1 00:00:03,500 --> 00:00:05,444 Well , good afternoon , everyone . 2 00:00:05,444 --> 00:00:07,611 Thank you for being here today . It is 3 00:00:07,611 --> 00:00:09,778 my pleasure to introduce the Secretary 4 00:00:09,778 --> 00:00:12,000 of Defense Lloyd Austin , the third and 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:11,960 chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 6 00:00:11,970 --> 00:00:14,699 General CQ Brown Junior , the secretary 7 00:00:14,710 --> 00:00:16,821 and the chairman will deliver opening 8 00:00:16,821 --> 00:00:18,821 remarks and then we'll have time to 9 00:00:18,821 --> 00:00:21,043 take a few questions . Please note that 10 00:00:21,043 --> 00:00:20,879 I will moderate those questions and 11 00:00:20,889 --> 00:00:22,667 call on journalists due to time 12 00:00:22,667 --> 00:00:24,889 constraints would ask that those I call 13 00:00:24,889 --> 00:00:27,111 upon limit their follow up questions to 14 00:00:27,111 --> 00:00:29,167 give your colleagues a chance to ask 15 00:00:29,167 --> 00:00:31,222 their questions . Secretary Austin , 16 00:00:31,222 --> 00:00:33,278 over to you , sir . Thanks Patrick . 17 00:00:33,278 --> 00:00:35,389 Well , good afternoon , everybody and 18 00:00:35,389 --> 00:00:37,500 thanks for joining us , General Brown 19 00:00:37,500 --> 00:00:39,333 and I have just come from a 22nd 20 00:00:39,333 --> 00:00:41,500 meeting of the Ukraine defense contact 21 00:00:41,500 --> 00:00:43,611 group and I'm grateful to the some 50 22 00:00:43,611 --> 00:00:45,667 countries from around the world that 23 00:00:45,667 --> 00:00:47,860 joined us again today , the contact 24 00:00:47,869 --> 00:00:49,869 group heard directly from Ukraine's 25 00:00:49,869 --> 00:00:52,250 defense leaders , including Minister 26 00:00:52,740 --> 00:00:55,369 Umarov . They gave a valuable update on 27 00:00:55,380 --> 00:00:57,979 Ukraine's defensive operations across 28 00:00:57,990 --> 00:01:00,250 the front line including the new 29 00:01:00,259 --> 00:01:04,050 Russian offensive around Kharkiv . We 30 00:01:04,059 --> 00:01:06,170 met today at a challenging moment for 31 00:01:06,170 --> 00:01:09,059 Ukraine Putin's forces have opened 32 00:01:09,069 --> 00:01:11,790 another front to seize sovereign 33 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,000 Ukrainian territory and the Kremlin's 34 00:01:15,010 --> 00:01:17,010 invaders are obliterating Ukrainian 35 00:01:17,010 --> 00:01:20,989 villages , killing innocent civilians 36 00:01:21,940 --> 00:01:24,279 and bombarding civilian infrastructure 37 00:01:24,290 --> 00:01:26,279 including dams and power plants . 38 00:01:28,050 --> 00:01:30,489 Ukraine's defenders are in a hard fight 39 00:01:31,919 --> 00:01:34,650 but Russian troops are paying a high 40 00:01:34,660 --> 00:01:37,260 price for Putin's aggression . 41 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:41,419 Now , Putin is betting that eventually 42 00:01:41,430 --> 00:01:44,610 Ukraine will fold and he's betting that 43 00:01:44,620 --> 00:01:47,330 this contact group will crumble but 44 00:01:47,339 --> 00:01:50,919 he's wrong . And today we saw gain why 45 00:01:52,269 --> 00:01:54,213 Ukraine is fighting for its life , 46 00:01:54,213 --> 00:01:56,102 which gives it the huge strategic 47 00:01:56,102 --> 00:01:59,459 advantage of a just cause . And 48 00:01:59,470 --> 00:02:01,470 meanwhile , Putin is trying to wage 49 00:02:01,470 --> 00:02:04,800 1/19 century war of imperial aggression 50 00:02:05,699 --> 00:02:09,300 in the world of 2024 . That's a 51 00:02:09,309 --> 00:02:12,880 terrible idea . In a terrible strategy . 52 00:02:15,110 --> 00:02:16,999 Ukraine's forces are fighting the 53 00:02:16,999 --> 00:02:19,300 Kremlin's war of choice with ingenuity 54 00:02:19,750 --> 00:02:23,080 and skill and they are making excellent 55 00:02:23,089 --> 00:02:25,419 use of the capabilities provided by the 56 00:02:25,429 --> 00:02:28,679 members of this contact group . We 57 00:02:28,690 --> 00:02:30,800 spent a lot of time today on life 58 00:02:30,809 --> 00:02:32,865 saving air defense systems which are 59 00:02:33,139 --> 00:02:35,149 helping Ukraine stave off waves of 60 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:39,119 Russian missiles , Iranian uavs and 61 00:02:39,130 --> 00:02:41,850 North Korean munitions . And we'll 62 00:02:41,860 --> 00:02:44,100 continue to push to ensure that Ukraine 63 00:02:44,369 --> 00:02:47,289 owns its skies and can defend its 64 00:02:47,300 --> 00:02:49,539 citizens and its civilian 65 00:02:49,550 --> 00:02:52,389 infrastructure far from the front lines , 66 00:02:53,899 --> 00:02:55,955 the United States and our allies and 67 00:02:55,955 --> 00:02:58,177 partners worldwide remain laser focused 68 00:02:58,177 --> 00:03:00,580 on Ukraine's near term requirements in 69 00:03:00,589 --> 00:03:03,529 Kharkiv and elsewhere . And we'll keep 70 00:03:03,539 --> 00:03:05,483 pushing to find swift solutions to 71 00:03:05,483 --> 00:03:08,160 Ukraine's most pressing needs and 72 00:03:08,169 --> 00:03:10,336 that's why President Biden announced a 73 00:03:10,336 --> 00:03:12,169 $400 million security assistance 74 00:03:12,169 --> 00:03:14,113 package for Ukraine . Earlier this 75 00:03:14,113 --> 00:03:15,947 month , it will provide critical 76 00:03:15,947 --> 00:03:19,229 munitions for NA Sams and Patriot air 77 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:21,800 defense systems , more high mars 78 00:03:21,809 --> 00:03:24,979 systems and munitions , more anti armor 79 00:03:25,089 --> 00:03:28,110 systems and other priority requirements . 80 00:03:29,270 --> 00:03:31,839 And this comes on top of the $7 81 00:03:31,850 --> 00:03:34,479 billion.07 billion dollars of security 82 00:03:34,490 --> 00:03:36,712 assistance that we've already committed 83 00:03:36,712 --> 00:03:39,330 to Ukraine . Since the recent passage 84 00:03:39,339 --> 00:03:41,561 of the national security supplemental , 85 00:03:43,270 --> 00:03:45,214 we're delivering the most urgently 86 00:03:45,214 --> 00:03:47,940 needed capabilities including 155 87 00:03:47,949 --> 00:03:51,229 millimeter artillery rounds and much 88 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:54,649 more is on the way . Now , contact 89 00:03:54,660 --> 00:03:57,000 group members also spent time today on 90 00:03:57,009 --> 00:03:58,953 a long term challenge of Ukraine's 91 00:03:58,953 --> 00:04:01,759 security and I continue to be impressed 92 00:04:02,130 --> 00:04:03,797 by the work of the capability 93 00:04:03,797 --> 00:04:06,899 coalitions . These eight coalitions are 94 00:04:06,910 --> 00:04:08,949 helping to anticipate and meet 95 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,830 Ukraine's battlefield needs and they're 96 00:04:11,839 --> 00:04:13,561 also laying the foundation for 97 00:04:13,561 --> 00:04:16,100 Ukraine's future force which must be 98 00:04:16,109 --> 00:04:19,200 strong and su and sustainable enough to 99 00:04:19,209 --> 00:04:21,589 ward off future Russian aggression . 100 00:04:23,170 --> 00:04:25,059 Today , we heard updates from the 101 00:04:25,059 --> 00:04:27,170 maritime coalition and the integrated 102 00:04:27,170 --> 00:04:29,809 air and missile defense coalition . I'm 103 00:04:29,820 --> 00:04:32,042 also impressed with Germany's immediate 104 00:04:32,042 --> 00:04:34,209 action on the air defense initiative . 105 00:04:34,910 --> 00:04:37,077 It's helping Ukraine's global partners 106 00:04:37,077 --> 00:04:39,290 dig deeper and to find rapid and 107 00:04:39,299 --> 00:04:41,132 creative ways to deploy more air 108 00:04:41,132 --> 00:04:43,750 defense systems and provide the spare 109 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,160 parts to sustain Ukraine's defenses . 110 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,329 Meanwhile , the UK and Norway are 111 00:04:50,339 --> 00:04:52,670 leading the maritime coalition in 112 00:04:52,679 --> 00:04:54,290 helping Ukraine beef up its 113 00:04:54,299 --> 00:04:56,132 capabilities to fend off Putin's 114 00:04:56,132 --> 00:04:59,730 attacks . Now , those are just 115 00:04:59,739 --> 00:05:02,730 two of the eight capability coalitions 116 00:05:03,589 --> 00:05:05,922 and together they're providing a sturdy , 117 00:05:05,922 --> 00:05:07,978 flexible structure to meet Ukraine's 118 00:05:07,978 --> 00:05:09,978 security requirements over the long 119 00:05:09,978 --> 00:05:12,570 haul . So we'll continue to work with 120 00:05:12,579 --> 00:05:14,899 nations of goodwill from around the 121 00:05:14,910 --> 00:05:16,966 world to support Ukraine's fight for 122 00:05:16,966 --> 00:05:19,250 survival . And we'll continue to make 123 00:05:19,260 --> 00:05:22,390 the case for why Ukraine matters . 124 00:05:23,890 --> 00:05:26,299 The outcome in Ukraine is , is crucial 125 00:05:26,309 --> 00:05:30,130 for European security for 126 00:05:30,140 --> 00:05:33,320 global security and for American 127 00:05:33,329 --> 00:05:36,290 security , none of us would want to 128 00:05:36,299 --> 00:05:38,466 live in a world where dictators redraw 129 00:05:38,466 --> 00:05:41,600 borders by force and launch wars of 130 00:05:41,609 --> 00:05:44,190 aggression to try to revive yesterday's 131 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,299 empires . So let me be clear , 132 00:05:48,859 --> 00:05:52,010 Ukraine's partners are united and we're 133 00:05:52,019 --> 00:05:55,089 determined and we're not going anywhere . 134 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,207 And with that , let me turn it over to 135 00:05:58,207 --> 00:05:59,980 General Brown . Thank you , Mr 136 00:05:59,989 --> 00:06:01,910 Secretary . Uh good afternoon , 137 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,420 everyone in an address to Congress near 138 00:06:05,429 --> 00:06:08,269 the end of World War one , President 139 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,640 Woodrow Wilson laid out his 14 point 140 00:06:10,649 --> 00:06:13,679 program for world peace . He asserted 141 00:06:13,690 --> 00:06:15,970 that political independence and 142 00:06:15,980 --> 00:06:18,170 territorial integrity required in 143 00:06:18,179 --> 00:06:21,510 association of nations united against 144 00:06:21,519 --> 00:06:24,609 authoritarian aggressors . He said , 145 00:06:24,619 --> 00:06:27,029 and I quote , we cannot be separating 146 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,890 an interest or dividing in purpose . We 147 00:06:30,899 --> 00:06:33,269 stand together until the end . 148 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:36,839 President Wilson never realized his 149 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:38,672 vision for a strong coalition of 150 00:06:38,672 --> 00:06:41,630 nations based on his 14 points , the 151 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,751 wall had to endure . Second world war 152 00:06:44,230 --> 00:06:46,369 were more brutal and more costly than 153 00:06:46,380 --> 00:06:49,299 the first before . There was collective 154 00:06:49,309 --> 00:06:51,642 will to come together in common purpose . 155 00:06:52,649 --> 00:06:54,482 The principal's President Wilson 156 00:06:54,482 --> 00:06:56,316 champion formed the basis of the 157 00:06:56,316 --> 00:06:58,482 international order we live in today . 158 00:07:00,119 --> 00:07:02,008 That order is being challenged by 159 00:07:02,008 --> 00:07:04,175 Russia's illegal and unprovoked attack 160 00:07:04,175 --> 00:07:06,230 on the sovereign nation of Ukraine . 161 00:07:07,269 --> 00:07:09,679 Ukraine defense contact group has stood 162 00:07:09,690 --> 00:07:12,100 together in the face of this Russian 163 00:07:12,109 --> 00:07:14,500 aggression and we will continue to 164 00:07:14,510 --> 00:07:17,299 stand together to support Ukraine and 165 00:07:17,309 --> 00:07:20,910 defend the international order . Once 166 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,809 again , I want to thank Secretary 167 00:07:22,809 --> 00:07:24,698 Austin for his leadership in this 168 00:07:24,698 --> 00:07:26,920 international coalition of more than 50 169 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:29,250 nations in support of Ukraine . Thanks 170 00:07:29,260 --> 00:07:32,049 also to Defense Minister Umarov and the 171 00:07:32,059 --> 00:07:34,003 Ukrainian delegation who joined us 172 00:07:34,003 --> 00:07:36,809 today and for their leadership of 173 00:07:36,820 --> 00:07:39,609 Ukraine's armed forces and to all the 174 00:07:39,619 --> 00:07:41,841 nations attending today . Thank you for 175 00:07:41,841 --> 00:07:44,739 your continued support of Ukraine . 176 00:07:46,470 --> 00:07:48,581 Ukrainian forces are being challenged 177 00:07:48,581 --> 00:07:50,748 particularly in the Karev region where 178 00:07:50,748 --> 00:07:52,526 they are boly defending against 179 00:07:52,526 --> 00:07:54,899 increased Russian attacks . In recent 180 00:07:54,910 --> 00:07:57,077 days , Russia launched a new offensive 181 00:07:57,077 --> 00:08:01,000 attacks against Gar aiming to establish 182 00:08:01,010 --> 00:08:02,788 a shallow buffer zone along the 183 00:08:02,788 --> 00:08:06,239 Ukrainian border . Russia anticipates 184 00:08:06,250 --> 00:08:08,470 that this will divert Ukrainian focus 185 00:08:08,660 --> 00:08:10,716 and capabilities from other critical 186 00:08:10,716 --> 00:08:14,200 areas . Ukraine has made concerted 187 00:08:14,209 --> 00:08:15,987 efforts to build and strengthen 188 00:08:15,987 --> 00:08:18,559 defensive lines which are being tested 189 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,019 by Russian attacks . Ukraine's 190 00:08:22,029 --> 00:08:24,440 expanding air defense munitions to 191 00:08:24,450 --> 00:08:27,130 protect their skies as they defend 192 00:08:27,140 --> 00:08:29,739 against continued Russian strikes on 193 00:08:29,750 --> 00:08:31,694 critical civilian infrastructure . 194 00:08:33,239 --> 00:08:35,350 Ukrainian forces are fighting hard to 195 00:08:35,350 --> 00:08:37,406 hold against Russian advances across 196 00:08:37,406 --> 00:08:39,919 the front lines . Ukraine's reserves 197 00:08:39,929 --> 00:08:42,096 and stockpiles are being challenged as 198 00:08:42,096 --> 00:08:44,207 they defend against Russian offensive 199 00:08:44,207 --> 00:08:46,318 actions which underscores the urgency 200 00:08:46,318 --> 00:08:48,599 of this coalition's work to sustain . 201 00:08:48,609 --> 00:08:52,099 Ukraine , the president authorized a $1 202 00:08:52,109 --> 00:08:53,942 billion military aid package for 203 00:08:53,942 --> 00:08:55,998 Ukraine following the passage of the 204 00:08:55,998 --> 00:08:58,169 national security supplemental . The 205 00:08:58,179 --> 00:09:00,179 second aid package was authorized a 206 00:09:00,179 --> 00:09:01,901 little over a week ago to send 207 00:09:01,901 --> 00:09:03,901 additional critical capabilities to 208 00:09:03,901 --> 00:09:06,109 Ukraine . These packages include 209 00:09:06,119 --> 00:09:08,929 earnestly needed weapons such as art 210 00:09:08,940 --> 00:09:10,900 truly ammunition , their defense 211 00:09:10,909 --> 00:09:13,799 interceptors , anti aircraft missiles , 212 00:09:14,039 --> 00:09:17,409 armored vehicles , javelins and other 213 00:09:17,419 --> 00:09:20,559 anti armor systems . We have worked 214 00:09:20,570 --> 00:09:22,792 diligently to deliver these supplies as 215 00:09:22,792 --> 00:09:26,489 quickly as possible . The influx of us 216 00:09:26,500 --> 00:09:28,556 and coalition assistance will enable 217 00:09:28,556 --> 00:09:30,389 Ukraine to continue to withstand 218 00:09:30,389 --> 00:09:34,090 Russian aggression . A military aid to 219 00:09:34,099 --> 00:09:36,155 Ukraine sends a clear message to the 220 00:09:36,155 --> 00:09:40,070 world . This coalition will not tar you 221 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:42,440 will not waiver . We will not give up . 222 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:45,391 Our collective resolve is steadfast . 223 00:09:46,780 --> 00:09:48,947 We know that we cannot allow Russia to 224 00:09:48,947 --> 00:09:51,840 rewrite borders , to force tyranny on 225 00:09:51,849 --> 00:09:54,929 an unwilling people and to supplant the 226 00:09:54,940 --> 00:09:58,309 sovereign democratic nation . The 227 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,989 actions of this coalition show other 228 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,409 would be aggressors that we will defend 229 00:10:03,419 --> 00:10:05,475 the international order . Together . 230 00:10:06,669 --> 00:10:08,780 Our support for Ukraine is not merely 231 00:10:08,780 --> 00:10:11,840 an act of solidarity , is a strategic 232 00:10:11,849 --> 00:10:14,330 necessity that that reinforces broader 233 00:10:14,340 --> 00:10:17,700 international security . If unchecked 234 00:10:18,309 --> 00:10:20,309 Russian aggression , could embolden 235 00:10:20,309 --> 00:10:22,200 other authoritarian regimes to 236 00:10:22,210 --> 00:10:24,539 challenge international norms and 237 00:10:24,549 --> 00:10:26,382 violate the sovereignty of their 238 00:10:26,382 --> 00:10:28,409 neighbors . This highlights the 239 00:10:28,419 --> 00:10:30,590 importance of a robust and unified 240 00:10:30,599 --> 00:10:34,179 response . Global events have far 241 00:10:34,190 --> 00:10:36,559 reaching consequences that impact us 242 00:10:36,570 --> 00:10:40,330 all . A collective actions today will 243 00:10:40,340 --> 00:10:42,510 shape the geopolitical landscape of 244 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:46,049 tomorrow . This is what President 245 00:10:46,469 --> 00:10:49,640 Wilson understood safety and prosperity 246 00:10:49,650 --> 00:10:52,159 for all nations can only be one the 247 00:10:52,169 --> 00:10:54,799 through unified and cooper of effort . 248 00:10:55,919 --> 00:10:58,086 President Wilson understand that peace 249 00:10:58,086 --> 00:11:00,308 and security are more than just works . 250 00:11:00,308 --> 00:11:03,250 They require constant work in action on 251 00:11:03,260 --> 00:11:05,659 the part of nations coming together for 252 00:11:05,669 --> 00:11:09,000 a common purpose . The Ukraine Defense 253 00:11:09,010 --> 00:11:11,343 contact group is committed to that work . 254 00:11:11,669 --> 00:11:13,836 Thank you . And I look forward to your 255 00:11:13,836 --> 00:11:16,002 questions . Thank you both gentlemen . 256 00:11:16,002 --> 00:11:15,739 Our first question will go to 257 00:11:15,750 --> 00:11:18,549 Associated Press Dark Cop . Thank you 258 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:20,615 for doing this . Um Mr Secretary , I 259 00:11:20,615 --> 00:11:22,837 wanted to ask you about Iran . Does the 260 00:11:22,837 --> 00:11:24,948 Pentagon have any indication that the 261 00:11:24,948 --> 00:11:27,099 helicopter crash in Iran that killed 262 00:11:27,109 --> 00:11:29,165 President Raisi ? Was anything other 263 00:11:29,165 --> 00:11:31,150 than an accident ? And have you 264 00:11:31,159 --> 00:11:33,326 directed any forced posture changes in 265 00:11:33,326 --> 00:11:35,326 case there's unrest following these 266 00:11:35,326 --> 00:11:37,492 deaths ? And then for Chairman Brown , 267 00:11:37,690 --> 00:11:39,912 I wanted to ask you about senior airman 268 00:11:39,912 --> 00:11:42,080 Roger Fortson . What would you like to 269 00:11:42,090 --> 00:11:44,909 say to Fortune's family and more 270 00:11:44,919 --> 00:11:47,141 broadly , what would you like to say to 271 00:11:47,141 --> 00:11:49,363 Black service members who are wondering 272 00:11:49,363 --> 00:11:51,363 if it matters whether they serve no 273 00:11:51,363 --> 00:11:53,586 matter what they do ? There's still law 274 00:11:53,586 --> 00:11:55,808 enforcement that see them as a threat . 275 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,559 Thanks Tara . Um regarding uh the death 276 00:12:00,570 --> 00:12:03,570 of Iran's president in the , in the 277 00:12:03,580 --> 00:12:06,289 very unfortunate helicopter crash , we , 278 00:12:06,299 --> 00:12:08,729 we continue to monitor the situation 279 00:12:08,739 --> 00:12:12,630 but we don't have any uh any insights 280 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:14,862 into the cause of the , of the accident 281 00:12:15,729 --> 00:12:17,896 at this point . Certainly , I know the 282 00:12:17,896 --> 00:12:19,840 Iranians are investigating or will 283 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,062 investigate and , and so we'll see what 284 00:12:22,062 --> 00:12:24,118 the , what the outcome is once their 285 00:12:24,118 --> 00:12:26,659 investigation is complete . Um in terms 286 00:12:26,669 --> 00:12:29,440 of uh our force posture , I don't have 287 00:12:29,450 --> 00:12:32,080 any announcements to make . Uh and uh 288 00:12:32,510 --> 00:12:34,454 and again , this is something that 289 00:12:34,454 --> 00:12:36,621 we'll continue to watch and I don't uh 290 00:12:37,340 --> 00:12:40,280 necessarily see any broader regional 291 00:12:40,289 --> 00:12:42,567 security impacts at this point in time . 292 00:12:42,567 --> 00:12:44,929 Tara , no indication that there was 293 00:12:44,979 --> 00:12:47,109 anything other than an accident that 294 00:12:47,119 --> 00:12:49,429 brought this helicopter down . I can't 295 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:51,440 speculate on what may have been the 296 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:53,780 cause of the accident , Tara , but , 297 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:57,784 you know , again , I think we'll , 298 00:12:57,784 --> 00:13:00,007 we'll learn more once the Iranians have 299 00:13:00,007 --> 00:13:03,049 uh have investigated . Sir . Let me , 300 00:13:03,059 --> 00:13:05,003 uh first of all pass on my sincere 301 00:13:05,003 --> 00:13:07,469 condolences to uh Sherman uh Fortun's 302 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,789 family , friends and fellow airman . Um 303 00:13:10,799 --> 00:13:12,688 I know they're going through some 304 00:13:12,688 --> 00:13:14,855 difficult times right now . And I will 305 00:13:14,855 --> 00:13:17,077 also tell you that uh you know , uh for 306 00:13:17,077 --> 00:13:19,243 every service when we lose it , always 307 00:13:19,243 --> 00:13:18,890 tears on me because I know it impacts a 308 00:13:18,900 --> 00:13:21,919 family . And the one thing I would 309 00:13:21,929 --> 00:13:24,151 highlight , you know , this is under an 310 00:13:24,151 --> 00:13:25,985 investigation . But what I would 311 00:13:25,985 --> 00:13:25,859 highlight is that a number of our 312 00:13:25,869 --> 00:13:28,091 service members and their families live 313 00:13:28,091 --> 00:13:30,147 uh in our various communities around 314 00:13:30,147 --> 00:13:32,349 the country and we would hope and 315 00:13:32,359 --> 00:13:34,470 expect that they would all be able to 316 00:13:34,470 --> 00:13:36,637 be safe in those communities and , and 317 00:13:36,637 --> 00:13:38,915 safe in their homes . At the same time , 318 00:13:38,915 --> 00:13:41,026 I also highlight that uh for each one 319 00:13:41,026 --> 00:13:43,192 of those uh young people that join our 320 00:13:43,192 --> 00:13:45,359 servers and raise their right hand and 321 00:13:45,359 --> 00:13:45,119 take an oath to support and defend the 322 00:13:45,130 --> 00:13:47,297 constitution of the United States . We 323 00:13:47,297 --> 00:13:49,463 wanna provide them uh opportunities to 324 00:13:49,463 --> 00:13:51,519 reach your full potential and that's 325 00:13:51,519 --> 00:13:53,352 our focus for uh no matter their 326 00:13:53,352 --> 00:13:55,463 background that uh decide to join our 327 00:13:55,463 --> 00:13:57,519 force . Thank you , gentlemen . Next 328 00:13:57,519 --> 00:13:59,469 question . Go to CNN uh Secretary 329 00:13:59,479 --> 00:14:01,701 Austin , sir , Israeli Defense Minister 330 00:14:01,701 --> 00:14:03,757 Yoav Galan briefed national security 331 00:14:03,757 --> 00:14:06,059 Adviser , Jake Sullivan on , on Rafa 332 00:14:06,099 --> 00:14:08,140 plans and humanitarian efforts , at 333 00:14:08,150 --> 00:14:10,150 least according to the readout , it 334 00:14:10,150 --> 00:14:12,150 seems it's more detailed . Have you 335 00:14:12,150 --> 00:14:13,983 seen the plans that Sullivan was 336 00:14:13,983 --> 00:14:15,872 briefed on ? And does it meet the 337 00:14:15,872 --> 00:14:18,094 requirements of what you want to see in 338 00:14:18,094 --> 00:14:20,317 terms of what Israel needs to do before 339 00:14:20,317 --> 00:14:22,317 an operation in Rafah ? Uh And then 340 00:14:22,317 --> 00:14:24,483 General Brown , sir , as Ukraine tries 341 00:14:24,483 --> 00:14:26,428 to defend itself against a renewed 342 00:14:26,428 --> 00:14:28,539 Russian offensive in Kharkiv , do you 343 00:14:28,539 --> 00:14:30,650 believe Ukraine should be able to use 344 00:14:30,650 --> 00:14:32,650 American weaponry to target Russian 345 00:14:32,650 --> 00:14:32,070 forces that are just right across the 346 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,302 border there ? Is that a recommendation 347 00:14:34,302 --> 00:14:37,469 you would make ? Um Thanks , I , I've 348 00:14:37,479 --> 00:14:41,260 not seen uh the uh the information 349 00:14:41,270 --> 00:14:44,789 that was briefed to uh uh Mr Sullivan . 350 00:14:44,799 --> 00:14:47,179 But um , you know , as , as you know , 351 00:14:47,190 --> 00:14:49,301 I talk to Minister Gallant every week 352 00:14:49,301 --> 00:14:51,479 and I would expect that uh he would uh 353 00:14:51,539 --> 00:14:55,280 detail uh the information in the , 354 00:14:55,289 --> 00:14:57,622 in the , in that briefing to me as well . 355 00:14:57,622 --> 00:15:00,549 So , and I'll talk to uh Jake Sullivan 356 00:15:00,559 --> 00:15:02,892 as soon as uh as soon as he's available . 357 00:15:02,892 --> 00:15:05,115 But because of that , I won't speculate 358 00:15:05,115 --> 00:15:07,337 as to whether or not uh it meets uh any 359 00:15:07,337 --> 00:15:09,729 kind of requirements . Um But uh but 360 00:15:09,739 --> 00:15:11,739 again , you know , we've been clear 361 00:15:11,739 --> 00:15:14,450 about uh what we , what we think is 362 00:15:14,460 --> 00:15:16,516 very , very important and that is to 363 00:15:16,516 --> 00:15:18,690 make sure that the civilians that are 364 00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:20,756 in that battle space are , are moved 365 00:15:20,756 --> 00:15:22,760 out of the battle space before any 366 00:15:22,770 --> 00:15:24,937 activity occurs in that , in that , in 367 00:15:24,937 --> 00:15:26,881 that city . So , so we'll see what 368 00:15:26,881 --> 00:15:29,103 happens . You know , our , our focus in 369 00:15:29,103 --> 00:15:31,214 support of Ukraine is , is being able 370 00:15:31,214 --> 00:15:33,381 to use capabilities , particularly the 371 00:15:33,381 --> 00:15:33,169 things that will impact the uh the 372 00:15:33,179 --> 00:15:35,549 close battle uh in , in various areas . 373 00:15:35,909 --> 00:15:38,131 Um And we're paying attention to what's 374 00:15:38,131 --> 00:15:40,187 going on in around Kharkiv . I won't 375 00:15:40,187 --> 00:15:42,520 publicly talk about what I might advise . 376 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:44,742 Um But as we continue to support them , 377 00:15:44,742 --> 00:15:44,650 I I'll continue to work with the 378 00:15:44,659 --> 00:15:46,530 secretary as we make our 379 00:15:46,539 --> 00:15:48,761 recommendations going forward . But the 380 00:15:48,761 --> 00:15:50,483 real key point is is using the 381 00:15:50,483 --> 00:15:52,539 capabilities that we provided in the 382 00:15:52,539 --> 00:15:52,119 close battle in the areas that they , 383 00:15:52,130 --> 00:15:54,019 they are doing on the fronts that 384 00:15:54,019 --> 00:15:56,320 they're already operating on as well as 385 00:15:56,330 --> 00:15:59,010 uh into Crimea . Ok . Let's go to 386 00:15:59,020 --> 00:16:01,760 Washington Post . Hi . Uh Nice to see 387 00:16:01,770 --> 00:16:03,937 you all . Um This question is for both 388 00:16:03,937 --> 00:16:06,048 of you um regarding going back to the 389 00:16:06,048 --> 00:16:08,159 Rafa operation um and following up on 390 00:16:08,159 --> 00:16:10,210 Oren's question . So the ID F is 391 00:16:10,219 --> 00:16:12,830 announcing plans as , as recently as 392 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,549 today to expand the Rafa operation . 393 00:16:15,859 --> 00:16:17,748 And meanwhile , people that we've 394 00:16:17,748 --> 00:16:20,081 spoken with on the ground , say that in , 395 00:16:20,081 --> 00:16:21,915 in uh that they perceive what is 396 00:16:21,915 --> 00:16:24,026 already a full fed operation at least 397 00:16:24,026 --> 00:16:26,248 said the perception on the ground given 398 00:16:26,248 --> 00:16:28,470 the Biden administration statement that 399 00:16:28,470 --> 00:16:30,637 it will not support a full invasion of 400 00:16:30,637 --> 00:16:32,859 Rafah without a coherent evacuation and 401 00:16:32,859 --> 00:16:35,081 humanitarian plan . Are you prepared to 402 00:16:35,081 --> 00:16:36,915 declare that it's a full-fledged 403 00:16:36,915 --> 00:16:39,840 invasion if these uh actions go ahead 404 00:16:39,969 --> 00:16:42,136 and do you think there's a danger that 405 00:16:42,136 --> 00:16:44,136 the ID F could sort of just do this 406 00:16:44,136 --> 00:16:46,080 gradually continue to make sort of 407 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:48,960 gradual expansions and incremental uh 408 00:16:48,969 --> 00:16:51,580 push into Rafa in a way that falls 409 00:16:51,590 --> 00:16:53,701 short of a giant charge into the city 410 00:16:53,701 --> 00:16:55,701 and potentially try to avoid the US 411 00:16:55,701 --> 00:16:57,979 consequences that have been threatened . 412 00:16:58,179 --> 00:17:01,580 Thank you . Um Yeah , 413 00:17:01,590 --> 00:17:05,130 again , uh No , I , I uh 414 00:17:05,199 --> 00:17:07,630 I've seen what uh what was reported 415 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:09,529 that Minister colon said , I look 416 00:17:09,529 --> 00:17:11,473 forward to talking to him about uh 417 00:17:11,473 --> 00:17:13,473 about what his plans really are and 418 00:17:13,473 --> 00:17:15,849 also getting uh talking with uh uh Jake 419 00:17:15,859 --> 00:17:18,680 Sullivan as well . Um And I really 420 00:17:18,689 --> 00:17:20,800 don't want to speculate as to whether 421 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:24,520 or not uh this is or is not uh a uh or 422 00:17:24,530 --> 00:17:27,410 will be a uh a larger operation . I 423 00:17:27,420 --> 00:17:29,698 really would like to , to see what the , 424 00:17:29,698 --> 00:17:31,809 you know , what , what they intend to 425 00:17:31,809 --> 00:17:33,753 do . But what we would like to see 426 00:17:33,753 --> 00:17:35,810 again is , is protection of those 427 00:17:35,819 --> 00:17:38,097 civilians that are in the battle space , 428 00:17:38,097 --> 00:17:40,319 move those civilians out , but not only 429 00:17:40,319 --> 00:17:42,319 move them out but make sure that uh 430 00:17:42,319 --> 00:17:44,375 wherever they go , wherever you move 431 00:17:44,375 --> 00:17:46,319 them to , that you , that you have 432 00:17:46,319 --> 00:17:48,319 provisions for them to take care of 433 00:17:48,319 --> 00:17:50,486 them water , uh shelter those types of 434 00:17:50,486 --> 00:17:52,569 things . Um And you know , I've said 435 00:17:52,579 --> 00:17:54,780 before that there , in my view , there 436 00:17:54,790 --> 00:17:56,790 have been far too many casualties , 437 00:17:56,790 --> 00:17:59,068 civilian casualties in this fight . Uh , 438 00:17:59,068 --> 00:18:01,234 we need to see something , uh , done , 439 00:18:01,234 --> 00:18:03,457 uh , a lot differently . And even , you 440 00:18:03,457 --> 00:18:06,380 know , if there are , um , um , if 441 00:18:06,390 --> 00:18:08,446 there is kinetic activity , if there 442 00:18:08,446 --> 00:18:10,557 are , uh , there is an operation that 443 00:18:10,557 --> 00:18:12,723 it is conducted , uh , that's , that's 444 00:18:12,723 --> 00:18:14,946 larger . We certainly would like to see 445 00:18:14,946 --> 00:18:17,223 things done differently , more precise , 446 00:18:17,223 --> 00:18:19,446 uh , in , uh , in , in less destruction 447 00:18:19,446 --> 00:18:22,449 of uh of uh you know , the uh the 448 00:18:22,459 --> 00:18:24,570 civilian structures and , and , and , 449 00:18:24,570 --> 00:18:26,570 and more protection of the civilian 450 00:18:26,570 --> 00:18:29,180 population . But I would echo , you 451 00:18:29,189 --> 00:18:31,189 know , very much what the secretary 452 00:18:31,189 --> 00:18:33,300 said , you know , all my conversation 453 00:18:33,300 --> 00:18:35,356 with my counterpart , it , it's very 454 00:18:35,356 --> 00:18:37,467 much the same , um you know , be able 455 00:18:37,467 --> 00:18:39,522 to communicate with us uh what their 456 00:18:39,522 --> 00:18:41,522 intent is . So we understand uh how 457 00:18:41,522 --> 00:18:40,400 they're approaching it , but at the 458 00:18:40,410 --> 00:18:42,466 same time being able to take care of 459 00:18:42,466 --> 00:18:45,030 the civilians and uh not just , um you 460 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:47,262 know , move them out but move them into 461 00:18:47,262 --> 00:18:49,373 places where they can , uh you know , 462 00:18:49,373 --> 00:18:51,484 have shelter , have food . And that's 463 00:18:51,484 --> 00:18:53,651 something we , we continue the message 464 00:18:53,651 --> 00:18:55,873 in the uh in the gangs I have with my , 465 00:18:55,873 --> 00:18:57,873 uh my counterpart . Let's go to Fox 466 00:18:57,873 --> 00:19:00,096 Secretary Austin , uh Victoria Nuland , 467 00:19:00,096 --> 00:19:02,207 the former acting Deputy Secretary of 468 00:19:02,207 --> 00:19:04,040 State who just stepped down said 469 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,589 yesterday on the Sunday shows that the 470 00:19:06,599 --> 00:19:09,250 administration needs a new Ukraine 471 00:19:09,260 --> 00:19:11,260 strategy . And she said , quote , I 472 00:19:11,260 --> 00:19:13,038 think if the attacks are coming 473 00:19:13,038 --> 00:19:15,149 directly from over the line in Russia 474 00:19:15,149 --> 00:19:17,427 that those bases ought to be fair game . 475 00:19:17,427 --> 00:19:17,400 I think it's time to give the 476 00:19:17,410 --> 00:19:19,354 Ukrainians more help hitting these 477 00:19:19,354 --> 00:19:21,577 bases inside Russia . Do you agree with 478 00:19:21,577 --> 00:19:24,739 her assessment ? Uh , I agree with what 479 00:19:24,750 --> 00:19:27,028 the chairman just said , uh , Jennifer . 480 00:19:27,028 --> 00:19:29,139 And that is that , uh , you know , in 481 00:19:29,139 --> 00:19:31,630 my view , their focus ought to be on 482 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:33,640 the , on the close fight and making 483 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,584 sure that , uh , they're , they're 484 00:19:35,584 --> 00:19:37,584 servicing those targets that will , 485 00:19:37,584 --> 00:19:40,160 that will enable success uh in the 486 00:19:40,170 --> 00:19:43,520 close fight . So , um you know , and 487 00:19:43,829 --> 00:19:45,551 you know , we've been that way 488 00:19:45,551 --> 00:19:47,607 throughout and , and you know , that 489 00:19:47,607 --> 00:19:49,829 will be my view uh going forward . So , 490 00:19:49,829 --> 00:19:51,940 and General Brown , is there anything 491 00:19:51,940 --> 00:19:54,319 NATO can do to help Georgia resist 492 00:19:54,380 --> 00:19:56,680 Russian efforts to expand their 493 00:19:56,689 --> 00:19:59,000 influence ? How does this affect what's 494 00:19:59,010 --> 00:20:01,066 happening in Georgia right now ? How 495 00:20:01,066 --> 00:20:03,066 does it affect Georgia's pathway to 496 00:20:03,066 --> 00:20:05,177 NATO ? Well , you know , we , we're , 497 00:20:05,177 --> 00:20:07,288 we're deeply concerned of watching um 498 00:20:07,288 --> 00:20:09,510 uh the influence Russia uh has in uh in 499 00:20:09,510 --> 00:20:11,343 Georgia and we'll , we'll remain 500 00:20:11,343 --> 00:20:13,454 committed to Georgia sovereignty . Um 501 00:20:13,454 --> 00:20:15,677 you know , as , as I met last week with 502 00:20:15,677 --> 00:20:17,454 my uh my NATO counterparts , we 503 00:20:17,454 --> 00:20:19,454 consistently talk about how we work 504 00:20:19,454 --> 00:20:21,677 together the , the sovereignty of the , 505 00:20:21,677 --> 00:20:23,843 the , the uh the nations that are part 506 00:20:23,843 --> 00:20:25,843 of NATO , but also just the overall 507 00:20:25,843 --> 00:20:27,843 security situation in Europe . Will 508 00:20:27,843 --> 00:20:30,010 this affect George's admission to NATO 509 00:20:30,010 --> 00:20:32,177 or pathway to NATO ? Should they not , 510 00:20:32,177 --> 00:20:34,177 I'm not a policy to making decision 511 00:20:34,177 --> 00:20:36,232 points of uh of whether or not . But 512 00:20:36,232 --> 00:20:38,343 you know , from my perspective , as a 513 00:20:38,343 --> 00:20:40,454 uniformed service member , it's about 514 00:20:40,454 --> 00:20:42,510 ensuring the security of the various 515 00:20:42,510 --> 00:20:44,566 nations but also the security of the 516 00:20:44,566 --> 00:20:46,566 citizens of those nations as well . 517 00:20:46,566 --> 00:20:48,621 Let's go to Al Jazeera . Thank you , 518 00:20:48,621 --> 00:20:50,843 General . Thank you , Mr Secretary . Um 519 00:20:50,843 --> 00:20:52,677 the International Criminal Court 520 00:20:52,677 --> 00:20:54,454 Prosecutor today announced he's 521 00:20:54,454 --> 00:20:57,770 requesting um arrest warranties against 522 00:20:57,780 --> 00:21:00,160 Prime Minister Netanyahu and uh of 523 00:21:00,170 --> 00:21:02,609 Israel and your counterpart Mr Gallant 524 00:21:02,619 --> 00:21:05,040 over accusation of war crimes and 525 00:21:05,050 --> 00:21:07,599 crimes against humanity in Gaza . My 526 00:21:07,609 --> 00:21:09,849 first question , will your uh 527 00:21:09,859 --> 00:21:13,130 administration support this case ? And 528 00:21:13,140 --> 00:21:16,849 will you cooper with the court on this 529 00:21:16,859 --> 00:21:19,640 case ? And the second question is the 530 00:21:19,650 --> 00:21:22,130 US being the main supporters of 531 00:21:22,140 --> 00:21:24,780 supporter of Israel and in light of 532 00:21:24,790 --> 00:21:28,030 this case , will you reconsider the 533 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:30,500 provision of weapons to Israel , some 534 00:21:30,510 --> 00:21:32,288 of which have been used to kill 535 00:21:32,288 --> 00:21:34,400 Palestinian civilians according to 536 00:21:34,410 --> 00:21:36,077 President Biden ? Thank you . 537 00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:41,329 So , so I've seen the press reports of 538 00:21:41,339 --> 00:21:44,849 uh you know , the IC C uh seeking 539 00:21:44,859 --> 00:21:47,119 arrest warrants . Uh but I don't have 540 00:21:47,130 --> 00:21:49,170 anything to provide on that on that 541 00:21:49,180 --> 00:21:51,770 issue on that issue . Again , our focus 542 00:21:51,780 --> 00:21:54,310 continues to be uh on providing uh 543 00:21:54,319 --> 00:21:57,280 Israel what it needs to defend itself . 544 00:21:57,290 --> 00:21:59,560 Uh We , we that's been our focus on the 545 00:21:59,569 --> 00:22:01,791 very beginning . And as President Biden 546 00:22:01,791 --> 00:22:04,020 has said a number of times , uh our 547 00:22:04,030 --> 00:22:07,819 support to Israel remains ironclad . Um 548 00:22:09,270 --> 00:22:11,437 I think it's important to reflect back 549 00:22:11,437 --> 00:22:13,492 to how this got started . You know , 550 00:22:13,492 --> 00:22:16,390 this brutal attack on October 7th , um 551 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:19,939 you know , a number of uh 552 00:22:20,729 --> 00:22:23,270 uh Israeli and American civilians uh 553 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,420 were , were killed in that uh in that 554 00:22:26,430 --> 00:22:28,859 assault uh in that terrorist attack . 555 00:22:29,589 --> 00:22:32,310 Uh there were over 230 hostages taken , 556 00:22:32,660 --> 00:22:35,089 ha half of those hostages remain in 557 00:22:35,099 --> 00:22:38,189 custody . And so , um , you know , 558 00:22:38,199 --> 00:22:40,839 again , our focus remains on providing 559 00:22:40,849 --> 00:22:43,680 support to uh to Israel in its efforts 560 00:22:43,689 --> 00:22:46,729 to defend itself . Uh And we very much 561 00:22:46,739 --> 00:22:49,569 would like to see uh the hostages uh 562 00:22:49,579 --> 00:22:52,560 returned uh safely . Um 563 00:22:55,250 --> 00:22:58,099 And in terms of the decision to provide 564 00:22:58,109 --> 00:23:01,890 weapons to uh to Israel , again , I 565 00:23:01,900 --> 00:23:03,670 won't uh engage in any type of 566 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:05,900 speculation going forward . But uh but 567 00:23:05,910 --> 00:23:08,780 again , my hope would be that uh you 568 00:23:08,790 --> 00:23:10,623 know , we do what's necessary to 569 00:23:10,623 --> 00:23:12,734 protect civilians in a battle space . 570 00:23:12,734 --> 00:23:14,734 And , you know , you'll hear me say 571 00:23:14,734 --> 00:23:16,901 that over and over again . I , I don't 572 00:23:16,901 --> 00:23:18,623 think the two things are , are 573 00:23:18,623 --> 00:23:18,550 incompatible . Uh You know , I think 574 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:20,560 you can conduct military operations 575 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:24,530 effectively and also uh um account 576 00:23:24,540 --> 00:23:26,920 for civilians in the battle space . You 577 00:23:26,930 --> 00:23:29,152 know , we , we have learned a lot , the 578 00:23:29,152 --> 00:23:31,263 United States has learned , learned a 579 00:23:31,263 --> 00:23:33,430 lot in terms of , you know , this type 580 00:23:33,430 --> 00:23:35,374 of operation over the past several 581 00:23:35,374 --> 00:23:39,180 years . And , and uh again , I there's , 582 00:23:39,189 --> 00:23:41,467 there are ways to do this when you can , 583 00:23:41,467 --> 00:23:43,522 where you can account for both , you 584 00:23:43,522 --> 00:23:45,300 can protect the people and also 585 00:23:45,300 --> 00:23:47,411 accomplish your objectives . Let's go 586 00:23:47,411 --> 00:23:49,540 to Reuters General Brown . Could you 587 00:23:49,550 --> 00:23:51,606 explain , you've been quoted talking 588 00:23:51,606 --> 00:23:53,717 about the inevitability of advisors , 589 00:23:53,717 --> 00:23:56,260 us advisors in Ukraine working with 590 00:23:56,270 --> 00:23:58,326 Ukrainian forces . Can you explain a 591 00:23:58,326 --> 00:24:00,548 little bit about what , what , why that 592 00:24:00,548 --> 00:24:02,714 is necessary and what it would take to 593 00:24:02,714 --> 00:24:04,937 make that happen ? And uh and Secretary 594 00:24:04,937 --> 00:24:07,103 Austin on the IC C President Biden has 595 00:24:07,103 --> 00:24:08,770 called it the arrest warrants 596 00:24:08,770 --> 00:24:10,881 outrageous . This department had said 597 00:24:10,881 --> 00:24:12,881 it would work with the IC C provide 598 00:24:12,881 --> 00:24:14,992 evidence about Ukraine . Is that work 599 00:24:14,992 --> 00:24:16,992 continuing ? How does this decision 600 00:24:16,992 --> 00:24:19,199 affect those Pentagon efforts ? Thank 601 00:24:19,209 --> 00:24:21,609 you . So , let me , uh , put , uh , you 602 00:24:21,619 --> 00:24:23,675 know , this , that discussion in the 603 00:24:23,675 --> 00:24:25,459 context . If you go back before 604 00:24:25,469 --> 00:24:29,119 February of uh 2022 we had uh 605 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,167 our us military members in there while 606 00:24:32,167 --> 00:24:33,833 working and training with the 607 00:24:33,833 --> 00:24:35,778 Ukrainians and that's not the case 608 00:24:35,778 --> 00:24:37,944 right now . And , uh , you know , when 609 00:24:37,944 --> 00:24:40,167 I said that we would put , uh , be able 610 00:24:40,167 --> 00:24:39,810 to do that eventually , you know , once 611 00:24:39,819 --> 00:24:42,300 this conflict is over and , um , we're , 612 00:24:42,310 --> 00:24:44,550 we're in a better place then , uh , I 613 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:46,671 would suspect , uh , we would be able 614 00:24:46,671 --> 00:24:48,893 to , uh , bring trainers back in . Uh , 615 00:24:48,893 --> 00:24:51,004 but right now , there are no plans uh 616 00:24:51,004 --> 00:24:54,650 to bring us trainers into Ukraine . So , 617 00:24:54,660 --> 00:24:57,430 on the , on the question of the IC C , 618 00:24:57,439 --> 00:25:00,219 um , again , as I said earlier , I , I 619 00:25:00,229 --> 00:25:04,020 don't have anything to add on the , on 620 00:25:04,030 --> 00:25:06,086 the reports that , that , uh , we've 621 00:25:06,086 --> 00:25:09,510 seen here recently , um , regarding the 622 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,742 question of whether or not , uh , we'll 623 00:25:11,742 --> 00:25:14,410 continue to provide support to the IC C 624 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:16,818 with respect to crimes that are 625 00:25:16,818 --> 00:25:18,750 committed in Ukraine . Yes , we 626 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:21,000 continue that work time for just a 627 00:25:21,010 --> 00:25:23,150 couple more . Let's go to N Pr Well , 628 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:25,271 Mr Secretary , I want to go back to r 629 00:25:25,271 --> 00:25:27,216 uh you said you haven't received a 630 00:25:27,216 --> 00:25:28,993 detailed military plan from the 631 00:25:28,993 --> 00:25:31,049 Israelis about the way ahead there . 632 00:25:31,049 --> 00:25:33,216 What about the humanitarian plan ? You 633 00:25:33,216 --> 00:25:35,216 say you want them to care for these 634 00:25:35,216 --> 00:25:36,993 hundreds of thousands of people 635 00:25:36,993 --> 00:25:39,160 displaced , provide food , shelter and 636 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:41,327 medical care . Have they given you any 637 00:25:41,327 --> 00:25:43,549 indication about how they plan on doing 638 00:25:43,549 --> 00:25:45,771 that ? Um Early on , we received a uh a 639 00:25:45,771 --> 00:25:47,993 conceptual brief on how they were going 640 00:25:47,993 --> 00:25:51,390 to going to put uh measures in place to 641 00:25:51,579 --> 00:25:53,900 take care of the population that , that 642 00:25:53,910 --> 00:25:56,729 moved out of that battle space . Uh And 643 00:25:56,739 --> 00:25:58,961 the things that are required to support 644 00:25:58,961 --> 00:26:01,017 that plan we've just not seen , I've 645 00:26:01,017 --> 00:26:03,128 not seen uh those , those elements go 646 00:26:03,128 --> 00:26:05,449 into play . And so my view is that 647 00:26:05,459 --> 00:26:07,737 there's , there's more work to be done . 648 00:26:07,737 --> 00:26:10,319 And uh and my view is also that this 649 00:26:10,329 --> 00:26:13,170 takes , this takes time . And so , um 650 00:26:13,989 --> 00:26:16,211 again , those those things that I think 651 00:26:16,211 --> 00:26:18,430 uh need to be in place to take care of 652 00:26:18,439 --> 00:26:20,550 people whenever they migrate from one 653 00:26:20,550 --> 00:26:22,661 place to another . Uh Again , we , we 654 00:26:22,661 --> 00:26:24,550 I've not seen evidence that those 655 00:26:24,550 --> 00:26:26,606 things are in place yet . So can you 656 00:26:26,606 --> 00:26:28,606 give us a sense of the concept that 657 00:26:28,606 --> 00:26:30,828 they gave you any , any details on that 658 00:26:30,828 --> 00:26:32,883 to us ? Uh I'll , I'll leave that to 659 00:26:32,883 --> 00:26:32,500 the Israelis to brief their , their 660 00:26:32,510 --> 00:26:36,469 concept . But uh um yeah , it's , 661 00:26:36,479 --> 00:26:38,701 it's one thing to have a concept . It's 662 00:26:38,701 --> 00:26:40,812 another thing to actually put it into 663 00:26:40,812 --> 00:26:43,709 play . So let's go to NBC . Uh Mr 664 00:26:43,719 --> 00:26:46,020 Secretary , you said that uh it is 665 00:26:46,030 --> 00:26:48,252 possible to conduct operations and also 666 00:26:48,252 --> 00:26:50,252 account for civilians in the battle 667 00:26:50,252 --> 00:26:52,474 space . And I wonder on Rafa given your 668 00:26:52,474 --> 00:26:54,419 extensive military experience what 669 00:26:54,419 --> 00:26:56,586 you're seeing happen in RA right now , 670 00:26:56,586 --> 00:26:56,579 do you think that Israel is doing that 671 00:26:56,589 --> 00:26:58,367 conducting their operations and 672 00:26:58,367 --> 00:27:00,533 accounting for civilians in the battle 673 00:27:00,533 --> 00:27:02,533 space ? And then Mr Chairman on the 674 00:27:02,533 --> 00:27:05,119 idea of um Ukraine at conducting 675 00:27:05,130 --> 00:27:07,352 strikes inside Russia , I wonder if you 676 00:27:07,352 --> 00:27:09,519 can say , are , are you confident that 677 00:27:09,519 --> 00:27:11,741 none of the long range attacks that the 678 00:27:11,741 --> 00:27:13,920 US has provided have been used to 679 00:27:13,930 --> 00:27:15,819 strike inside Russian territory ? 680 00:27:17,510 --> 00:27:21,140 Um So regarding 681 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:22,979 um 682 00:27:25,979 --> 00:27:28,660 what uh what Israel is doing inside 683 00:27:28,670 --> 00:27:30,969 Rafa , you know , what we've seen thus 684 00:27:30,979 --> 00:27:34,099 far is uh uh a limited action that's 685 00:27:34,109 --> 00:27:36,160 been focused on uh the Rafah border 686 00:27:36,170 --> 00:27:39,260 crossing . And I again , uh it's 687 00:27:39,270 --> 00:27:41,326 reported that uh Minister Galan said 688 00:27:41,326 --> 00:27:43,270 that he looks to expand operations 689 00:27:43,270 --> 00:27:46,800 going forward . Um Now , um II I 690 00:27:46,810 --> 00:27:48,699 look forward to uh to having that 691 00:27:48,699 --> 00:27:51,280 discussion with them to understand uh 692 00:27:51,729 --> 00:27:53,785 you know , what , what his intent is 693 00:27:53,785 --> 00:27:56,118 and , and uh and how he's gonna do that . 694 00:27:56,118 --> 00:27:59,020 But again , uh what we want to see is 695 00:27:59,030 --> 00:28:01,252 uh is civilians accounted for and moved 696 00:28:01,252 --> 00:28:03,363 out of that bow space before anything 697 00:28:03,363 --> 00:28:05,586 happens . We've been clear about that , 698 00:28:05,586 --> 00:28:08,349 uh about that throughout , um , a as 699 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,939 you well know , um , I think before 700 00:28:11,949 --> 00:28:14,449 things , this fight kicked off in , in 701 00:28:14,459 --> 00:28:18,459 Gaza , there were some 275,000 or so 702 00:28:18,469 --> 00:28:20,691 people that lived in and around Rafah , 703 00:28:20,959 --> 00:28:23,420 that number grew to , um , 704 00:28:24,469 --> 00:28:27,770 1.25 million or , or so . And that's , 705 00:28:27,780 --> 00:28:30,229 that's a big jump . And , uh , and 706 00:28:30,239 --> 00:28:32,072 that's a lot of people in a very 707 00:28:32,072 --> 00:28:34,350 compressed battle space that's uh in a , 708 00:28:34,350 --> 00:28:36,572 in a very difficult urban area . And as 709 00:28:36,572 --> 00:28:38,739 you know , urban combat is very , very 710 00:28:38,739 --> 00:28:40,795 intense , very difficult uh to begin 711 00:28:40,795 --> 00:28:43,260 with . So , uh unless you account for 712 00:28:43,270 --> 00:28:45,214 those civilians , uh and do things 713 00:28:45,214 --> 00:28:47,520 differently , then I think , uh you 714 00:28:47,530 --> 00:28:49,660 know , you stand to have a lot more 715 00:28:49,670 --> 00:28:51,670 casualties going forward and that's 716 00:28:51,670 --> 00:28:53,837 something that we'd like to see change 717 00:28:53,837 --> 00:28:56,003 scripts . I'm uh I am confident the uh 718 00:28:56,003 --> 00:28:58,170 the tackling that we provide have been 719 00:28:58,170 --> 00:29:00,281 uh have not been using uh in Russia , 720 00:29:00,281 --> 00:29:02,503 they've been using targets in Ukraine . 721 00:29:02,780 --> 00:29:05,359 Secretary Austin , the Russians , 722 00:29:05,369 --> 00:29:07,859 they're flying , they're flying bombers 723 00:29:08,150 --> 00:29:10,890 in Russian territory with glide bombs 724 00:29:10,900 --> 00:29:13,239 that are having a devastating impact on 725 00:29:13,250 --> 00:29:15,719 the battlefield inside of Ukraine . 726 00:29:15,729 --> 00:29:18,199 Should the Ukrainians be able to use 727 00:29:18,209 --> 00:29:21,709 American air defenses to hit those 728 00:29:21,719 --> 00:29:24,219 Russian bombers in Russian territory ? 729 00:29:25,599 --> 00:29:27,660 Well , you know , I again , you can 730 00:29:28,119 --> 00:29:30,790 diagram a number of different cases for , 731 00:29:31,180 --> 00:29:34,689 um , you know , whatever I would say 732 00:29:34,699 --> 00:29:37,510 that uh we , we have been clear about 733 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:39,760 providing Ukrainian ability to defend 734 00:29:39,770 --> 00:29:42,459 it , defend its sovereign territory . 735 00:29:42,650 --> 00:29:44,761 And again , the dynamics of a , of an 736 00:29:44,761 --> 00:29:46,928 aerial engagement , you know , I , I'd 737 00:29:46,928 --> 00:29:49,150 leave it up to the experts but , but uh 738 00:29:49,150 --> 00:29:52,660 but certainly , um you know , our 739 00:29:52,670 --> 00:29:54,589 expectation is that they , they 740 00:29:54,599 --> 00:29:56,599 continue to use the weapons that we 741 00:29:56,599 --> 00:29:59,369 provided uh uh on targets inside of 742 00:29:59,380 --> 00:30:01,491 Ukraine . Now , the , the , the , the 743 00:30:01,491 --> 00:30:03,769 aerial dynamics a little bit different . 744 00:30:03,769 --> 00:30:07,270 And uh and so , uh but again , um 745 00:30:08,390 --> 00:30:11,599 don't want to speculate on any one or 746 00:30:11,609 --> 00:30:13,553 any type of engagement here at the 747 00:30:13,553 --> 00:30:16,430 podium . So limit or not . So final 748 00:30:16,439 --> 00:30:19,869 question , we'll go here , Mr Secretary . 749 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,102 Are you concerned that Iran is going to 750 00:30:22,102 --> 00:30:24,324 try and blame Israel or even the United 751 00:30:24,324 --> 00:30:26,380 States for the crash that killed the 752 00:30:26,380 --> 00:30:28,324 president than yesterday . And for 753 00:30:28,324 --> 00:30:30,047 General Brown , Israel is also 754 00:30:30,047 --> 00:30:32,213 conducting operations in Northern Gaza 755 00:30:32,213 --> 00:30:34,269 even though they've said that they , 756 00:30:34,269 --> 00:30:36,213 they previously said that they had 757 00:30:36,213 --> 00:30:38,380 defeated Hamas there . So particularly 758 00:30:38,380 --> 00:30:40,602 given your personal experience fighting 759 00:30:40,602 --> 00:30:39,994 terrorists in the Middle East . Do you 760 00:30:40,005 --> 00:30:42,005 believe that Israel can achieve its 761 00:30:42,005 --> 00:30:44,900 goal of fully eliminating Hamas ? The , 762 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,167 the , the United States had no part to 763 00:30:47,167 --> 00:30:50,670 play uh in , in that crash ? And so , 764 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:52,959 and that's , that's a fact plain in 765 00:30:52,969 --> 00:30:55,920 something . And are you afraid they're 766 00:30:55,930 --> 00:30:58,520 going to blame Israel ? I , I won't 767 00:30:58,530 --> 00:31:00,530 speculate as to what they'll , what 768 00:31:00,530 --> 00:31:02,697 they'll blame again . They , they have 769 00:31:02,697 --> 00:31:04,919 to conduct an investigation to see what 770 00:31:04,919 --> 00:31:06,863 the cause of the crash was . Um It 771 00:31:06,863 --> 00:31:08,530 could be a number of things , 772 00:31:08,530 --> 00:31:10,586 mechanical failure , pilot error you 773 00:31:10,586 --> 00:31:12,709 name it . So to , to your , uh your 774 00:31:12,719 --> 00:31:15,052 question about Northern Gaza , you know , 775 00:31:15,052 --> 00:31:17,163 uh and , and based on experience , uh 776 00:31:17,163 --> 00:31:19,386 not only did you have to actually go in 777 00:31:19,386 --> 00:31:21,552 and , and uh and clear out uh whatever 778 00:31:21,552 --> 00:31:23,663 avers you're up against , you have to 779 00:31:23,663 --> 00:31:23,239 go in and hold the territory and then 780 00:31:23,250 --> 00:31:26,060 you got to stabilize it . Uh The uh the 781 00:31:26,069 --> 00:31:28,650 Israelis did not actually uh once they 782 00:31:28,660 --> 00:31:30,882 cleared it in cold . And so that allows 783 00:31:31,109 --> 00:31:33,500 um your adversary then to repopulate in 784 00:31:33,510 --> 00:31:36,589 areas if you're not there . Um And so 785 00:31:36,599 --> 00:31:38,766 that does make it more challenging for 786 00:31:38,766 --> 00:31:40,821 them . Um As far as being able to uh 787 00:31:40,821 --> 00:31:42,932 meet their objective of being able to 788 00:31:42,932 --> 00:31:44,932 uh militarily uh destroy and defeat 789 00:31:44,932 --> 00:31:47,920 Hamas , be able to do that . Well , I 790 00:31:47,930 --> 00:31:49,874 mean , Hamas is , it's not just an 791 00:31:49,874 --> 00:31:52,160 organization , it's a ideology . And so 792 00:31:52,170 --> 00:31:54,430 you got to think about uh um you know , 793 00:31:54,439 --> 00:31:56,383 the overall piece of being able to 794 00:31:56,383 --> 00:31:58,661 provide security , not only for Israel , 795 00:31:58,661 --> 00:32:00,606 but just there in the region um is 796 00:32:00,606 --> 00:32:02,772 going to take a concerted effort , not 797 00:32:02,772 --> 00:32:04,883 just from a military piece , but it's 798 00:32:04,883 --> 00:32:07,050 also how we uh you know , uh work with 799 00:32:07,050 --> 00:32:09,217 humanitarian assistance , which is why 800 00:32:09,217 --> 00:32:11,272 we focus so much . Secretary talking 801 00:32:11,272 --> 00:32:10,939 about humanitarian assistance and , and 802 00:32:10,949 --> 00:32:13,171 protecting the civilians that are there 803 00:32:13,171 --> 00:32:15,116 in Gaza , Secretary Austin General 804 00:32:15,116 --> 00:32:17,449 Brown . Thank you very much , gentlemen , 805 00:32:17,449 --> 00:32:16,930 ladies and gentlemen , this concludes 806 00:32:16,939 --> 00:32:18,000 our press briefing . Thank you .