 any future Secretary of Defense would 34:51.229 --> 34:53.469 enjoy that same kind of relationship . 34:53.810 --> 34:55.921 If you don't have that relationship , 34:55.921 --> 34:59.429 it's a very difficult job to do . But 34:59.429 --> 35:01.729 again , I've been blessed to work with 35:02.239 --> 35:04.639 to be able to work with an incredible 35:04.639 --> 35:07.479 team in DOD , but also 35:09.169 --> 35:11.840 in the cabinet , especially the members 35:11.840 --> 35:14.239 of the National Security Council . It's 35:14.239 --> 35:17.320 all been very positive , all been a 35:17.320 --> 35:19.639 very positive experience . And that's a 35:19.639 --> 35:21.806 great thing because if you look at the 35:21.806 --> 35:24.028 challenges that we've been faced with , 35:24.360 --> 35:27.709 we've had to manage multiple 35:27.709 --> 35:29.931 significant challenges simultaneously . 35:29.931 --> 35:32.153 We were able to do that because I think 35:32.153 --> 35:34.560 we had a very solid national security 35:34.560 --> 35:38.159 strategy . My boss continued to 35:38.159 --> 35:40.879 resource us in a way that allowed us to 35:40.879 --> 35:44.719 execute that strategy and so it's been 35:44.719 --> 35:48.229 a Pretty good experience for me 35:48.229 --> 35:50.739 and I have thoroughly enjoyed having 35:50.739 --> 35:54.699 the opportunity and I think if you look 35:54.699 --> 35:57.080 at where we are right now . Our 35:57.080 --> 36:00.560 adversaries are weaker . Um , our 36:00.560 --> 36:03.830 relationships with our With our allies 36:03.830 --> 36:07.800 and partners are stronger . The economy 36:07.800 --> 36:10.360 is as strong as it's been in a long 36:10.360 --> 36:12.471 time , and so I think we're in pretty 36:12.471 --> 36:14.560 good shape , and Patrick , I think 36:14.560 --> 36:16.727 that's the last question . Thank you . 36:17.040 --> 36:19.040 That was the last question . This 36:19.040 --> 36:21.151 concludes our press briefing , ladies 36:21.151 --> 36:23.262 and gentlemen , thank you for joining 36:23.262 --> 36:21.949 us today .