1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:03,740 --> 00:00:07,160 okay , just real quick at the top 3 00:00:09,540 --> 00:00:13,190 in Africom the 17th iteration of 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,240 exercise phoenix express a North 5 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,350 African maritime exercises on going out 6 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,660 in Tunisia uh And throughout the 7 00:00:21,660 --> 00:00:23,771 Mediterranean it goes , it started on 8 00:00:23,771 --> 00:00:25,938 the 23rd , it goes all the way through 9 00:00:25,938 --> 00:00:27,771 the third . This is one of three 10 00:00:27,771 --> 00:00:29,993 regional maritime exercises executed by 11 00:00:29,993 --> 00:00:32,160 U . S . Naval forces Africa in the U . 12 00:00:32,160 --> 00:00:33,660 S . Africa command area of 13 00:00:33,660 --> 00:00:35,900 responsibility . Uh And it's meant to 14 00:00:35,900 --> 00:00:37,900 provide collaborative opportunities 15 00:00:37,900 --> 00:00:39,400 amongst African forces and 16 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,289 international partners to address 17 00:00:41,289 --> 00:00:43,456 maritime security concerns . More than 18 00:00:43,456 --> 00:00:45,344 100 U . S . Military and civilian 19 00:00:45,344 --> 00:00:47,511 personnel are participating in Tunisia 20 00:00:47,511 --> 00:00:49,622 and at sea in the mediterranean along 21 00:00:49,622 --> 00:00:52,900 with a US Navy P . Eight , a maritime 22 00:00:52,900 --> 00:00:55,011 patrol aircraft and the expeditionary 23 00:00:55,011 --> 00:00:56,844 sea base , Uss , hershel , woody 24 00:00:56,844 --> 00:00:59,030 Williams . Other participating nations 25 00:00:59,030 --> 00:01:01,850 include Algeria Belgium , Egypt Greece , 26 00:01:01,860 --> 00:01:04,590 italy Libya malta , Mauritania , 27 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,480 Morocco , spain , Tunisia and the 28 00:01:07,490 --> 00:01:09,712 United Kingdom . And then just lastly , 29 00:01:09,712 --> 00:01:11,879 I think you all know it's memorial Day 30 00:01:11,879 --> 00:01:14,560 weekend and I and I know that uh you 31 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,616 pentagon reporters that the that you 32 00:01:16,616 --> 00:01:18,616 also know well and don't need to be 33 00:01:18,616 --> 00:01:20,838 reminded the significance of the of the 34 00:01:20,838 --> 00:01:23,004 day . Um It's a chance for the country 35 00:01:23,004 --> 00:01:26,630 to uh to pause and to consider the 36 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,050 lives that were lost in battle to 37 00:01:29,050 --> 00:01:32,110 defend this country uh and to keep our 38 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,100 our freedoms available to all of us . 39 00:01:35,110 --> 00:01:38,910 Um It's a special holiday . Um and 40 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,370 it's also an opportunity to 41 00:01:42,390 --> 00:01:45,000 consider the sacrifices by so many 42 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,290 families , the loved ones that that 43 00:01:48,290 --> 00:01:50,457 those fallen left behind and for those 44 00:01:50,457 --> 00:01:53,100 who are still with us a fresh 45 00:01:53,100 --> 00:01:55,267 opportunity to remind us at least here 46 00:01:55,267 --> 00:01:57,820 at the department of the sacred debt we 47 00:01:57,820 --> 00:02:00,190 owe them to support them . Um , as they 48 00:02:00,190 --> 00:02:02,750 continue to grieve and they continue to 49 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:04,982 uh to take care of their their families 50 00:02:04,982 --> 00:02:07,810 as well . Uh , we uh , the secretary 51 00:02:07,810 --> 00:02:09,977 believes strongly in that obligation . 52 00:02:09,977 --> 00:02:12,890 And again , we will all be um taking 53 00:02:12,890 --> 00:02:15,000 time this weekend um , to to observe 54 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,420 and to remember and to honor all those 55 00:02:17,420 --> 00:02:19,531 sacrifices . And I know I know all of 56 00:02:19,531 --> 00:02:21,740 you who have been party to many of 57 00:02:21,740 --> 00:02:23,907 those sacrifices will will do the same 58 00:02:23,907 --> 00:02:26,730 so that we'll take questions later . Um , 59 00:02:26,740 --> 00:02:28,796 one quick follow up from yesterday . 60 00:02:28,796 --> 00:02:30,962 And then the second question , are you 61 00:02:30,962 --> 00:02:33,600 able today to provide any clarity on 62 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,790 the missiles that were fired by uh 63 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,730 north Korea yesterday ? You weren't 64 00:02:39,810 --> 00:02:41,588 able to give us much more . I'm 65 00:02:41,588 --> 00:02:43,820 wondering if you can do any better 66 00:02:43,820 --> 00:02:47,400 today ? I'm afraid I can't do 67 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,040 better . We're still classifying them 68 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:51,873 as ballistic missiles , multiple 69 00:02:51,873 --> 00:02:54,040 launches , but we're still working our 70 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,262 way through the information on that and 71 00:02:56,262 --> 00:02:58,429 they just don't have any more detail . 72 00:02:58,429 --> 00:03:00,690 And then on Ukraine , obviously Ukraine 73 00:03:00,690 --> 00:03:04,070 has been asking desperately for some 74 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,600 mlrs some rocket systems 75 00:03:07,930 --> 00:03:09,652 that they have . They say they 76 00:03:09,652 --> 00:03:11,708 desperately need right now . There's 77 00:03:11,708 --> 00:03:13,819 only two towns . I think two areas in 78 00:03:13,819 --> 00:03:16,500 one province in the Donbas 79 00:03:17,740 --> 00:03:20,820 Russia is now rapidly trying to take 80 00:03:20,830 --> 00:03:23,020 hold of um , and will give them the 81 00:03:23,020 --> 00:03:25,800 entire province . Is it starting to get 82 00:03:25,810 --> 00:03:27,866 to the point where it's gonna be too 83 00:03:27,866 --> 00:03:30,240 late to get Ukraine Some of the systems 84 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,620 they need , what I can tell you uh 85 00:03:33,630 --> 00:03:35,574 leaders ? You know , we're working 86 00:03:35,574 --> 00:03:38,560 every single day to to get weapons uh 87 00:03:38,570 --> 00:03:41,190 and systems into Ukraine and every 88 00:03:41,190 --> 00:03:44,050 single day there are weapons and 89 00:03:44,050 --> 00:03:46,260 systems getting into Ukraine that are 90 00:03:46,260 --> 00:03:48,371 helping them literally in the fight , 91 00:03:48,371 --> 00:03:51,370 including uh howitzers which are still 92 00:03:51,370 --> 00:03:55,000 arriving . Um and we're in 93 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,167 constant communication with them about 94 00:03:57,167 --> 00:03:59,890 their needs going forward . We knew 95 00:04:00,150 --> 00:04:03,720 when Russia decided to focus on the 96 00:04:03,730 --> 00:04:05,786 eastern part of the country and that 97 00:04:05,786 --> 00:04:07,897 Donbas region that it was going to be 98 00:04:07,897 --> 00:04:10,063 an artillery , a long range fires kind 99 00:04:10,063 --> 00:04:12,470 of fight , it has proven to be that um 100 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:16,120 uh certainly we're mindful and aware of 101 00:04:16,130 --> 00:04:19,130 the Ukrainian asks privately and 102 00:04:19,130 --> 00:04:21,700 publicly for what is known as a 103 00:04:21,700 --> 00:04:24,350 multiple launch rocket system . And I 104 00:04:24,350 --> 00:04:28,130 won't get ahead of decisions uh that 105 00:04:28,140 --> 00:04:30,362 that haven't been made yet , but we are 106 00:04:30,362 --> 00:04:32,473 in constant communication with them . 107 00:04:32,473 --> 00:04:34,670 Um and uh our goal from the very 108 00:04:34,670 --> 00:04:37,760 beginning has been to try to help them 109 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,660 in the fight that they're in uh today . 110 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:43,760 And that's why these packages get , get 111 00:04:43,770 --> 00:04:45,937 kind of parceled out over time because 112 00:04:45,937 --> 00:04:48,048 you want to be able to be adaptive to 113 00:04:48,048 --> 00:04:50,159 what they're facing . So um again , I 114 00:04:50,159 --> 00:04:52,159 won't get ahead of of decisions . I 115 00:04:52,159 --> 00:04:54,381 I've never done that since . We've been 116 00:04:54,381 --> 00:04:56,603 starting to do these drawdown authority 117 00:04:56,603 --> 00:04:56,330 packages , but I can assure you that we 118 00:04:56,330 --> 00:04:58,552 are in constant communication with them 119 00:04:58,552 --> 00:05:00,386 and and we're still committed to 120 00:05:00,386 --> 00:05:02,608 helping them succeed on the battlefield 121 00:05:02,608 --> 00:05:04,552 and to succeed specifically in the 122 00:05:04,552 --> 00:05:04,500 fight there in . I think I'll just 123 00:05:04,500 --> 00:05:06,556 leave it there . But do you think at 124 00:05:06,556 --> 00:05:08,722 this point that they are now , Ukraine 125 00:05:08,722 --> 00:05:11,230 is at a real risk of losing the Donbas 126 00:05:11,230 --> 00:05:13,286 region ? I won't make predictions on 127 00:05:13,286 --> 00:05:15,980 the battlefield . We've , I also tried 128 00:05:15,980 --> 00:05:18,910 to stay away from that . Uh , it is uh , 129 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,110 is in many ways a very close and 130 00:05:21,110 --> 00:05:23,332 intimate fight . I think I've described 131 00:05:23,332 --> 00:05:25,388 it as a knife fight and , and that's 132 00:05:25,388 --> 00:05:27,499 not an inaccurate way of putting it . 133 00:05:27,499 --> 00:05:29,443 There are there are places towns , 134 00:05:29,443 --> 00:05:31,499 villages , Hamlets that the Russians 135 00:05:31,499 --> 00:05:33,721 and Ukrainians are very close contact . 136 00:05:33,721 --> 00:05:35,888 Um , and it's very dynamic , as I said 137 00:05:35,888 --> 00:05:37,666 yesterday , there are towns and 138 00:05:37,666 --> 00:05:39,832 villages which , which uh , which fall 139 00:05:39,832 --> 00:05:41,943 to the Russians on on a given day and 140 00:05:41,943 --> 00:05:44,054 then the Ukrainians will recover that 141 00:05:44,054 --> 00:05:46,166 days later . Um , there's still a lot 142 00:05:46,166 --> 00:05:48,221 of back and forth . Uh , and I don't 143 00:05:48,221 --> 00:05:50,440 think being predictive about how long 144 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,440 it's gonna take or who's gonna win . Um , 145 00:05:53,450 --> 00:05:55,830 uh , is a useful exercise right now , 146 00:05:55,830 --> 00:05:58,160 what we are focused on is making sure 147 00:05:58,310 --> 00:06:00,477 that the Ukrainians can succeed on the 148 00:06:00,477 --> 00:06:02,699 battlefield . And again , that's that's 149 00:06:02,699 --> 00:06:04,921 the nature of the conversations that we 150 00:06:04,921 --> 00:06:04,380 have and the last thing I'll say and I 151 00:06:04,380 --> 00:06:06,547 know everybody is interested in what's 152 00:06:06,547 --> 00:06:08,547 going to be in the next package and 153 00:06:08,547 --> 00:06:10,824 what's not , I understand that I'm not , 154 00:06:10,824 --> 00:06:10,470 I'm not just not gonna get ahead of 155 00:06:10,470 --> 00:06:12,690 where we are , but I do think it's 156 00:06:12,690 --> 00:06:14,940 important to remind that with the 157 00:06:14,940 --> 00:06:17,450 supplemental request now we now have 158 00:06:17,450 --> 00:06:19,820 available to us several billions 159 00:06:19,820 --> 00:06:22,780 dollars , several billions of dollars 160 00:06:22,780 --> 00:06:25,910 more . Uh just in drawdown authority , 161 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:28,830 let alone assistance , initiative 162 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:32,550 contracting funds uh to help Ukraine in 163 00:06:32,550 --> 00:06:34,330 this fight . And we're going to 164 00:06:34,330 --> 00:06:38,100 marshall and use Uh that that 165 00:06:38,110 --> 00:06:41,130 resource just as smartly as we've done 166 00:06:41,140 --> 00:06:43,910 for the last sets of drawdown packages , 167 00:06:43,910 --> 00:06:46,010 the last 10 that we've done and the 168 00:06:46,010 --> 00:06:48,066 next one will be 11 . Um we're we're 169 00:06:48,066 --> 00:06:50,066 gonna be smart about this and we're 170 00:06:50,066 --> 00:06:51,732 gonna be in lockstep with the 171 00:06:51,732 --> 00:06:51,450 Ukrainians and with our allies and 172 00:06:51,450 --> 00:06:53,950 partners about it and there will be 11 . 173 00:06:53,950 --> 00:06:56,117 Won't be the end of it . There will be 174 00:06:56,117 --> 00:06:57,894 more . Um and and we'll do them 175 00:06:57,894 --> 00:07:00,680 deliberately in a sequenced way . Um , 176 00:07:00,690 --> 00:07:02,412 so that the kind of assistance 177 00:07:02,412 --> 00:07:04,634 Ukraine's getting makes sense for the , 178 00:07:04,634 --> 00:07:06,801 the fight that they're in . We want to 179 00:07:06,801 --> 00:07:08,912 we want to see them succeed , we want 180 00:07:08,912 --> 00:07:11,134 them to have um , uh , not only success 181 00:07:11,134 --> 00:07:13,301 on the battlefield , but , but success 182 00:07:13,301 --> 00:07:15,246 uh , in the outcomes here . And so 183 00:07:15,246 --> 00:07:17,079 we're going to be flexible going 184 00:07:17,079 --> 00:07:19,023 forward , jen , I'm just trying to 185 00:07:19,023 --> 00:07:21,079 understand , has a decision not been 186 00:07:21,079 --> 00:07:22,968 taken yet to give the MlRS to the 187 00:07:22,968 --> 00:07:24,970 Ukrainians . We are still working 188 00:07:24,970 --> 00:07:27,230 through what the next drawdown package 189 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,690 is going to look like and why has it 190 00:07:29,690 --> 00:07:32,040 taken so long on the MlRS , is it a 191 00:07:32,050 --> 00:07:34,106 money issue that you didn't have the 192 00:07:34,106 --> 00:07:36,217 funding because of the supplemental , 193 00:07:36,217 --> 00:07:38,328 we've been hearing about the MlRS the 194 00:07:38,328 --> 00:07:40,328 need for it for weeks now , what is 195 00:07:40,328 --> 00:07:42,383 holding it up ? It's not there's not 196 00:07:42,383 --> 00:07:44,606 there's not a holdup here , Jen and I'm 197 00:07:44,606 --> 00:07:44,350 not going to get ahead of decisions 198 00:07:44,350 --> 00:07:46,517 that that that we haven't announced or 199 00:07:46,517 --> 00:07:48,294 spoken to yet . We have been in 200 00:07:48,294 --> 00:07:50,072 constant communication with the 201 00:07:50,072 --> 00:07:52,294 Ukrainians every day . I mean just last 202 00:07:52,294 --> 00:07:54,239 week , you know , we had a contact 203 00:07:54,239 --> 00:07:56,128 group with more than 40 countries 204 00:07:56,128 --> 00:07:58,350 showed up to provide security systems . 205 00:07:58,350 --> 00:08:00,572 I understand that they have been asking 206 00:08:00,572 --> 00:08:00,520 for these systems for a long time and 207 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:02,576 we have been talking to them and I'm 208 00:08:02,576 --> 00:08:04,631 just not going to get ahead of where 209 00:08:04,631 --> 00:08:06,464 the decisions are just trying to 210 00:08:06,464 --> 00:08:08,298 understand the hold up . I don't 211 00:08:08,298 --> 00:08:10,298 understand . I would just I think I 212 00:08:10,298 --> 00:08:12,298 would take issue with the idea that 213 00:08:12,298 --> 00:08:12,180 there's a hold up here . We are 214 00:08:12,180 --> 00:08:14,236 constantly talking to the Ukrainians 215 00:08:14,236 --> 00:08:16,500 about about their needs and what we can 216 00:08:16,500 --> 00:08:18,667 provide as well as what our allies and 217 00:08:18,667 --> 00:08:20,722 partners can provide . Isn't there a 218 00:08:20,722 --> 00:08:23,190 military issue right now ? In terms of 219 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,660 if the ports in Odessa is not opened , 220 00:08:25,940 --> 00:08:28,110 you've heard all sorts of economic 221 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:30,140 leaders and world leaders say that 222 00:08:30,140 --> 00:08:32,362 there's going to be a grain shortage if 223 00:08:32,362 --> 00:08:34,570 you look out 34 months , there's going 224 00:08:34,570 --> 00:08:36,890 to be uh you know , starvation in 225 00:08:36,890 --> 00:08:39,250 africa as a Roosevelt isn't it time to 226 00:08:39,260 --> 00:08:42,100 open that ports militarily and not sort 227 00:08:42,100 --> 00:08:44,770 of have the hard line that I mean now 228 00:08:44,770 --> 00:08:48,290 that the the conflict will spill over 229 00:08:48,300 --> 00:08:50,560 if there is a grain shortage shouldn't 230 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,320 the U . S . And others militarily open 231 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:55,320 that port ? Look we've been talking 232 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,120 about this for a while uh in the 233 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,220 international community is deeply 234 00:09:01,220 --> 00:09:03,730 concerned about about grain shipments 235 00:09:03,730 --> 00:09:06,250 coming out of Ukraine and the blockade 236 00:09:06,250 --> 00:09:08,139 and the effect that the blockades 237 00:09:08,139 --> 00:09:10,194 having . And you've seen you've seen 238 00:09:10,194 --> 00:09:12,194 some european nations be willing to 239 00:09:12,194 --> 00:09:15,040 accept the grain by rail . Um So 240 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:17,096 there's ways to get some of that out 241 00:09:17,096 --> 00:09:19,930 there right now . Uh But uh the 242 00:09:19,930 --> 00:09:22,097 president's been clear we're not going 243 00:09:22,097 --> 00:09:24,208 to have us troops fighting in Ukraine 244 00:09:24,208 --> 00:09:26,430 that includes disguise over Ukraine and 245 00:09:26,430 --> 00:09:28,652 that includes the potential for a naval 246 00:09:28,652 --> 00:09:30,763 conflict with with Russia . Uh So one 247 00:09:30,763 --> 00:09:32,930 of the things that the Ukrainians have 248 00:09:32,930 --> 00:09:34,930 said they want help with is coastal 249 00:09:34,930 --> 00:09:37,152 defense . And so coastal defense assets 250 00:09:37,152 --> 00:09:39,208 including from the United States are 251 00:09:39,208 --> 00:09:41,430 being sent to Ukraine to help them with 252 00:09:41,430 --> 00:09:43,374 coastal defense . But how they use 253 00:09:43,374 --> 00:09:45,541 those coastal defense systems is going 254 00:09:45,541 --> 00:09:47,708 to be up to them . The world community 255 00:09:47,708 --> 00:09:50,250 is mindful of um of the weaponization 256 00:09:50,260 --> 00:09:54,210 of food that Mr Putin is now doing . Um 257 00:09:54,210 --> 00:09:56,610 and uh there are well beyond this 258 00:09:56,610 --> 00:09:58,554 department there are conversations 259 00:09:58,554 --> 00:10:00,499 inside the international community 260 00:10:00,499 --> 00:10:02,610 about what to what to do about that . 261 00:10:02,610 --> 00:10:04,666 What how to alleviate it . Everybody 262 00:10:04,666 --> 00:10:06,832 understands the pressure and the sense 263 00:10:06,832 --> 00:10:08,888 of urgency here and there's a lot of 264 00:10:08,888 --> 00:10:11,054 work being done on the diplomatic side 265 00:10:11,054 --> 00:10:14,990 to do that . So CNN is reporting 266 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:16,944 that the administration is leaning 267 00:10:16,944 --> 00:10:19,480 towards sending the systems , the MlRS , 268 00:10:19,490 --> 00:10:21,323 I mean , is it wrong ? Do you do 269 00:10:21,323 --> 00:10:23,490 dispute that reporting ? I'm not going 270 00:10:23,490 --> 00:10:23,430 to get ahead of where we are in the 271 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:25,820 process but I'm not asking about the 272 00:10:25,830 --> 00:10:27,997 process . I'm asking whether there has 273 00:10:27,997 --> 00:10:30,052 been that the administration is , is 274 00:10:30,052 --> 00:10:32,163 leaning towards that actually you are 275 00:10:32,163 --> 00:10:34,108 exactly asking process and I'm not 276 00:10:34,108 --> 00:10:33,780 going to get ahead of where we are in 277 00:10:33,780 --> 00:10:37,360 the process , not process as much as an 278 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:39,510 agreement that the administration may 279 00:10:39,510 --> 00:10:41,343 have come too because we've been 280 00:10:41,343 --> 00:10:43,343 hearing for weeks and jen said been 281 00:10:43,343 --> 00:10:45,510 here for weeks about talk of this . We 282 00:10:45,510 --> 00:10:44,920 know the Ukrainians have been vocal , 283 00:10:44,930 --> 00:10:46,763 everyone's been vocal about this 284 00:10:46,763 --> 00:10:48,819 possibility but it seemed like there 285 00:10:48,819 --> 00:10:50,708 was a stretch there where we were 286 00:10:50,708 --> 00:10:52,930 hearing a lot of pushback about it . It 287 00:10:52,930 --> 00:10:52,540 was the system take a long time to 288 00:10:52,540 --> 00:10:54,762 train on . They they're expensive , the 289 00:10:54,762 --> 00:10:56,762 U . S . Doesn't have a whole lot of 290 00:10:56,762 --> 00:10:58,707 them to give . They may be seen as 291 00:10:58,707 --> 00:11:00,596 provocative as we heard all these 292 00:11:00,596 --> 00:11:02,818 things and that . So what I'm wondering 293 00:11:02,818 --> 00:11:04,873 is if if the U . S . If the pentagon 294 00:11:04,873 --> 00:11:04,830 the administration , whatever it is , 295 00:11:04,830 --> 00:11:07,310 has made a decision that the system is 296 00:11:07,310 --> 00:11:09,880 valuable enough that those , all of 297 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,420 those speed bumps are not as important . 298 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:14,687 I don't have any decisions to speak to 299 00:11:14,687 --> 00:11:16,576 today and then on north Korea I'm 300 00:11:16,576 --> 00:11:18,576 wondering and the this the launches 301 00:11:18,576 --> 00:11:20,631 earlier this week , did they exhibit 302 00:11:20,631 --> 00:11:23,010 any kind of a new stealth capability 303 00:11:23,010 --> 00:11:25,177 that made it more difficult for the us 304 00:11:25,177 --> 00:11:27,343 to determine what was launched . Again 305 00:11:27,343 --> 00:11:29,010 I'm not going to get into the 306 00:11:29,350 --> 00:11:31,530 intelligence and the analysis that's 307 00:11:31,530 --> 00:11:33,752 being done on these multiple launches . 308 00:11:33,752 --> 00:11:35,752 We are continuing to look at that , 309 00:11:35,752 --> 00:11:37,863 continuing to consult with our allies 310 00:11:37,863 --> 00:11:40,086 and partners in the region but I'm just 311 00:11:40,086 --> 00:11:39,410 not going to get ahead of where we are . 312 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:42,062 But more than three days now if my math 313 00:11:42,062 --> 00:11:44,118 is right which it may be wrong . But 314 00:11:44,118 --> 00:11:46,229 it's been several days now since this 315 00:11:46,229 --> 00:11:48,118 and normally we all know that the 316 00:11:48,118 --> 00:11:50,340 capabilities of the U . S . Has to look 317 00:11:50,340 --> 00:11:52,562 at the launch anywhere in the world and 318 00:11:52,562 --> 00:11:52,430 within a certain stretch of time know 319 00:11:52,430 --> 00:11:54,430 exactly what it was . And so we are 320 00:11:54,430 --> 00:11:56,374 well past that So I understand not 321 00:11:56,374 --> 00:11:58,541 wanting to talk about intelligence but 322 00:11:58,541 --> 00:12:00,960 it's not unreasonable to ask what was 323 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,340 launched . And so that I'll say ask 324 00:12:03,340 --> 00:12:06,410 again like is there a belief that they 325 00:12:06,410 --> 00:12:08,410 launched an I . C . B . M . Or more 326 00:12:08,410 --> 00:12:10,299 than one ? And were there any new 327 00:12:10,299 --> 00:12:12,410 capabilities if it's some new stealth 328 00:12:12,410 --> 00:12:14,577 capability that would be interesting . 329 00:12:14,577 --> 00:12:14,040 And that's why you guys can't tell us 330 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:16,040 what it is or you couldn't see it . 331 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,462 That's the only thing I could think why 332 00:12:18,462 --> 00:12:20,462 we can't know what , tell me if I'm 333 00:12:20,462 --> 00:12:22,629 wrong . I think I'm gonna I never said 334 00:12:22,629 --> 00:12:24,629 and would not say that . It's not a 335 00:12:24,629 --> 00:12:26,684 reasonable question for you to ask . 336 00:12:26,684 --> 00:12:28,907 It's absolutely an appropriate question 337 00:12:28,907 --> 00:12:30,796 to ask . Um but I'm just not in a 338 00:12:30,796 --> 00:12:30,360 position to answer it with great 339 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:32,390 specificity today . We have said 340 00:12:32,390 --> 00:12:34,501 multiple ballistic missile launches . 341 00:12:34,501 --> 00:12:36,612 We believe that is true . We're still 342 00:12:36,612 --> 00:12:38,723 analyzing those launches . And if and 343 00:12:38,723 --> 00:12:40,946 when there's a time when we can be more 344 00:12:40,946 --> 00:12:42,946 detailed about that , we will , but 345 00:12:42,946 --> 00:12:44,946 that time is not today's policy was 346 00:12:44,946 --> 00:12:47,057 that the administration established a 347 00:12:47,057 --> 00:12:46,930 policy that you will not talk specifics 348 00:12:46,930 --> 00:12:49,097 about North Korea launches . I don't I 349 00:12:49,097 --> 00:12:51,097 don't know of any blanket policy in 350 00:12:51,097 --> 00:12:53,263 that regard . I mean , we uh , we take 351 00:12:53,263 --> 00:12:55,530 each one as they come and uh and do the 352 00:12:55,530 --> 00:12:57,560 best we can to properly inform 353 00:12:57,560 --> 00:12:59,671 ourselves of what happened so that we 354 00:12:59,671 --> 00:13:01,838 have a better understanding of what Mr 355 00:13:01,838 --> 00:13:05,680 uh Mr kim is doing . Um as I said , 356 00:13:05,690 --> 00:13:07,579 and we've already condemned these 357 00:13:07,579 --> 00:13:10,290 launches . Uh each one is a provocation . 358 00:13:10,300 --> 00:13:12,680 Each one is a violation of existing U . 359 00:13:12,680 --> 00:13:14,902 N . Security Council resolutions . Each 360 00:13:14,902 --> 00:13:18,540 one only increases uh tensions on the 361 00:13:18,540 --> 00:13:21,920 peninsula . Um , and each one , no 362 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,740 matter what kind of missile , no matter 363 00:13:24,740 --> 00:13:26,760 how far it flew or didn't fly , no 364 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:30,260 matter what the trajectory or the the 365 00:13:30,270 --> 00:13:33,080 the the metrics were each one we 366 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,136 believe is a learning experience for 367 00:13:35,136 --> 00:13:37,690 the for the regime in Pyongyang . And 368 00:13:37,690 --> 00:13:41,520 that's concerning . Yeah . Um , I 369 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:43,576 want to go back to lita's very first 370 00:13:43,576 --> 00:13:46,150 question to you , she asked you , is it 371 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,910 too late to send these weapons to 372 00:13:48,910 --> 00:13:51,400 Ukraine and you did not take the 373 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:54,740 opportunity to say no , it's not too 374 00:13:54,740 --> 00:13:56,907 late . You didn't take the opportunity 375 00:13:56,907 --> 00:14:00,640 to say , Ukraine is going to win . So I 376 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,360 want to ask you that , why I haven't 377 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,460 heard a note of optimism 378 00:14:08,430 --> 00:14:11,840 of unqualified optimism about Ukraine's 379 00:14:11,850 --> 00:14:14,710 being able to succeed in some time . So 380 00:14:14,710 --> 00:14:17,043 you have the situation in the Black Sea , 381 00:14:17,043 --> 00:14:19,266 you have the situation with the sport , 382 00:14:19,340 --> 00:14:21,229 you have hundreds of thousands of 383 00:14:21,229 --> 00:14:24,620 people possibly taken to Russia , 384 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,770 depopulation of the east , Russia 385 00:14:27,770 --> 00:14:29,760 making progress in the east . 386 00:14:31,490 --> 00:14:35,280 What is your assessment of 387 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,520 what it needs to get Putin to reverse ? 388 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,160 Will be do you think there's even the 389 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,690 remotest possibility ? Or is this 390 00:14:44,690 --> 00:14:46,890 now bogged down 391 00:14:47,220 --> 00:14:49,850 slugfest quagmire ? 392 00:14:51,540 --> 00:14:55,160 There's a lot there . Barb , thank you , 393 00:14:55,940 --> 00:14:59,900 I appreciate that . I 394 00:14:59,900 --> 00:15:01,900 can start by saying No one has ever 395 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,031 ever accused me successfully of being 396 00:15:04,031 --> 00:15:07,970 an unqualified optimist . Um , but it 397 00:15:07,980 --> 00:15:10,036 is a serious question and answer the 398 00:15:10,036 --> 00:15:12,147 fair question . Um , we have been , I 399 00:15:12,147 --> 00:15:16,020 think careful from this podium not to 400 00:15:16,020 --> 00:15:18,860 read out battlefield dynamics , not to , 401 00:15:18,870 --> 00:15:20,870 not to speak specifically to what's 402 00:15:20,870 --> 00:15:23,203 going on on the field . We're not there , 403 00:15:23,203 --> 00:15:23,120 We're not on the field with the 404 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,550 Ukrainians . And let me , you had a 405 00:15:25,550 --> 00:15:27,960 long question , Give me a chance here . 406 00:15:28,340 --> 00:15:31,810 Um , uh , the fighting in the 407 00:15:31,810 --> 00:15:34,460 Donbas is , it's very real , as I said , 408 00:15:34,460 --> 00:15:37,130 it's very dynamic . Um , and , and and 409 00:15:37,140 --> 00:15:39,410 it literally changes every day , what 410 00:15:39,410 --> 00:15:41,466 we're seeing today is different than 411 00:15:41,466 --> 00:15:43,521 what we saw yesterday , I would just 412 00:15:43,521 --> 00:15:45,632 tell you broadly speaking again , I'm 413 00:15:45,632 --> 00:15:47,632 just gonna start at the operational 414 00:15:47,632 --> 00:15:47,270 level as much as I can and then I'm 415 00:15:47,270 --> 00:15:49,381 gonna go out to your larger strategic 416 00:15:49,381 --> 00:15:52,250 question . Um uh our assessment is that 417 00:15:52,250 --> 00:15:54,194 the Russians continue to make some 418 00:15:54,194 --> 00:15:57,160 incremental gains in the Donbas , not 419 00:15:57,170 --> 00:15:59,260 great magnitude , not not leaps and 420 00:15:59,260 --> 00:16:01,520 bounds they are facing and continue to 421 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:03,520 face a stiff Ukrainian resistance , 422 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:05,576 which is why I won't go so far as to 423 00:16:05,576 --> 00:16:07,470 say it's too late to provide the 424 00:16:07,470 --> 00:16:09,137 Ukrainians with any system or 425 00:16:09,137 --> 00:16:11,359 capability that they might need because 426 00:16:11,359 --> 00:16:13,470 they are very active in the fight and 427 00:16:13,470 --> 00:16:15,581 they have pushed back the Russians up 428 00:16:15,581 --> 00:16:15,520 near Kharkiv . They continue to push 429 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:17,576 the Russians back . Um and so I mean 430 00:16:17,576 --> 00:16:19,631 they're going on offensives of their 431 00:16:19,631 --> 00:16:21,910 own . It's a it's a it's a very active 432 00:16:21,910 --> 00:16:25,910 fight right now . Uh huh . And it 433 00:16:25,910 --> 00:16:28,160 will continue to change over time . And 434 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:30,160 because it continues to change over 435 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,049 time , our conversations with the 436 00:16:32,049 --> 00:16:34,216 Ukrainians change over time about what 437 00:16:34,216 --> 00:16:36,216 they're looking for and how much of 438 00:16:36,216 --> 00:16:38,327 what they're looking for because it's 439 00:16:38,327 --> 00:16:38,090 not just about the systems , we get all 440 00:16:38,090 --> 00:16:40,201 caught up in the systems , it's about 441 00:16:40,201 --> 00:16:42,450 how many of you going to get there and 442 00:16:42,460 --> 00:16:44,682 how , how many they need in the fight . 443 00:16:44,940 --> 00:16:46,884 We've been talking about howitzers 444 00:16:46,884 --> 00:16:49,107 recently so that we we've committed now 445 00:16:49,107 --> 00:16:51,329 over 100 howitzers and most of them are 446 00:16:51,329 --> 00:16:53,273 actually not only in Ukraine , but 447 00:16:53,273 --> 00:16:55,440 actually in the fight according to the 448 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:57,496 Ukrainians who tell us that . And so 449 00:16:57,496 --> 00:16:59,551 we're we're adapting as much in real 450 00:16:59,551 --> 00:17:01,773 time as we can as they have to adapt in 451 00:17:01,773 --> 00:17:03,884 real time because the fighting in the 452 00:17:03,884 --> 00:17:06,107 Donbas changes and in the south as well 453 00:17:06,107 --> 00:17:08,440 now , what it's gonna take for Mr Putin , 454 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:08,140 I think as you said to reverse himself , 455 00:17:08,140 --> 00:17:10,290 I think is the way you put it . Um I 456 00:17:10,290 --> 00:17:13,230 don't know , I think only Mr Putin 457 00:17:13,230 --> 00:17:15,286 knows that and maybe perhaps some of 458 00:17:15,286 --> 00:17:17,430 his top leaders in general's uh we 459 00:17:17,430 --> 00:17:19,541 don't know what what you've heard the 460 00:17:19,541 --> 00:17:21,652 Secretary say and I'll repeat it here 461 00:17:21,652 --> 00:17:23,652 today , is that Mr Putin can do the 462 00:17:23,652 --> 00:17:25,708 right thing right now right today by 463 00:17:25,708 --> 00:17:27,652 pulling his forces out . Uh and by 464 00:17:27,652 --> 00:17:29,763 sitting down with Mr Zelinsky and the 465 00:17:29,763 --> 00:17:31,986 Ukrainians and negotiating in some kind 466 00:17:31,986 --> 00:17:34,208 of good faith , there doesn't appear to 467 00:17:34,208 --> 00:17:36,486 be any hope for negotiations right now . 468 00:17:36,486 --> 00:17:38,597 Mr Putin has shown no interest in any 469 00:17:38,597 --> 00:17:40,819 kind of diplomatic path forward . Quite 470 00:17:40,819 --> 00:17:42,708 the contrary . He has shown every 471 00:17:42,708 --> 00:17:44,708 interest in continuing to prosecute 472 00:17:44,708 --> 00:17:46,819 this war in the Donbas . He continues 473 00:17:46,819 --> 00:17:48,819 to add forces . He continues to add 474 00:17:48,819 --> 00:17:50,986 capabilities . He continues to conduct 475 00:17:50,986 --> 00:17:53,208 airstrikes all in a very more much more 476 00:17:53,208 --> 00:17:55,263 concentrated part of of Ukraine . So 477 00:17:55,263 --> 00:17:57,319 the fighting continues . We are ever 478 00:17:57,319 --> 00:17:59,208 mindful as we have been since the 479 00:17:59,208 --> 00:18:01,430 beginning . Mindful of the clock here , 480 00:18:01,430 --> 00:18:03,319 mindful of the sense of urgency . 481 00:18:03,319 --> 00:18:07,040 Mindful that time is not uh not our 482 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:08,984 friend , which is why we have been 483 00:18:08,984 --> 00:18:11,570 continuing to move equipment literally 484 00:18:11,580 --> 00:18:14,380 every day for the last 90 plus days of 485 00:18:14,380 --> 00:18:17,420 this war even in fact , even before the 486 00:18:17,420 --> 00:18:19,750 invasion started , we were sending in 487 00:18:19,750 --> 00:18:21,694 weapons and systems . So defensive 488 00:18:21,694 --> 00:18:23,472 weapons and systems so that the 489 00:18:23,472 --> 00:18:25,139 Ukrainians could could defend 490 00:18:25,139 --> 00:18:27,472 themselves . And it's made a difference . 491 00:18:27,472 --> 00:18:31,160 Barb uh we are almost 492 00:18:31,220 --> 00:18:34,550 100 days into this and Mr Putin has 493 00:18:34,550 --> 00:18:38,140 achieved exactly zero of his strategic 494 00:18:38,140 --> 00:18:40,700 objectives . He didn't take away 495 00:18:40,710 --> 00:18:42,599 Ukrainian sovereignty . Quite the 496 00:18:42,599 --> 00:18:45,000 contrary matter of fact he's I think 497 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:46,889 he's reinforced for the Ukrainian 498 00:18:46,889 --> 00:18:48,833 people . How important their their 499 00:18:48,833 --> 00:18:51,000 independence really is and you can see 500 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,000 him fighting for it every day , not 501 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:52,980 just soldiers but individual citizens . 502 00:18:52,990 --> 00:18:55,046 He didn't take the capital city . He 503 00:18:55,046 --> 00:18:57,157 didn't decapitate the government . He 504 00:18:57,157 --> 00:18:59,268 didn't take any major city other than 505 00:18:59,268 --> 00:19:01,212 mary open at this point . So he he 506 00:19:01,212 --> 00:19:03,101 hasn't really achieved any of the 507 00:19:03,101 --> 00:19:05,101 strategic objectives . And he's now 508 00:19:05,101 --> 00:19:07,268 focusing on a much smaller part of the 509 00:19:07,268 --> 00:19:09,323 country . Uh and so we're focused on 510 00:19:09,323 --> 00:19:11,434 getting them to to be able to succeed 511 00:19:11,434 --> 00:19:13,157 in those in those fights . The 512 00:19:13,157 --> 00:19:15,268 strategic objectives that the U . S . 513 00:19:15,268 --> 00:19:16,950 Military and administration . 514 00:19:19,340 --> 00:19:23,130 But he has caused told 515 00:19:23,140 --> 00:19:26,390 misery , violence and death in that 516 00:19:26,390 --> 00:19:29,130 country . The Ukrainian government says 517 00:19:29,130 --> 00:19:31,620 he is depopulating the east . He has 518 00:19:31,620 --> 00:19:35,040 shipped untold numbers of Ukrainians 519 00:19:35,430 --> 00:19:38,770 to Russian camps . So 520 00:19:40,140 --> 00:19:43,770 he certainly is achieving objectives 521 00:19:44,340 --> 00:19:47,550 by his measure . Not the pentagon , 522 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,510 the pentagon's framework , you said , 523 00:19:51,510 --> 00:19:54,500 you know the clock is ticking . What is 524 00:19:54,510 --> 00:19:57,500 that clock time is not on your side . 525 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,360 You have some kind of assessment of 526 00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:03,230 what that clock is and how much time 527 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:05,470 you have . We know that the Ukrainians 528 00:20:05,470 --> 00:20:07,470 are there , they're fighting by the 529 00:20:07,470 --> 00:20:09,900 hour and the fight changes almost by 530 00:20:09,900 --> 00:20:12,140 the hour . And so we are focused on 531 00:20:12,140 --> 00:20:14,270 getting them as much help as we as we 532 00:20:14,270 --> 00:20:16,381 can as much support as fast as we can 533 00:20:16,381 --> 00:20:18,750 do . We have a date on a calendar barb 534 00:20:18,750 --> 00:20:20,694 that says , well by this date it's 535 00:20:20,694 --> 00:20:23,720 gonna be over . No , no . And we 536 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,887 wouldn't be able to do that . It would 537 00:20:25,887 --> 00:20:28,109 be it would be completely irresponsible 538 00:20:28,109 --> 00:20:30,420 for us to do that . Yeah , We know that 539 00:20:30,420 --> 00:20:32,440 the Ukrainians in a live fight , a 540 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,607 fight for a fight for their country or 541 00:20:34,607 --> 00:20:36,940 fight for their citizens lives and too 542 00:20:36,940 --> 00:20:39,162 many . You're right . Too many citizens 543 00:20:39,162 --> 00:20:41,860 lives have been taken by this war . But 544 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,730 is there any administration strategy 545 00:20:44,730 --> 00:20:47,120 here ? I know there's diplomacy . Is 546 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:49,670 there any pentagon strategy other than 547 00:20:49,670 --> 00:20:52,560 continuing to ship weapons And how long 548 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:54,782 can we have two goals and they have not 549 00:20:54,782 --> 00:20:57,470 changed for two goals other than 550 00:20:57,470 --> 00:20:59,720 shipping weapons ? Our strategy has two 551 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:01,831 components . Let me put it that way . 552 00:21:01,831 --> 00:21:03,942 Then if you want the word strategy in 553 00:21:03,942 --> 00:21:05,887 there . One , it's to help Ukraine 554 00:21:05,887 --> 00:21:07,887 defend itself and the and answering 555 00:21:07,887 --> 00:21:09,942 that need has changed over time over 556 00:21:09,942 --> 00:21:11,887 the last 90 plus days . You know , 557 00:21:11,887 --> 00:21:14,920 earlier , we were all about javelins 558 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:16,976 and stingers and that's all you guys 559 00:21:16,976 --> 00:21:18,864 wanted to ask about and now we're 560 00:21:18,864 --> 00:21:20,976 asking about MlRS , I get it . That's 561 00:21:20,976 --> 00:21:23,087 the way we have help . Ukraine defend 562 00:21:23,087 --> 00:21:25,087 itself has changed over time as the 563 00:21:25,087 --> 00:21:27,198 fight has changed over time and we're 564 00:21:27,198 --> 00:21:29,253 going to be committed to this for as 565 00:21:29,253 --> 00:21:31,476 long as the Ukrainians need the support 566 00:21:31,476 --> 00:21:33,364 and it's not just us , it's other 567 00:21:33,364 --> 00:21:32,790 allies and partners in the second 568 00:21:32,790 --> 00:21:35,012 component and it's not an insignificant 569 00:21:35,012 --> 00:21:37,068 component . We don't talk about it a 570 00:21:37,068 --> 00:21:38,957 lot Is making sure we can bolster 571 00:21:38,957 --> 00:21:41,179 NATO's eastern flank . We now have over 572 00:21:41,179 --> 00:21:43,401 100,000 U . S . Troops in or around the 573 00:21:43,401 --> 00:21:45,800 theater , uh in europe , some at sea , 574 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:47,967 some in the air , some on the ground . 575 00:21:47,967 --> 00:21:50,910 Um to to bolster NATO's eastern flank . 576 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,320 And uh and should these two other new 577 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,030 nations now Sweden and Finland become 578 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,390 new members of NATO then that'll be 579 00:21:59,570 --> 00:22:01,737 that'll be some other commitments that 580 00:22:01,737 --> 00:22:03,570 will have to make . And so we're 581 00:22:03,570 --> 00:22:05,626 focused on that as well to make sure 582 00:22:05,626 --> 00:22:07,903 that Mr Putin understands that we will , 583 00:22:07,903 --> 00:22:09,903 as the president said , will defend 584 00:22:09,903 --> 00:22:12,126 every inch of NATO territory in the way 585 00:22:12,126 --> 00:22:14,126 of the javelins and the stingers of 586 00:22:14,126 --> 00:22:16,348 what I just heard you say , which was , 587 00:22:16,348 --> 00:22:15,320 there was a while and then ultimately 588 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:18,500 it was a nice try 589 00:22:19,360 --> 00:22:23,360 nice try to go back to the Japanese at 590 00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:26,010 the beginning of the war , we heard 591 00:22:26,010 --> 00:22:28,232 about the Japanese all the time . There 592 00:22:28,232 --> 00:22:30,480 were the star . There were photos of 593 00:22:30,490 --> 00:22:32,546 Japanese . That's what I just said . 594 00:22:32,546 --> 00:22:34,823 Yes , but Photo of Japanese , you know , 595 00:22:34,823 --> 00:22:37,740 reaching their target and and 596 00:22:37,740 --> 00:22:41,230 destroying ? We don't see anything 597 00:22:41,230 --> 00:22:43,950 about the Hobbit serves . So do you 598 00:22:43,950 --> 00:22:46,006 assess that the Hobbits , elves have 599 00:22:46,006 --> 00:22:49,430 reached their objective and are 600 00:22:49,430 --> 00:22:52,930 used and help have made , 601 00:22:53,110 --> 00:22:56,050 have made the difference on the , on 602 00:22:56,050 --> 00:22:58,560 the ground . All I can tell you is what 603 00:22:58,570 --> 00:23:00,740 the Ukrainians tell us , what Mr 604 00:23:00,740 --> 00:23:03,360 Reznikoff has told Secretary Austin and 605 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:07,200 that is that the , the M triple seven 606 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:09,960 howitzers have definitely made a 607 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:11,627 significant difference on the 608 00:23:11,627 --> 00:23:13,793 battlefield and they are using them in 609 00:23:13,793 --> 00:23:15,904 various places and they're using them 610 00:23:15,904 --> 00:23:18,071 with very good effect . Do you have an 611 00:23:18,071 --> 00:23:20,071 example of a place where they could 612 00:23:20,071 --> 00:23:22,127 retake ? We know for instance , that 613 00:23:22,127 --> 00:23:25,440 they that they have , they have 614 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,750 definitely used them in the Donbas and 615 00:23:28,750 --> 00:23:31,200 that they have , we know that they've 616 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,311 used them effectively against Russian 617 00:23:33,311 --> 00:23:36,840 formations there in the bus . Um , but 618 00:23:36,850 --> 00:23:38,960 can I give you an exact date ? In 619 00:23:38,970 --> 00:23:41,200 latitude and longitude ? No , I'd refer 620 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,033 you to the Ukrainian Ministry of 621 00:23:43,033 --> 00:23:44,867 Defense on that . I mean , these 622 00:23:44,867 --> 00:23:46,811 howitzers belong to them . They're 623 00:23:46,811 --> 00:23:48,811 putting them in the field to defend 624 00:23:48,811 --> 00:23:50,922 themselves and their and their cities 625 00:23:50,922 --> 00:23:52,867 and towns and people . Um and they 626 00:23:52,867 --> 00:23:52,380 could speak to that much more 627 00:23:52,390 --> 00:23:54,501 definitively than than we can . We're 628 00:23:54,501 --> 00:23:56,501 not , You know , we're not tracking 629 00:23:56,501 --> 00:23:58,723 each and everyone where they are on the 630 00:23:58,723 --> 00:24:00,890 battlefield on any given day , but but 631 00:24:00,890 --> 00:24:02,890 more than 80 of them , we know this 632 00:24:02,890 --> 00:24:04,890 from because we're getting from the 633 00:24:04,890 --> 00:24:07,001 Ukrainians , more than 80 of them are 634 00:24:07,001 --> 00:24:09,112 in forward units being used in combat 635 00:24:09,112 --> 00:24:12,330 every day at least so far ? Yeah , john 636 00:24:12,330 --> 00:24:15,450 Peter martin from Bloomberg , You 637 00:24:15,450 --> 00:24:17,561 talked about the incremental progress 638 00:24:17,561 --> 00:24:19,506 that the Russians are making and I 639 00:24:19,506 --> 00:24:21,860 wondered , have you seen them learn 640 00:24:21,860 --> 00:24:24,027 from the mistakes they made early on ? 641 00:24:24,027 --> 00:24:26,340 You know , exposed supply lines are 642 00:24:26,340 --> 00:24:28,562 more vulnerable to more agile Ukrainian 643 00:24:28,670 --> 00:24:31,110 infantry . Have they improved the way 644 00:24:31,110 --> 00:24:33,332 that they've approached this fight ? We 645 00:24:33,332 --> 00:24:36,810 have seen them try to remedy some of 646 00:24:36,810 --> 00:24:38,977 the challenges . So , for instance , a 647 00:24:38,977 --> 00:24:40,643 good example of logistics and 648 00:24:40,643 --> 00:24:42,977 sustainment , I mean , they were marked , 649 00:24:42,977 --> 00:24:45,143 they went so fast on Kiev in the early 650 00:24:45,143 --> 00:24:46,977 days that they outstripped their 651 00:24:46,977 --> 00:24:48,866 ability to fuel themselves , feed 652 00:24:48,866 --> 00:24:51,032 themselves , resupply themselves . And 653 00:24:51,032 --> 00:24:53,088 of course , you know , remember that 654 00:24:53,088 --> 00:24:55,254 vaunted convoy we talked about and the 655 00:24:55,254 --> 00:24:57,143 Ukrainians were able to stop that 656 00:24:57,143 --> 00:24:59,088 resupply convoy from ever reaching 657 00:24:59,088 --> 00:24:58,460 frontline troops . And it had a 658 00:24:58,540 --> 00:25:00,690 significant operational effect on the 659 00:25:00,690 --> 00:25:03,120 Russians around Kiev in the Donbas , 660 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:05,453 it's a different terrain , it's flatter , 661 00:25:05,453 --> 00:25:07,787 it's more open , it's a lot of farmland , 662 00:25:07,787 --> 00:25:09,842 small villages and towns and because 663 00:25:09,842 --> 00:25:12,176 it's in the extreme east of the country , 664 00:25:12,176 --> 00:25:14,287 it's closer to Russia , uh and closer 665 00:25:14,287 --> 00:25:16,310 to their organic supply lines and 666 00:25:16,310 --> 00:25:19,870 capabilities . And so we're uh there 667 00:25:19,870 --> 00:25:22,880 certainly , you can see them being 668 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:25,300 mindful and wary of getting too far out 669 00:25:25,300 --> 00:25:28,920 ahead of their supplies , part of 670 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,142 that's easier for them to do because of 671 00:25:31,142 --> 00:25:33,364 the geography and how close they are to 672 00:25:33,364 --> 00:25:35,587 Russia and the terrain , but it is , we 673 00:25:35,587 --> 00:25:37,698 see a deliberate effort for them to , 674 00:25:37,698 --> 00:25:39,698 and you can see it . Uh part of the 675 00:25:39,698 --> 00:25:41,476 reason that they're only making 676 00:25:41,476 --> 00:25:43,698 incremental grains . Obviously it's due 677 00:25:43,698 --> 00:25:45,864 to the Ukrainians but it's also due to 678 00:25:45,864 --> 00:25:47,864 their wariness of getting too far a 679 00:25:47,864 --> 00:25:49,698 field of their ability to supply 680 00:25:49,698 --> 00:25:52,130 themselves . Um We have seen them try 681 00:25:52,130 --> 00:25:54,710 although with with no real success but 682 00:25:54,710 --> 00:25:56,980 you can see them try to get better at 683 00:25:56,990 --> 00:25:59,320 integrating ground and air operations . 684 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,400 Um again some of that's easier for them 685 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,550 to do in a smaller geographic area . 686 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,130 There's they're using smaller units now 687 00:26:07,130 --> 00:26:09,680 in smaller places and smaller movements . 688 00:26:10,030 --> 00:26:12,197 Um and so it's a little bit easier for 689 00:26:12,197 --> 00:26:14,419 them to integrate air support for their 690 00:26:14,419 --> 00:26:16,474 operations on the ground than it was 691 00:26:16,474 --> 00:26:18,697 when they were advancing on three major 692 00:26:18,697 --> 00:26:20,419 lines of access geographically 693 00:26:20,419 --> 00:26:22,419 separated by hundreds of miles . So 694 00:26:22,419 --> 00:26:24,530 it's a little easier but we're seeing 695 00:26:24,530 --> 00:26:24,520 them start to try to get better at that . 696 00:26:24,530 --> 00:26:26,474 I would not go so far as to say we 697 00:26:26,474 --> 00:26:28,586 think that they have solved all their 698 00:26:28,586 --> 00:26:31,470 air to ground integration issues um uh 699 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:34,760 and um commanding control , they still 700 00:26:34,770 --> 00:26:36,992 they still suffer , they still have not 701 00:26:36,992 --> 00:26:40,270 um been able to effectively 702 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:44,210 um manage command and control of 703 00:26:44,210 --> 00:26:46,377 their of their units in the field . So 704 00:26:46,377 --> 00:26:49,170 yes as we said that they would we have 705 00:26:49,170 --> 00:26:51,820 seen them try to improve some of the 706 00:26:51,830 --> 00:26:53,719 mistakes improve upon some of the 707 00:26:53,719 --> 00:26:55,774 mistakes they made early on but they 708 00:26:55,774 --> 00:26:57,830 have by no means been able to master 709 00:26:57,830 --> 00:27:00,052 them Christina . Good to see you . Good 710 00:27:00,052 --> 00:27:02,386 to see you too congrats on your new job . 711 00:27:02,386 --> 00:27:04,386 They are very lucky to have you . I 712 00:27:04,386 --> 00:27:06,441 went to follow up on Barb's question 713 00:27:06,441 --> 00:27:08,850 she asked , is this now sort of a slog ? 714 00:27:08,850 --> 00:27:11,260 A quagmire is bogged down , would you 715 00:27:11,260 --> 00:27:13,710 say this is not a slog ? How does it's 716 00:27:13,710 --> 00:27:16,000 a knife fight now ? Is a knife fight , 717 00:27:16,010 --> 00:27:17,843 you know , for like a slog where 718 00:27:17,843 --> 00:27:20,170 there's from the knife fight ? Yeah . 719 00:27:20,180 --> 00:27:23,410 Um , I think we've been and I talked 720 00:27:23,410 --> 00:27:25,743 about a little bit about this yesterday . 721 00:27:25,743 --> 00:27:27,966 I think we're being careful not to slap 722 00:27:27,966 --> 00:27:30,188 a label on this or a bumper sticker and 723 00:27:30,188 --> 00:27:32,299 say it's it is this other than I have 724 00:27:32,299 --> 00:27:34,410 said , it's a knife fight and you can 725 00:27:34,410 --> 00:27:36,521 see that every day . Um , and I think 726 00:27:36,521 --> 00:27:38,799 that's a good descriptor because it is , 727 00:27:38,799 --> 00:27:40,966 it's close fighting . Um , and in some 728 00:27:40,966 --> 00:27:42,910 cases very intimate like in Carson 729 00:27:42,910 --> 00:27:45,243 around Carson between carcinoma to live , 730 00:27:45,243 --> 00:27:47,188 you've got , you got Ukrainian and 731 00:27:47,188 --> 00:27:49,188 Russian forces that are very , very 732 00:27:49,188 --> 00:27:51,410 close . Um , and again it changes every 733 00:27:51,410 --> 00:27:53,632 day . So I think we're just gonna avoid 734 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:56,360 slapping a label on this . It is uh , 735 00:27:56,370 --> 00:27:59,350 it is , it's war Christina and it's , 736 00:27:59,360 --> 00:28:02,880 it's close up war . It's it's brutal . 737 00:28:02,890 --> 00:28:05,440 Um and it's not just brutal on the 738 00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,190 soldiers . It is as Barb rightly said 739 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,256 it's been brutal on the population , 740 00:28:10,256 --> 00:28:12,770 the people of Ukraine , joe Gould 741 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:18,018 Hey john , thanks for taking my 742 00:28:18,018 --> 00:28:21,440 question question for you . Um 743 00:28:21,450 --> 00:28:24,860 yesterday we got a readout of um 744 00:28:25,340 --> 00:28:28,950 Catholics visit to the UK . Um and 745 00:28:28,950 --> 00:28:32,400 there was a lot of um , you know a lot 746 00:28:32,410 --> 00:28:34,410 said about science , technology and 747 00:28:34,410 --> 00:28:38,090 cybersecurity . Um and um and security 748 00:28:38,090 --> 00:28:40,620 cooperation between the US and UK but 749 00:28:40,620 --> 00:28:43,060 not so long ago back in september after 750 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,440 um the Afghanistan withdrawal , it 751 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:49,830 seemed like US and UK relations were a 752 00:28:49,830 --> 00:28:52,140 bit rockier . Um Would you say that 753 00:28:52,150 --> 00:28:53,872 that the you know the security 754 00:28:53,872 --> 00:28:57,240 situation um right now in europe has 755 00:28:57,240 --> 00:29:01,140 galvanized that relationship or for uh 756 00:29:01,150 --> 00:29:02,970 injected new energy into that 757 00:29:02,980 --> 00:29:05,290 relationship ? I think I would 758 00:29:05,290 --> 00:29:08,110 challenge the assumption that that 759 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:11,350 because of Afghanistan US UK relations 760 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:13,850 suffered or or 761 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,550 were damaged in any way 762 00:29:18,140 --> 00:29:21,900 the british are uh there's a that 763 00:29:21,910 --> 00:29:23,466 we talked about the special 764 00:29:23,466 --> 00:29:26,570 relationship which we firmly strongly 765 00:29:26,570 --> 00:29:28,459 still believing . I mean they are 766 00:29:28,459 --> 00:29:30,570 tremendous allies and great friends . 767 00:29:30,570 --> 00:29:32,830 Um So I don't think we would associate 768 00:29:32,830 --> 00:29:35,070 ourselves with with an assumption that 769 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,191 there was some sort of damage done to 770 00:29:37,191 --> 00:29:39,524 the relationship because of Afghanistan . 771 00:29:39,524 --> 00:29:42,800 I mean we were At war in Afghanistan 772 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:44,744 with the Brits for all of those 20 773 00:29:44,744 --> 00:29:46,967 years . They were with us from the very 774 00:29:46,967 --> 00:29:49,078 beginning and right up until the very 775 00:29:49,078 --> 00:29:51,300 end . And we helped each other in those 776 00:29:51,300 --> 00:29:53,356 uh two weeks of August as we uh work 777 00:29:53,356 --> 00:29:55,710 together to evacuate literally more 778 00:29:55,710 --> 00:29:58,540 than 100,000 people . But to your 779 00:29:58,540 --> 00:30:02,070 larger question I think it's 780 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,300 safe to say fair to say . And evident 781 00:30:05,390 --> 00:30:08,670 that mr Putin's unprovoked 782 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:12,050 war in Ukraine has definitely helped 783 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:16,060 galvanize the entire alliance uh and 784 00:30:16,220 --> 00:30:19,020 certainly has galvanized in many ways . 785 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:21,320 Uh the international community or at 786 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:23,820 least almost all of the international 787 00:30:23,820 --> 00:30:27,660 community to two to be mindful 788 00:30:27,660 --> 00:30:29,860 not only of the danger Ukraine is in 789 00:30:29,860 --> 00:30:32,027 and and the support that Ukraine needs 790 00:30:32,027 --> 00:30:33,527 but also the danger to the 791 00:30:33,527 --> 00:30:35,749 international rules based order . We we 792 00:30:35,749 --> 00:30:37,860 talked about that phrase a lot but uh 793 00:30:37,860 --> 00:30:40,027 and it sounds perhaps bureaucratic but 794 00:30:40,027 --> 00:30:42,249 but but it's a real thing . It's a it's 795 00:30:42,249 --> 00:30:45,640 a it matters um it rules based 796 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:47,696 international order that that we and 797 00:30:47,696 --> 00:30:49,751 the british and so many other allies 798 00:30:49,751 --> 00:30:51,930 and partners worked so hard to 799 00:30:51,930 --> 00:30:54,910 establish in the wake of World War Two . 800 00:30:55,150 --> 00:30:58,570 And I we are 801 00:30:58,580 --> 00:31:00,747 I don't think you can say that we grew 802 00:31:00,747 --> 00:31:02,969 closer to great Britain because of this 803 00:31:02,969 --> 00:31:05,080 because we were already exceptionally 804 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:07,247 close . But it's fair to say that that 805 00:31:07,247 --> 00:31:10,400 our our british allies and very much 806 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:12,567 even before Mr Putin decided to invade 807 00:31:12,567 --> 00:31:15,340 saw things the same way um and had 808 00:31:15,340 --> 00:31:17,500 multiple conversations about what we 809 00:31:17,500 --> 00:31:19,611 were , what we were watching Mr Putin 810 00:31:19,611 --> 00:31:21,900 due in the fall and uh early weeks of 811 00:31:21,900 --> 00:31:25,420 the winter . Um So there's incredible I 812 00:31:25,420 --> 00:31:29,390 think ah uh synergy 813 00:31:29,390 --> 00:31:31,390 between the United States and great 814 00:31:31,390 --> 00:31:33,612 Britain and uh I would say go go larger 815 00:31:33,612 --> 00:31:35,840 than that and say inside the NATO 816 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:38,630 alliance . Yeah laura 817 00:31:40,900 --> 00:31:42,789 for any one that's hanging in the 818 00:31:42,789 --> 00:31:46,200 cattle 2045 mi and there's a longer 819 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:48,710 strike version that can reach 190 miles ? 820 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:50,740 Um so what are the concerns about 821 00:31:50,740 --> 00:31:53,280 sending Ukraine ? The this longer range 822 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:55,720 version ? I'm just again , Laura , I 823 00:31:55,720 --> 00:31:59,080 appreciate the question . I'm not going 824 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:02,440 to speak to decisions that haven't been 825 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:04,551 made or announced yet with respect to 826 00:32:04,551 --> 00:32:07,400 future security packages for Ukraine . 827 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:09,400 I just I'm just not going to get in 828 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,380 there without talking about the package 829 00:32:12,390 --> 00:32:15,130 in particular . Is there concern that 830 00:32:15,140 --> 00:32:17,300 weapon like this might be provocative 831 00:32:17,310 --> 00:32:19,610 to Russia ? We have since the very 832 00:32:19,610 --> 00:32:21,554 beginning . As I said earlier , we 833 00:32:21,554 --> 00:32:23,777 we've been working closely with Ukraine 834 00:32:23,777 --> 00:32:26,320 to provide them the best capabilities 835 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,431 we can to help them in the fight that 836 00:32:28,431 --> 00:32:30,660 they're in and that will continue . Um 837 00:32:31,750 --> 00:32:34,450 and the fact that you can do that but 838 00:32:34,450 --> 00:32:37,560 also have a prudent um 839 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:40,890 a prudent concern over escalation , 840 00:32:40,900 --> 00:32:42,956 which we've talked about many , many 841 00:32:42,956 --> 00:32:45,178 times . They are not mutually exclusive 842 00:32:45,178 --> 00:32:47,400 and they and there's no reason for them 843 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:49,511 to be just on different topics . Um I 844 00:32:49,511 --> 00:32:51,511 just saw some reports that Iran has 845 00:32:51,511 --> 00:32:53,567 seized to greek oil tankers . Do you 846 00:32:53,567 --> 00:32:55,733 have anything to be afraid ? I don't , 847 00:32:55,733 --> 00:32:58,210 I can take the question if there's 848 00:32:58,210 --> 00:33:00,321 something that we can offer after the 849 00:33:00,321 --> 00:33:03,020 briefing , we can do that louis I don't 850 00:33:03,020 --> 00:33:05,076 want to get ahead of the decision to 851 00:33:05,076 --> 00:33:07,610 get behind the decision . A decision 852 00:33:07,610 --> 00:33:09,499 that hasn't been made yet because 853 00:33:09,499 --> 00:33:11,499 that's where we are . We are behind 854 00:33:11,499 --> 00:33:13,388 that previous decisions . Can you 855 00:33:13,410 --> 00:33:15,410 enlighten us as to how that process 856 00:33:15,410 --> 00:33:17,940 actually works . The we've seen the 857 00:33:17,940 --> 00:33:21,130 meetings that joe millie had with your 858 00:33:21,130 --> 00:33:22,741 advisor . Sullivan and their 859 00:33:22,741 --> 00:33:24,741 counterparts ? I mean how does this 860 00:33:24,741 --> 00:33:27,530 originate with the with Ukrainians and 861 00:33:27,530 --> 00:33:29,641 what is the pentagon's role in ? It , 862 00:33:29,641 --> 00:33:31,474 does it ultimately end up with a 863 00:33:31,474 --> 00:33:33,419 recommendation by the Secretary of 864 00:33:33,419 --> 00:33:35,030 defense and then end up as a 865 00:33:35,030 --> 00:33:37,252 presidential decision if you could just 866 00:33:37,252 --> 00:33:39,470 capture that . Yeah , I mean so each 867 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:42,480 each each drawdown package is different 868 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:44,536 as you guys know , it's different in 869 00:33:44,536 --> 00:33:46,700 size , different kinds of systems and 870 00:33:46,700 --> 00:33:49,560 capabilities that are sent um 871 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,360 In generally generally speaking 872 00:33:55,340 --> 00:33:57,800 as a as a package is being considered 873 00:33:57,800 --> 00:33:59,870 the first input is the Ukrainians 874 00:33:59,870 --> 00:34:02,270 themselves , what they say they need 875 00:34:02,290 --> 00:34:04,860 and then are taking a look at that and 876 00:34:04,860 --> 00:34:07,750 seeing if we can help meet that need um 877 00:34:07,820 --> 00:34:09,709 and if we can't who can't who can 878 00:34:11,340 --> 00:34:13,870 and then and then there's a decision 879 00:34:13,870 --> 00:34:16,840 made about , once we sort of talk about 880 00:34:16,850 --> 00:34:18,794 capabilities then there's decision 881 00:34:18,794 --> 00:34:21,510 about well how much right now is can we 882 00:34:21,510 --> 00:34:23,560 get there ? You know , speed is an 883 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:26,350 issue to um and their absorption rate 884 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,120 is a fair concern as well as their 885 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:31,860 consumption rate . So that's why you're 886 00:34:31,860 --> 00:34:34,220 kind of parcel these out a little bit 887 00:34:34,220 --> 00:34:36,442 rather than just send everything in one 888 00:34:36,442 --> 00:34:39,310 lump because you want it to be relevant . 889 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:41,542 So then there's a decision made about , 890 00:34:41,542 --> 00:34:44,430 okay well how much of X y and z are we 891 00:34:44,430 --> 00:34:46,940 gonna send um and where is it going to 892 00:34:46,940 --> 00:34:49,273 come from ? The drawdown means it comes , 893 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:51,502 it's an authority . The president gives 894 00:34:51,502 --> 00:34:53,860 us uh to take stuff off our shelves and 895 00:34:53,860 --> 00:34:55,971 stuff we've already bought paid for , 896 00:34:56,240 --> 00:34:58,462 it's in a warehouse somewhere on a base 897 00:34:58,462 --> 00:35:00,462 somewhere overseas or in the United 898 00:35:00,462 --> 00:35:02,573 States . So where so now we know what 899 00:35:02,573 --> 00:35:04,796 we want to send and we know kind of how 900 00:35:04,796 --> 00:35:06,851 much where do we get it from ? Um At 901 00:35:06,851 --> 00:35:09,200 the same time that that sourcing is 902 00:35:09,200 --> 00:35:11,840 being done , Obviously you have to have 903 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:14,360 the authority . So the first the first 904 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:16,540 step as you start thinking about what 905 00:35:16,540 --> 00:35:18,707 you want to send is getting permission 906 00:35:18,707 --> 00:35:20,873 to do it . And it has to come from the 907 00:35:20,873 --> 00:35:20,550 president , it's called Presidential 908 00:35:20,550 --> 00:35:23,970 drawdown authority for a reason . Um He 909 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:26,750 we'll sign out the authority . Okay you 910 00:35:26,750 --> 00:35:30,380 can I I hear what you want to send them . 911 00:35:30,390 --> 00:35:32,501 I give you the authority to do that . 912 00:35:32,501 --> 00:35:34,779 So that's the next step in the process . 913 00:35:34,779 --> 00:35:36,946 Then it gets there's an administrative 914 00:35:36,946 --> 00:35:39,057 uh task , it has to be , it has to be 915 00:35:39,057 --> 00:35:41,168 announced by the secretary of State . 916 00:35:41,168 --> 00:35:43,390 That's the way the system works because 917 00:35:43,390 --> 00:35:43,290 it basically is assistance to a foreign 918 00:35:43,290 --> 00:35:46,440 military . Um And then the 919 00:35:46,450 --> 00:35:49,320 secretary will then issue uh an 920 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,730 executive order to the department to 921 00:35:51,730 --> 00:35:54,240 fill to fill that need and then we're 922 00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:56,750 off and running what what has been 923 00:35:59,540 --> 00:36:01,810 Fascinating for me to watch as we've 924 00:36:01,810 --> 00:36:04,430 watched as I've seen this now go happen 925 00:36:04,430 --> 00:36:07,770 now 10 different packages is is 926 00:36:08,030 --> 00:36:10,650 because we know that 927 00:36:11,530 --> 00:36:15,150 time is not our friend even as we're 928 00:36:15,630 --> 00:36:17,740 filling out the list . And doing the 929 00:36:17,740 --> 00:36:20,530 sourcing us . Transcom is already 930 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:22,504 they're already planning flights , 931 00:36:22,504 --> 00:36:25,190 they're already thinking okay , if if 932 00:36:25,190 --> 00:36:27,420 it's gonna come from X base here in the 933 00:36:27,420 --> 00:36:29,587 United States , then , you know , what 934 00:36:29,587 --> 00:36:31,809 do I need to do ? What do we need to do 935 00:36:31,809 --> 00:36:33,976 to make sure we have aircraft on scene 936 00:36:33,976 --> 00:36:33,920 as quickly as possible to get it there . 937 00:36:33,990 --> 00:36:37,050 And and that has been that's and and we , 938 00:36:37,830 --> 00:36:39,997 You know , I'm not saying we were slow 939 00:36:39,997 --> 00:36:41,941 at the beginning , they were still 940 00:36:41,941 --> 00:36:44,052 getting there pretty quickly , but we 941 00:36:44,052 --> 00:36:43,650 have now been able to shorten up the 942 00:36:43,650 --> 00:36:45,428 process so that it is literally 943 00:36:45,428 --> 00:36:48,450 sometimes as quick as 48 hours before . 944 00:36:48,930 --> 00:36:51,890 Uh , the initial elements of a drawdown 945 00:36:51,890 --> 00:36:53,834 package are in the region , not 48 946 00:36:53,834 --> 00:36:56,001 hours to get to Ukraine , but 48 hours 947 00:36:56,001 --> 00:36:58,112 to the region . And sometimes once it 948 00:36:58,112 --> 00:36:58,010 gets into the region it can be in 949 00:36:58,010 --> 00:37:00,480 Ukraine , 24-36 hours after that , 950 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:02,591 which is just an incredible amount of 951 00:37:02,591 --> 00:37:04,610 speed . I it truly is , we say , 952 00:37:04,610 --> 00:37:06,610 unprecedented . And it really is in 953 00:37:06,610 --> 00:37:08,690 terms of the ability of the United 954 00:37:08,690 --> 00:37:11,120 States to move that much material and 955 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:13,500 get it into the hands of , of Ukrainian 956 00:37:13,500 --> 00:37:16,580 fighters in a matter of just a few days . 957 00:37:16,590 --> 00:37:19,550 But it's because now we've we've done 958 00:37:19,550 --> 00:37:21,830 so many of these . Now , the the the 959 00:37:21,830 --> 00:37:24,052 system , the process works quite well . 960 00:37:24,052 --> 00:37:26,590 And and uh , and the people at US trans 961 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:28,711 Transportation command have just been 962 00:37:28,711 --> 00:37:31,650 heroic and their ability to to identify 963 00:37:32,030 --> 00:37:34,130 assets to move that and it's not all 964 00:37:34,130 --> 00:37:36,130 great tales I think you know , that 965 00:37:36,130 --> 00:37:38,297 they use commercial aircraft as well , 966 00:37:38,297 --> 00:37:40,463 but it's still under there under their 967 00:37:40,463 --> 00:37:44,460 auspices . Yeah . Um , 968 00:37:45,030 --> 00:37:46,974 so it looks like several unesco is 969 00:37:46,974 --> 00:37:49,141 gonna be the next major urban conflict 970 00:37:49,141 --> 00:37:51,363 in the Donbass . The Russians have been 971 00:37:51,363 --> 00:37:53,252 trying to encircle it . It's very 972 00:37:53,252 --> 00:37:55,141 similar to what they did in Mario 973 00:37:55,141 --> 00:37:57,141 Poland , maybe choke the city off . 974 00:37:57,141 --> 00:37:59,086 What would you assess the Russians 975 00:37:59,086 --> 00:38:01,308 ability to encircle the city has been , 976 00:38:01,308 --> 00:38:03,363 have the Ukraine's been able to halt 977 00:38:03,363 --> 00:38:05,530 them at all and keep supply lines open 978 00:38:05,530 --> 00:38:07,660 like they didn't Kiev . Um , and are 979 00:38:07,660 --> 00:38:09,940 you seeing kind of back on the lessons 980 00:38:09,940 --> 00:38:12,051 learned ? Are you seeing the Russians 981 00:38:12,051 --> 00:38:14,051 able to apply some of those lessons 982 00:38:14,051 --> 00:38:16,218 learned in an urban assault that we're 983 00:38:16,218 --> 00:38:18,107 seeing in Severo Donets , they're 984 00:38:18,107 --> 00:38:21,630 largely um their 985 00:38:21,630 --> 00:38:24,410 operations have stayed largely 986 00:38:24,410 --> 00:38:28,230 doctrinal in in approach . 987 00:38:28,240 --> 00:38:31,330 It's , we haven't seen a lot of 988 00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:34,280 adaptations in the way they do maneuver 989 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:37,370 warfare . It's artillery barrages ahead 990 00:38:37,370 --> 00:38:39,750 of movement , right , soak in an area 991 00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:42,320 to beat back whatever resistance is 992 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,160 there or or prevent try to prevent 993 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:47,250 Ukrainians from from being able to 994 00:38:47,260 --> 00:38:49,371 defend . Uh , and then once they feel 995 00:38:49,371 --> 00:38:51,371 like they've done that they sort of 996 00:38:51,371 --> 00:38:53,538 move out in formation . Now we've seen 997 00:38:53,538 --> 00:38:55,704 these formations being smaller because 998 00:38:55,704 --> 00:38:57,816 the terrain is just more confined and 999 00:38:57,816 --> 00:38:59,816 the and the objectives are going at 1000 00:38:59,816 --> 00:39:01,927 tend to be a little bit smaller , but 1001 00:39:01,927 --> 00:39:03,982 it's the same basic idea . I won't , 1002 00:39:03,982 --> 00:39:06,093 again , I won't predict we are seeing 1003 00:39:06,093 --> 00:39:05,870 fighting around Severa Donetsk , 1004 00:39:05,870 --> 00:39:08,190 There's no question about that and we 1005 00:39:08,190 --> 00:39:10,301 certainly do assess that the Russians 1006 00:39:10,301 --> 00:39:12,412 want to take it . But it is as far as 1007 00:39:12,412 --> 00:39:14,468 we can see today , still being being 1008 00:39:14,468 --> 00:39:16,960 actively fought over the counter 1009 00:39:16,960 --> 00:39:19,182 artillery batteries that have gone into 1010 00:39:19,182 --> 00:39:21,349 Ukraine . Have those helped Ukrainians 1011 00:39:21,349 --> 00:39:23,349 be able to target Russian batteries 1012 00:39:23,349 --> 00:39:25,238 that are assisting in there . The 1013 00:39:25,238 --> 00:39:27,349 doctrine of moving forward at all . I 1014 00:39:27,349 --> 00:39:29,293 would just again , I don't want to 1015 00:39:29,293 --> 00:39:29,170 speak for the Ukrainians and their 1016 00:39:29,170 --> 00:39:31,850 tactics , we know from talking to them 1017 00:39:31,890 --> 00:39:34,057 that the howitzers were providing have 1018 00:39:34,057 --> 00:39:36,630 been very effective and they've said so 1019 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:38,910 and that they have made good use of the 1020 00:39:38,910 --> 00:39:41,021 counter artillery radars that we have 1021 00:39:41,021 --> 00:39:43,243 provided and continue to provide . I've 1022 00:39:43,243 --> 00:39:45,243 only got time for a couple more and 1023 00:39:45,243 --> 00:39:47,188 then I'm gonna have to go . Yeah , 1024 00:39:47,188 --> 00:39:49,440 yesterday you had said that there was 1025 00:39:49,450 --> 00:39:52,490 the defense attache in Ukraine and 1026 00:39:52,500 --> 00:39:54,900 there would be no US troops fighting in 1027 00:39:54,910 --> 00:39:57,243 inside Ukraine . And I'm just wondering , 1028 00:39:57,243 --> 00:39:59,354 could you are you prepared to broaden 1029 00:39:59,354 --> 00:40:01,632 that out and say that there's no U . S . 1030 00:40:01,632 --> 00:40:03,521 Military mission currently inside 1031 00:40:03,521 --> 00:40:05,354 Ukraine of any kind of the other 1032 00:40:05,354 --> 00:40:08,370 defense attache there ? I do . 1033 00:40:08,380 --> 00:40:11,130 What I can tell you is there's a 1034 00:40:11,130 --> 00:40:13,990 defense attache at the embassy and 1035 00:40:16,390 --> 00:40:19,450 and that there is no change to the 1036 00:40:19,450 --> 00:40:21,617 President's direction that there'll be 1037 00:40:21,617 --> 00:40:23,839 no US forces fighting in Ukraine and we 1038 00:40:23,839 --> 00:40:25,783 are in active discussions with the 1039 00:40:25,783 --> 00:40:28,170 State Department about um whether or 1040 00:40:28,170 --> 00:40:31,710 not it makes sense to have a U . S . 1041 00:40:31,710 --> 00:40:34,240 Military contingent to support their 1042 00:40:34,250 --> 00:40:36,528 their security elements at the embassy . 1043 00:40:36,528 --> 00:40:38,528 But there's been no decisions about 1044 00:40:38,528 --> 00:40:42,380 that . There's no training mission 1045 00:40:42,380 --> 00:40:44,460 inside Ukraine right now . Um and 1046 00:40:44,460 --> 00:40:46,516 there's been no decisions made about 1047 00:40:46,516 --> 00:40:49,460 returning trainers to Ukraine . Those 1048 00:40:49,460 --> 00:40:52,000 same national guardsmen are conducting 1049 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:54,380 training with other elements as well of 1050 00:40:54,380 --> 00:40:56,380 the U . S . Military outside of the 1051 00:40:56,380 --> 00:40:58,700 country . So I'm certainly not going to 1052 00:40:58,700 --> 00:41:00,367 walk off the fact that we are 1053 00:41:00,367 --> 00:41:02,533 conducting training . We are on the on 1054 00:41:02,533 --> 00:41:04,756 some of these systems that are that are 1055 00:41:04,756 --> 00:41:06,756 going in but no training in Ukraine 1056 00:41:06,756 --> 00:41:08,867 right now and no decisions made about 1057 00:41:08,867 --> 00:41:10,978 returning inside Ukraine . It's a war 1058 00:41:10,978 --> 00:41:13,089 zone . Okay , I got time for just one 1059 00:41:13,089 --> 00:41:14,978 more real . Thank you . I want to 1060 00:41:14,978 --> 00:41:17,089 follow up about North Korea yesterday 1061 00:41:17,089 --> 00:41:19,300 the U . N . Security Council failed to 1062 00:41:19,300 --> 00:41:21,960 enforce new economic sanctions on North 1063 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,870 Korea . Do you feel do you have a sense 1064 00:41:24,870 --> 00:41:27,760 of urgency to increase deterrence 1065 00:41:27,770 --> 00:41:30,800 against North Korea by military means , 1066 00:41:30,810 --> 00:41:33,770 as it is now obvious that the economic 1067 00:41:33,770 --> 00:41:35,937 measures will not work ? I think , you 1068 00:41:35,937 --> 00:41:39,360 know , we talked about this in in 1069 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:41,900 response to this , these multiple 1070 00:41:41,900 --> 00:41:43,956 ballistic missile launches the other 1071 00:41:43,956 --> 00:41:46,310 day we conducted a couple of exercises 1072 00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:49,200 um with both our south korean uh and 1073 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:53,100 our our Japanese counterparts uh um 1074 00:41:53,110 --> 00:41:55,221 a couple of weeks ago we talked about 1075 00:41:55,221 --> 00:41:57,443 increasing I . S . Are uh in the region 1076 00:41:57,443 --> 00:42:00,910 as well . So we're uh we're able to 1077 00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:02,642 and we'll continue to look for 1078 00:42:02,642 --> 00:42:04,920 opportunities to for an appropriate 1079 00:42:04,930 --> 00:42:07,097 response from a military perspective , 1080 00:42:07,097 --> 00:42:09,500 if it makes sense as they continue to 1081 00:42:09,660 --> 00:42:13,310 again conduct these launches and 1082 00:42:13,700 --> 00:42:16,770 um , and continue to uh to provoke 1083 00:42:16,780 --> 00:42:19,250 insecurity instability on the peninsula . 1084 00:42:19,250 --> 00:42:21,530 I would remind that those two exercises 1085 00:42:21,530 --> 00:42:25,210 that we conducted with uh Japan and 1086 00:42:25,210 --> 00:42:27,720 South Korea in the wake of the most 1087 00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:30,380 recent launch was that that was that 1088 00:42:30,380 --> 00:42:33,430 they were in response two , 1089 00:42:34,300 --> 00:42:36,522 the missile launches . In other words , 1090 00:42:36,522 --> 00:42:38,522 they were put together and executed 1091 00:42:38,522 --> 00:42:40,522 very quickly . Um , and that's just 1092 00:42:40,522 --> 00:42:42,633 that doesn't happen by accident . Rio 1093 00:42:42,633 --> 00:42:44,744 That happens because of good alliance 1094 00:42:44,744 --> 00:42:46,950 management and prior knowledge and 1095 00:42:46,950 --> 00:42:49,230 familiarity with one another's military 1096 00:42:49,230 --> 00:42:51,397 capabilities and the constant training 1097 00:42:51,397 --> 00:42:53,563 and operating that we do with both our 1098 00:42:53,563 --> 00:42:55,786 allies . And I think it's remarkable we 1099 00:42:55,786 --> 00:42:57,952 talked about , I think you asked me if 1100 00:42:57,952 --> 00:43:00,063 somebody asked me the other day about 1101 00:43:00,063 --> 00:43:02,119 the the Russians and the chinese and 1102 00:43:02,119 --> 00:43:04,286 this bomber exercise which we assessed 1103 00:43:04,286 --> 00:43:06,452 was long in the planning and was not a 1104 00:43:06,452 --> 00:43:08,508 direct response to President biden's 1105 00:43:08,508 --> 00:43:10,563 visit over there . By contrast , you 1106 00:43:10,563 --> 00:43:12,674 know , we were able to act quickly in 1107 00:43:12,674 --> 00:43:14,730 response to multiple launches by the 1108 00:43:14,730 --> 00:43:16,897 north just a couple of days ago to put 1109 00:43:16,897 --> 00:43:18,897 on the table and get an execution a 1110 00:43:18,897 --> 00:43:20,952 couple of exercises . Again , that's 1111 00:43:20,952 --> 00:43:23,119 the sign of a healthy , strong vibrant 1112 00:43:23,119 --> 00:43:25,341 alliance and that's the proof uh in the 1113 00:43:25,341 --> 00:43:27,820 in the uh , in the value of having the 1114 00:43:27,820 --> 00:43:29,931 network of alliances and partnerships 1115 00:43:29,931 --> 00:43:31,987 that we continue to , to try to grow 1116 00:43:31,987 --> 00:43:34,264 and improve in the indo pacific region . 1117 00:43:34,264 --> 00:43:36,630 Look , I gotta go . Um , the last thing 1118 00:43:36,630 --> 00:43:38,960 I'll say and I'll do it quickly so that 1119 00:43:38,960 --> 00:43:41,071 I get , get through it . I just wanna 1120 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:45,160 sure , mm 1121 00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:47,216 hmm . I just want to thank everybody 1122 00:43:47,216 --> 00:43:51,190 for ah , for what you do . 1123 00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:55,860 It's important . It , you don't 1124 00:43:55,860 --> 00:43:57,916 have to look any further than what's 1125 00:43:57,916 --> 00:44:00,490 going on in Ukraine . And the , just 1126 00:44:00,490 --> 00:44:03,940 the brutality , the vulgarity of the , 1127 00:44:04,260 --> 00:44:07,070 of the war that Mr Putin is waging on 1128 00:44:07,070 --> 00:44:09,610 the Ukrainian people and the 1129 00:44:10,290 --> 00:44:14,000 deceitful management of information 1130 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:16,530 that he has , uh , he has tried to , to 1131 00:44:16,530 --> 00:44:19,000 put in place , uh , shutting down a 1132 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:21,000 free flow of information to see how 1133 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:23,710 important it is , what a free press can 1134 00:44:23,710 --> 00:44:26,910 do . And all of you either have been 1135 00:44:27,490 --> 00:44:29,657 will be or you have colleagues who are 1136 00:44:29,657 --> 00:44:31,601 on the ground in Ukraine right now 1137 00:44:31,601 --> 00:44:33,768 putting their own lives uh , in danger 1138 00:44:33,768 --> 00:44:35,934 and some of them have been hurt . Some 1139 00:44:35,934 --> 00:44:39,130 of them have been killed . Um , and I 1140 00:44:39,140 --> 00:44:41,390 know that uh , memorial day is 1141 00:44:41,390 --> 00:44:44,080 obviously about memorializing the 1142 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:46,136 fallen . I will also promise you , I 1143 00:44:46,136 --> 00:44:48,136 will take some time this weekend to 1144 00:44:48,136 --> 00:44:50,302 think about them as well . It's really 1145 00:44:50,302 --> 00:44:52,358 important . And I just want to thank 1146 00:44:52,358 --> 00:44:54,636 you for that effort . Thank you for um , 1147 00:44:54,636 --> 00:44:56,636 the way you put me through my paces 1148 00:44:56,636 --> 00:44:58,969 even today the last day and , and I got , 1149 00:44:58,969 --> 00:45:01,247 I got , I got stretched , I got pushed , 1150 00:45:01,247 --> 00:45:01,230 but that's what makes you guys so 1151 00:45:01,230 --> 00:45:03,174 important . That's what makes this 1152 00:45:03,174 --> 00:45:05,174 place so special . I can't say that 1153 00:45:05,174 --> 00:45:07,390 everyday appear was pleasant , but I 1154 00:45:07,390 --> 00:45:10,220 can say that I felt anyway every day I 1155 00:45:10,220 --> 00:45:12,331 was up here was meaningful and that's 1156 00:45:12,331 --> 00:45:14,664 not because of me . It's because of you . 1157 00:45:14,664 --> 00:45:16,998 It's because of the questions you asked . 1158 00:45:16,998 --> 00:45:19,164 Uh , and uh , the way you , you pushed 1159 00:45:19,164 --> 00:45:21,387 and prodded and , and not only did your 1160 00:45:21,387 --> 00:45:23,609 outlets proud , but I think you did the 1161 00:45:23,609 --> 00:45:25,776 american people proud . And uh , and I 1162 00:45:25,776 --> 00:45:27,998 was proud to Have a little little piece 1163 00:45:27,998 --> 00:45:30,331 of it even if it was just for 18 months . 1164 00:45:30,331 --> 00:45:32,276 So again , thank you and um , um , 1165 00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:35,610 we'll see you later . Bye bye . Yeah .