WEBVTT

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I would like to thank Ukraine's

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Minister of Defense alexei Reznikoff

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for joining us again today . We value

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your presence and are looking forward

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to hearing your thoughts here shortly .

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So now please let me introduce

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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to

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deliver opening remarks . Mr Secretary ,

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Thank you celeste . Good morning ,

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everyone . It's great to see you all at

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our ninth meeting of the Ukraine

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Defense Contact Group . And before we

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get started , I want to express my

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deepest condolences for the tragic loss

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of life caused by the earth earthquakes

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that struck turkiye in Syria last week .

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The United States will continue to work

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urgently with our Turkish allies and

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others to rush assistance to those in

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need and in anguish after this terrible

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tragedy . Now , I'm proud to be here

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with representatives from across the

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globe and we're here to reaffirm our

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resounding support for a free and

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sovereign . Ukraine . Nearly one year

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ago , Putin began his unprovoked and

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indefensible invasion of Ukraine .

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Putin thought that in a matter of days

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his forces would seize Kiev and

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overthrow Ukraine's democratically

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elected government and he thought that

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the international community , we'll

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just live with it . As President biden

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said last week in his State of the

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Union address , Putin's invasion

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has been a test for the ages in a test

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for the world . Ladies and gentlemen ,

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we've responded by standing up for our

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shared values of sovereignty and

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freedom and we've risen to this

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challenge with unity and resolve .

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We've moved out with urgency , the

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urgency that the moment demands and

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time and time again . It has mattered

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that we delivered on what we promised

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to Ukraine . Russia did not prevail .

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Kiev did not fall and Ukraine's

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friends did not falter . In

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the years since Putin's war of choice

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began , Ukrainian soldiers have won the

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battles of Kiev , Kharkiv and Kherson .

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They pushed back , invading Russian

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forces with javelins and stingers and

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other systems donated by the country's

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in this room . The world was inspired

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by the resilience of Ukraine's people

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and the courage of Ukraine's troops .

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Even in the face of setbacks , Ukraine

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has shown that it will prevail and

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more countries have rushed to help

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Ukraine fight for his territory and

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more countries have rushed to help

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Ukraine fight for his territory , its

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sovereignty and its freedom and your

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presence here just proves that

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countries of goodwill from all around

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the world continue to step up . And to

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ensure that any setbacks are only

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temporary . And together , this contact

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group has made it clear that we will

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support Ukraine's fight for freedom

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over the long haul and help Ukraine

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hold in advance during the spring

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counter offensive with Unity . An

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urgency , we will again deliver the

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support that we have promised to

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Ukraine . We will put the Cape put

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capabilities into the hands of train .

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Ukrainian forces so that they can be

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integrated together on the battlefield .

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Now we know how to do this last april .

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We held our first contact group to

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coordinate our contributions to Ukraine

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and these meetings continue to embody

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the unshakable enduring support for

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Ukraine from all over the world . This

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contact group stands as a testament to

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our unity , Unity of purpose ,

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Unity of effort and unity of values .

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None of us could have accomplished this

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much alone . But together we have

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committed nearly $50 billion

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February

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24 . And our coordination is making a

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real difference In real time . The

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United States Germany and the

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Netherlands are working together to

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provide patriot air defense systems to

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Ukraine France . And Italy are working

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to provide a SAM T air defense system

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in a consortium of countries including

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Germany , Poland , Canada Portugal

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Spain Norway . Denmark and the

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Netherlands are working together to

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provide leopard battle tanks to Ukraine

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For more armored power . The United

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States , the Czech Republic and the

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Netherlands are jointly providing more

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than 90-72 tanks . This is in addition

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to Poland's latest donation of T 72 ,

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the UK has provided a company of

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Challenger main battle tanks and has

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worked with several countries to source

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more ammunition for Ukraine's defenders

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and we're working together on training

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for the Ukrainian armed forces through

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bilateral and multilateral training

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initiatives like the european Union's

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multi uh , european Union's military

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assistance mission . All of these

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donations and joint initiatives flow

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from our unity in our resolve . But we

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still have much more to do together and

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we must intensify our focus . Ukraine

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has urgent requirements to help it help

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it meet this crucial moment in the

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course of the war . And President

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Zelensky underscored Ukraine's need for

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more equipment at our last meeting in

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Ramstein . So we're fortunate to be

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joined again by my good friend ,

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Ukrainian Minister of Defense , Alexey

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Resnick , Aww and Alexey , thanks for

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your leadership and for joining us

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again today in person . Let me also

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welcome Ukraine's Deputy Chief of

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Defense , Lieutenant General Moshe .

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It's great to have both of you here

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with us and your presentations will

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help us sharpen our focus on the

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situation on the battlefield and

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Ukraine's most critical needs . Of

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course , it isn't just our goal to

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provide equipment is to provide full

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and lasting capabilities . So today

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we'll continue talking about

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integrating and synchronizing our

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support so that Ukraine has combat

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credible capabilities that matter and

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endure . We'll also hear from our Yukon

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Commander General casually on the

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integrated training that's being

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conducted across europe and we'll we'll

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discuss industrial based initiatives

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that will help sustain our support to

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Ukraine for the long term . We'll also

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talk about ongoing accountability for

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the historic levels of security

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assistance that we're providing to

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Ukraine and Minister Reznikoff . Let me

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commend you for your team's cooperation

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on this . Ukraine is committed to

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making sure that the equipment we're

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providing , gets to Ukraine defend

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Ukraine's defenders on the front lines .

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Now today's meeting comes at a critical

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time . The Kremlin is still betting

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that it can wait us out but one year on ,

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we are as united as ever . And that

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shared resolve will help sustain

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Ukraine's momentum in the crucial weeks

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ahead and help Ukraine travel the

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challenging road that lies beyond And

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looking around this room today , I know

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that our unity will only grow . We all

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understand the stakes in Russia's war

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of choice . This isn't just about

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Ukraine's right to live in peace and

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security . It's also about the kind of

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world that our Children will inherit .

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None of us want to live in a world

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where autocrats can can assault their

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peaceful neighbors , trample their

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borders and bombard their people . So

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we've come together to stand up for a

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world where rules matter where

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sovereignty is respected and where

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civilians are protected . Now let me

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pause for a moment while our friends in

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the media depart , and then we'll hear

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from our Ukrainian colleagues . Thank

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you very much