1 00:00:00,009 --> 00:00:02,839 Yes , sir . Good morning . And uh good 2 00:00:02,849 --> 00:00:06,230 morning to uh ministers , uh chiefs of 3 00:00:06,239 --> 00:00:09,989 defense and teams from the U DC G . Let 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,149 me extend a warm welcome to our 5 00:00:12,159 --> 00:00:14,270 distinguished ministers and Chiefs of 6 00:00:14,270 --> 00:00:16,750 Defense and thank you for convening 7 00:00:18,069 --> 00:00:20,950 today's . Hi , we have somebody has a 8 00:00:20,959 --> 00:00:23,430 hot mic . Uh Could I ask everyone to uh 9 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,459 check and , and mute yourself at this 10 00:00:26,469 --> 00:00:30,290 time ? Thank you . Um Let me welcome 11 00:00:30,299 --> 00:00:33,040 you to the 18th meeting of the Ukraine 12 00:00:33,049 --> 00:00:35,490 Defense Contact Group . I'm Celeste 13 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:37,444 Wallander , Assistant Secretary of 14 00:00:37,444 --> 00:00:39,611 Defense for Policy and I will serve as 15 00:00:39,611 --> 00:00:41,580 facilitators for facilitator for 16 00:00:41,590 --> 00:00:45,080 today's contact group . Uh I would like 17 00:00:45,090 --> 00:00:47,860 to welcome Minister Umarov of Ukraine . 18 00:00:47,950 --> 00:00:50,061 We value your presence here with your 19 00:00:50,061 --> 00:00:52,500 team at the U DC G and we look forward 20 00:00:52,509 --> 00:00:54,619 to hearing from you shortly . But 21 00:00:54,630 --> 00:00:57,099 please first let me introduce Secretary 22 00:00:57,110 --> 00:00:59,720 of Defense Lloyd Austin to deliver 23 00:00:59,729 --> 00:01:01,819 introductory remarks . Mr Secretary 24 00:01:01,830 --> 00:01:05,668 over to you . Thanks to assist 25 00:01:05,829 --> 00:01:08,069 Assistant Secretary Wallander a good 26 00:01:08,079 --> 00:01:10,698 day , everyone . Uh Thanks for working 27 00:01:10,708 --> 00:01:13,819 across time zones uh to join us for the 28 00:01:13,829 --> 00:01:16,859 18th meeting of the Ukraine Defense 29 00:01:16,869 --> 00:01:19,250 Contact group . We're eager to enter 30 00:01:19,260 --> 00:01:22,589 this new year with new energy and we're 31 00:01:22,599 --> 00:01:24,819 all here to reaffirm our support for 32 00:01:24,830 --> 00:01:27,930 our free , secure and sovereign Ukraine 33 00:01:28,620 --> 00:01:30,731 and to ensure that we continue to get 34 00:01:30,731 --> 00:01:32,898 Ukraine the capabilities that it needs 35 00:01:32,898 --> 00:01:36,180 for the winter and beyond . Ukraine is 36 00:01:36,190 --> 00:01:39,129 not low around the world . Ukraine's 37 00:01:39,139 --> 00:01:40,917 friends have stepped up to help 38 00:01:40,917 --> 00:01:44,069 Ukraine's brave troops resist Putin's 39 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,129 aggression and we formed an historic 40 00:01:47,139 --> 00:01:49,699 international coalition rooted in 41 00:01:49,709 --> 00:01:52,279 shared interests and common principles 42 00:01:52,879 --> 00:01:54,546 and the United States remains 43 00:01:54,546 --> 00:01:56,860 determined to support Ukraine in its 44 00:01:56,870 --> 00:02:00,489 fight for freedom . I'm especially glad 45 00:02:00,500 --> 00:02:02,667 that we're joined today by my friend , 46 00:02:02,667 --> 00:02:05,739 Ukrainian defense Minister , Umarov 47 00:02:06,150 --> 00:02:09,089 Rusin . We look forward to hearing your 48 00:02:09,100 --> 00:02:12,100 report from the battlefield . Ukraine's 49 00:02:12,110 --> 00:02:13,999 fight is important for all of our 50 00:02:13,999 --> 00:02:16,740 countries . Ukraine's incredibly brave 51 00:02:16,750 --> 00:02:18,694 troops are continuing their battle 52 00:02:18,694 --> 00:02:20,910 against the Kremlin's invaders against 53 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,179 the vast front line in Ukraine's east 54 00:02:23,190 --> 00:02:26,729 and South in bitter winter weather . 55 00:02:27,669 --> 00:02:29,891 Ukraine's defenders continue to inflict 56 00:02:29,891 --> 00:02:32,520 significant losses on the Kremlin's 57 00:02:32,529 --> 00:02:35,779 forces . Putin continues to 58 00:02:35,789 --> 00:02:39,119 sacrifice staggering numbers of Russian 59 00:02:39,130 --> 00:02:42,059 troops in his rash and reckless war of 60 00:02:42,070 --> 00:02:44,779 choice and Putin hopes that missiles 61 00:02:44,789 --> 00:02:46,511 and drones will demoralize the 62 00:02:46,511 --> 00:02:49,080 Ukrainian people and break the fighting 63 00:02:49,089 --> 00:02:52,539 spirit of the Ukrainian military . So I 64 00:02:52,550 --> 00:02:55,589 urge this group to dig deep to provide 65 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:57,800 Ukraine with more life saving ground 66 00:02:57,809 --> 00:03:00,000 based air defense systems and 67 00:03:00,009 --> 00:03:02,720 interceptors . And Ukraine has answered 68 00:03:02,729 --> 00:03:06,380 Putin's cruelty with courage and 69 00:03:06,389 --> 00:03:09,899 defiance after almost two years of 70 00:03:09,910 --> 00:03:12,470 war , Ukraine's people and troops stand 71 00:03:12,479 --> 00:03:15,300 strong against Russian aggression and 72 00:03:15,309 --> 00:03:18,600 occupation . Russia's military has been 73 00:03:18,610 --> 00:03:21,750 badly weakened and demoralized . 74 00:03:22,389 --> 00:03:26,289 Russia's military continues 75 00:03:26,300 --> 00:03:29,639 to again make a significant 76 00:03:29,649 --> 00:03:32,850 sacrifices and Ukraine has taken back 77 00:03:32,860 --> 00:03:34,638 more than half of the sovereign 78 00:03:34,638 --> 00:03:36,869 territory grabbed by Russia since its 79 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,479 unprovoked invasion . So let's be clear , 80 00:03:41,339 --> 00:03:43,283 our support for Ukraine's struggle 81 00:03:43,283 --> 00:03:45,509 against tyranny , makes all of our 82 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,910 countries more secure if we lose our 83 00:03:48,919 --> 00:03:52,490 nerve . If we flinch , if we 84 00:03:52,500 --> 00:03:55,610 fail to deter other would be aggressors . 85 00:03:56,029 --> 00:03:59,649 We will only invite even more bloodshed 86 00:03:59,970 --> 00:04:03,139 and more chaos . So a sovereign and 87 00:04:03,149 --> 00:04:05,259 secure Ukraine is critical to global 88 00:04:05,270 --> 00:04:08,899 security and we must not waver in our 89 00:04:08,910 --> 00:04:12,279 support for Ukraine . On December 90 00:04:12,289 --> 00:04:14,990 27th , United States announced an 91 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,470 additional $250 million package to help 92 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,890 meet Ukraine's urgent security needs . 93 00:04:22,489 --> 00:04:24,730 The package includes life saving , air 94 00:04:24,739 --> 00:04:28,470 defense munitions , air defense system 95 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,890 components , ammunition for high Mars , 96 00:04:32,519 --> 00:04:36,279 anti armor munitions , 155 millimeter 97 00:04:36,290 --> 00:04:38,390 and 105 millimeter artillery , 98 00:04:38,399 --> 00:04:40,670 ammunition and medical equipment . 99 00:04:42,820 --> 00:04:44,820 The United States continues to work 100 00:04:44,820 --> 00:04:47,609 hard to monitor and account for us . 101 00:04:47,619 --> 00:04:49,452 Security assistance delivered to 102 00:04:49,452 --> 00:04:52,820 Ukraine and we've seen no credible 103 00:04:52,829 --> 00:04:55,839 evidence of the misuse or illicit 104 00:04:55,850 --> 00:04:57,660 diversion of American equipment 105 00:04:57,670 --> 00:05:00,260 provided to Ukraine . But what we do 106 00:05:00,269 --> 00:05:03,200 see is Ukraine using the capabilities 107 00:05:03,209 --> 00:05:05,929 that we provided to defend itself 108 00:05:05,940 --> 00:05:07,570 against Russian aggression . 109 00:05:10,140 --> 00:05:12,251 Now , I want to take a few minutes to 110 00:05:12,251 --> 00:05:14,251 commend the allies and partners who 111 00:05:14,251 --> 00:05:16,418 have risen to the moment and announced 112 00:05:16,418 --> 00:05:18,251 important new long term security 113 00:05:18,251 --> 00:05:20,473 assistance packages since we last met . 114 00:05:21,079 --> 00:05:23,301 This includes significant announcements 115 00:05:23,301 --> 00:05:26,640 by Estonia , Germany , 116 00:05:27,290 --> 00:05:30,519 Latvia , Lithuania , the 117 00:05:30,529 --> 00:05:34,230 Netherlands , Norway , Sweden 118 00:05:34,540 --> 00:05:37,500 and the United Kingdom and so taken 119 00:05:37,510 --> 00:05:39,677 together these commitments will amount 120 00:05:39,677 --> 00:05:41,950 to billions of dollars in additional 121 00:05:41,959 --> 00:05:44,890 military aid for Ukraine . We must 122 00:05:44,899 --> 00:05:46,899 continue to focus both on Ukraine's 123 00:05:46,899 --> 00:05:49,730 immediate battlefield needs and on 124 00:05:49,739 --> 00:05:51,628 helping Ukraine to strengthen and 125 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,899 modernize and sustain its defense 126 00:05:54,910 --> 00:05:57,679 forces for the long haul . And that's 127 00:05:57,690 --> 00:05:59,790 why the United States hosted the 128 00:05:59,799 --> 00:06:01,809 Ukraine Defense Industrial Based 129 00:06:01,820 --> 00:06:03,820 Conference in Washington last month 130 00:06:04,450 --> 00:06:07,500 with the goal of ushering in a new era 131 00:06:07,510 --> 00:06:11,059 of co-operation to meet Ukraine's long 132 00:06:11,070 --> 00:06:13,929 term security needs . We remain 133 00:06:13,940 --> 00:06:15,996 committed to strengthening Ukraine's 134 00:06:15,996 --> 00:06:18,480 defense industrial base and both to 135 00:06:18,489 --> 00:06:22,440 intensify Ukraine current fight and 136 00:06:22,450 --> 00:06:26,160 to boost its long term deterrence . Uh 137 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:29,942 allies and partners are working proudly 138 00:06:29,942 --> 00:06:31,831 beside us and the members of this 139 00:06:31,831 --> 00:06:34,059 contact group have shown a profound and 140 00:06:34,070 --> 00:06:36,014 principled commitment to Ukraine's 141 00:06:36,014 --> 00:06:37,959 enduring security . I'm especially 142 00:06:37,959 --> 00:06:40,181 grateful to our allies and partners for 143 00:06:40,181 --> 00:06:42,403 your commitment to leading this contact 144 00:06:42,403 --> 00:06:44,799 group's capability coalitions and that 145 00:06:44,809 --> 00:06:48,160 includes Denmark , Estonia , France , 146 00:06:48,170 --> 00:06:51,920 Germany , Lithuania , Luxembourg , 147 00:06:52,019 --> 00:06:55,239 the Netherlands , Norway and the United 148 00:06:55,250 --> 00:06:57,859 Kingdom . Together our allies and 149 00:06:57,869 --> 00:06:59,750 partners have established six 150 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,140 capability coalitions to support 151 00:07:02,149 --> 00:07:05,079 Ukraine's Air Force ground based Air 152 00:07:05,089 --> 00:07:08,399 defenses , artillery , maritime 153 00:07:08,410 --> 00:07:12,079 security , demining and information 154 00:07:12,089 --> 00:07:14,750 technology . And so we've made 155 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:16,730 impressive progress since our last 156 00:07:16,739 --> 00:07:18,899 meeting and I'm proud that the United 157 00:07:18,910 --> 00:07:20,854 States is co leading the Artillery 158 00:07:20,854 --> 00:07:23,760 Capability coalition along with France 159 00:07:24,279 --> 00:07:26,168 and also co leading the Air Force 160 00:07:26,168 --> 00:07:28,589 Capability coalition alongside Denmark 161 00:07:29,380 --> 00:07:31,619 and the Netherlands . And that's just 162 00:07:31,630 --> 00:07:34,350 another reminder of how much we can do 163 00:07:34,529 --> 00:07:37,489 when we come together , the security of 164 00:07:37,500 --> 00:07:40,230 the entire international community is 165 00:07:40,239 --> 00:07:43,209 on the line in Ukraine's fight and I am 166 00:07:43,220 --> 00:07:45,387 more determined than ever to work with 167 00:07:45,387 --> 00:07:47,331 our allies and partners to support 168 00:07:47,331 --> 00:07:50,549 Ukraine and to get the job done . So 169 00:07:50,559 --> 00:07:53,059 thanks for joining us and I'll pass it 170 00:07:53,070 --> 00:07:55,760 back now to assistant secretary Wander 171 00:07:56,179 --> 00:07:58,290 and we'll pause while our friend from 172 00:07:58,290 --> 00:07:59,100 the media depart .