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Welcome you all this morning for the

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Ukraine Defense Contact group meeting .

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I very much want to extend a warm

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welcome to our Distinguished Ministers

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and Chiefs of Defense . Thank you for

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joining us today . This is the 4th

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meeting of the UDCG . I'm celeste

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Wallander , Assistant Secretary of

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Defense for International Security

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Affairs and I'll serve as a facilitator

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for today's contact group . I would

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especially like to extend a warm thank

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you to Ukraine's Minister of Defense ,

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Alexey Reznikoff for joining us

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virtually today . From Ukraine , we

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deeply value your presence and we are

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looking forward to hearing your

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thoughts here shortly . But first

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please let me introduce Secretary of

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Defense Lloyd Austin to deliver opening

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remarks . Mr Secretary . Thanks

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Secretary waldner and good morning ,

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it's great to see everyone on screen

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today . Welcome to our 4th meeting of

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the Ukraine Defense Contact Group .

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We're meeting as Ukraine is about to

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enter the six month in its fight

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against Russia's cruel and unprovoked

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invasion . And it's an important forum

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for discussing the urgent requirements

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that Ukraine needs to defend itself ,

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its citizens and its sovereign

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territory . Our assistance is making a

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real difference on the ground . But

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let's start by taking a step back and

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remembering how we got to this .6

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months into a war of choice that the

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Kremlin thought would be over in days .

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on 24th February Russia deployed a

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massive invasion force to counter the

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entire country to conquer the entire

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country of Ukraine and they failed .

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Russia poured its troops and steel in

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into taking Kiev and they failed .

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Russia tried to topple the

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democratically elected government of

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Ukraine and they failed

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and then Russia retooled and and

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thought it could easily sees the

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Donbass . They failed and

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throughout Russia trying to crush the

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spirit of the free people of Ukraine

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and they failed . And as we have seen

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time and again over these past months

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of war , Ukrainian forces are

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frustrating Moscow's combat objectives

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and they are defending their democracy

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in their homeland with bravery ,

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resolve and valor . We're all here

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because we understand the grave threat

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that Ukraine still faces . But let's

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also remember that Putin has

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consistently overestimated Russia's

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military prowess and he has

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consistently underestimated the power

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of a free people fighting to defend

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their homeland and the will of the

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international community to stand with

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them . And so as this fight rages

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on , the contact group will keep

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finding innovative ways to sustain our

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long term support for the brave men and

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women of the Ukrainian armed forces

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and we will tailor our assistance to

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ensure that Ukraine has a technology ,

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the ammunition and the sheer firepower

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to defend itself . You know , this is a

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critical phase of the , of the conflict

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and so our collective support for

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Ukraine is vital and urgent

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Russia thinks that it can outlast

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Ukraine and outlast us . But that's

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just the latest in Russia's string of

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miscalculations . We stand united

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in our support . We stand firm in our

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commitment and we will rise to this

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occasion . Now , one month ago , in

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brussels , this group met in person to

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reaffirm our dedication to Ukraine self

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defense . And we heard from many

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countries undertaking important new

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initiatives In more than 30 countries

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have now sent lethal military

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assistance to Ukraine in its hour of

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crisis . And we continue to make

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important headway and we're seeing the

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results on the ground From our meeting

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in Brussels . Until now , the United

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States has committed more than $2.6

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billion dollars in security assistance

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to Ukraine . Our assistance includes a

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total of 12 High Mars multiple launch

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rocket systems to further strengthen

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Ukraine's long range fires capability .

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And I want to underscore the impact

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that they've made . We've also

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committed to Nissan's air defense

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systems to help Ukraine protect its

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forces and its civilians against

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Russian missile attacks . The United

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States is also committed to sending

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more high MARS munitions , precision

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guided artillery , ammunition and

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tactical vehicles and other urgently

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needed support . And we'll continue to

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provide historic levels of security

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assistance to help Ukraine defend

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itself . And later this week we'll roll

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out our next presidential drawdown

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package of weapons , ammunition and

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equipment for Ukraine . It will be our

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16th drawdown of equipment from D . O .

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D Inventory since August 2021 .

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It will include four more high mars

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advanced rocket systems which the

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Ukrainians have been using so

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effectively and which have made such a

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difference on the battlefield and it

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will include more rounds of MlRS and

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artillery ammunition in other countries

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have continued to step up their support

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as well , including the important area ,

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any important area of long range fires .

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The UK is uh M 2 70 M . R . S systems

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are now in the fight and Germany

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systems will soon be on the battlefield

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as well . And Poland has also recently

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transferred three battalions of 155

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millimeters self propelled howitzers to

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Ukraine , which are already making a

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difference on the front lines . And I

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want to especially thank Norway for its

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close cooperation with the United

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States . On our nice sam's transfer ,

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Ukrainian armed forces have repeatedly

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repeatedly demonstrated their skill in

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operating high mars In them to 70 and

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155 millimeter howitzers and those

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capabilities have been crucial in the

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Donbas fight . Ukraine has also

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made real gains on the ground with

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other equipment that members of this

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contact group have provided . For

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example , Ukraine has definitely

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employed donated harpoon systems

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against Russia's navy and the Black Sea

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and those systems help Ukraine reclaim

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Snake Island . So I look forward to

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today's discussion on how we can

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continue to rush Ukraine more critical

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capabilities and urgently urgently

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needed ammunition and here to help us

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understand those critical requirements

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are my close friends and colleagues .

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Ukrainian Minister of Defense Olexiy

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Reznikoff and Deputy Chief of Defense

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Lieutenant General moisture . Mr

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Reznikoff and I have been in close and

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ongoing touch about Ukraine's combat

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requirements in progress since our last

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in person meeting in brussels and

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gentlemen , I want to thank you and

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your teams for joining us . In today's

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meeting . We deeply admire your

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tireless commitment to your country's

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defense and we deeply appreciate your

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close cooperation over these past few

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months . I'm also honored to be joined

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again by ministers and chiefs of

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defense from some 50 countries . The

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contract group continues to make a real

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difference in real time and that's a

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testament to our collective resolve to

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stand up to Russia's assault on

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democracy , sovereignty and the rules

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based international order that keeps us

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all secure . So let me thank everyone

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for joining us . And now we'll say

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goodbye to our friends from the media

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and following the departure of the

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media , I'll turn the microphone over

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to my dear friend , Minister Reznikoff .

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Thank you very much .