WEBVTT 00:00.140 --> 00:02.140 All right . Well , good afternoon , 00:02.140 --> 00:04.196 everyone . Thanks very much for your 00:04.196 --> 00:06.251 patience . Today , I do have quite a 00:06.251 --> 00:08.251 bit to read out at the top and then 00:08.251 --> 00:10.251 we'll get right to your questions . 00:10.251 --> 00:12.473 Earlier today , Secretary Austin hosted 00:12.473 --> 00:14.584 Israeli Minister of Defense YV Galant 00:14.584 --> 00:16.807 here at the Pentagon to discuss efforts 00:16.807 --> 00:18.696 to de escalate tensions along the 00:18.696 --> 00:20.989 Israel Lebanon border to surge more 00:21.000 --> 00:23.719 humanitarian aid into Gaza and to stand 00:23.729 --> 00:25.969 together against Iranian and Iranian 00:25.979 --> 00:28.035 supported attacks against Israel and 00:28.035 --> 00:30.257 destabilizing activities throughout the 00:30.257 --> 00:32.369 Middle East . Secretary Austin 00:32.380 --> 00:34.810 underscored the ironclad us commitment 00:34.819 --> 00:37.229 to Israel as evidenced in part by the 00:37.240 --> 00:39.580 extraordinary defense of Israel against 00:39.590 --> 00:41.610 an unprecedented Iranian attack on 00:41.619 --> 00:44.770 April 13 and by the more than $14 00:44.779 --> 00:46.890 billion in assistance in the national 00:46.890 --> 00:48.880 security supplemental . During the 00:48.889 --> 00:51.069 discussion , Secretary Austin stressed 00:51.080 --> 00:53.419 that Lebanese Hezbollah's provocations 00:53.430 --> 00:55.374 threatened to drag the Israeli and 00:55.374 --> 00:57.599 Lebanese people into a war that neither 00:57.610 --> 00:59.939 of them wants and that such a war would 00:59.950 --> 01:01.919 be catastrophic for Lebanon and it 01:01.930 --> 01:03.819 would be devastating for innocent 01:03.819 --> 01:05.652 Israeli and Lebanese civilians . 01:06.150 --> 01:08.319 Secretary Austin also reiterated the 01:08.330 --> 01:10.274 high priority of securing the safe 01:10.274 --> 01:12.497 release of all hostages held captive by 01:12.497 --> 01:15.419 Hamas including American citizens . He 01:15.430 --> 01:17.486 commended Minister Ghan for Israel's 01:17.486 --> 01:19.708 support for the comprehensive ceasefire 01:19.709 --> 01:21.931 and hostage release proposal that it is 01:21.931 --> 01:23.820 offered which President Biden has 01:23.820 --> 01:26.042 outlined in the United Nations Security 01:26.042 --> 01:28.209 Council has endorsed . They agree that 01:28.209 --> 01:30.209 the onus is on Hamas to accept this 01:30.209 --> 01:32.769 deal . Secretary Austin stressed that 01:32.779 --> 01:34.980 principal diplomacy is the only way to 01:34.989 --> 01:36.878 prevent any further escalation of 01:36.878 --> 01:39.100 tensions in the region . Additionally , 01:39.100 --> 01:41.322 Secretary Austin urged Minister Gallant 01:41.322 --> 01:43.378 to double down on efforts to protect 01:43.378 --> 01:45.545 Palestinian civilians and humanitarian 01:45.545 --> 01:47.767 aid workers in Gaza . The Secretary and 01:47.767 --> 01:49.933 minister discussed ways to improve the 01:49.933 --> 01:51.933 distribution of humanitarian aid to 01:51.933 --> 01:54.156 Palestinian civilians and dire need and 01:54.156 --> 01:55.933 to strengthen the deconfliction 01:55.933 --> 01:58.510 mechanisms for humanitarian workers . A 01:58.519 --> 02:00.686 full readout will be posted to the DOD 02:00.686 --> 02:03.699 website later today . Separately , 02:03.709 --> 02:06.089 Secretary Austin also spoke by phone 02:06.099 --> 02:08.266 today with Russian Minister of Defense 02:08.266 --> 02:10.339 Andrei Belus . During the call , the 02:10.350 --> 02:12.517 secretary emphasized the importance of 02:12.517 --> 02:14.739 maintaining lines of communication amid 02:14.739 --> 02:16.906 Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine . 02:17.270 --> 02:19.492 The last time Secretary Austin spoke to 02:19.492 --> 02:21.659 his Russian counterpart . Then Russian 02:21.659 --> 02:23.770 Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu was 02:23.770 --> 02:26.339 on march 15th 2023 . A brief readout 02:26.350 --> 02:29.979 will be posted to defense.gov . In 02:29.990 --> 02:31.879 other news today , the department 02:31.879 --> 02:34.101 released its new Information Technology 02:34.101 --> 02:37.300 Advancement strategy titled Fulcrum . 02:37.710 --> 02:39.766 The Fulcrum strategy provides a road 02:39.766 --> 02:41.830 map for better aligning dod SI T 02:41.839 --> 02:43.669 capabilities and resources to 02:43.679 --> 02:45.235 accelerate the department's 02:45.235 --> 02:47.290 modernization efforts and expand our 02:47.290 --> 02:49.512 military strategic advantage across the 02:49.512 --> 02:51.869 it landscape . Fulcrum will assist the 02:51.880 --> 02:53.491 department in continuing the 02:53.491 --> 02:55.269 transformative change occurring 02:55.269 --> 02:57.369 throughout dod SI T enterprise while 02:57.380 --> 02:59.269 empowering dod leaders to deliver 02:59.269 --> 03:01.324 advanced it capabilities for our war 03:01.324 --> 03:03.639 fighters . Of note , Fulcrum will also 03:03.649 --> 03:05.705 assist the department in our ongoing 03:05.705 --> 03:08.429 efforts to recruit , develop uh and 03:08.440 --> 03:10.551 develop the best digital talent . The 03:10.551 --> 03:12.607 country has to offer a press release 03:12.607 --> 03:14.718 with further details on Fulcrum along 03:14.718 --> 03:16.940 with a link to the to the full strategy 03:16.940 --> 03:19.107 is available on the DOD website . Also 03:19.107 --> 03:21.218 last Friday marked one year since the 03:21.218 --> 03:23.429 launch of the India Us Defense 03:23.440 --> 03:26.929 acceleration ecosystem or Indus X indus 03:27.039 --> 03:29.150 X is one of the ways dod continues to 03:29.150 --> 03:31.372 help advance the initiative on critical 03:31.372 --> 03:33.595 and emerging technology between our two 03:33.595 --> 03:35.539 countries together with the Indian 03:35.539 --> 03:37.095 Ministry of Defense . We're 03:37.095 --> 03:39.317 facilitating dynamic partnerships among 03:39.317 --> 03:41.039 defense technology companies , 03:41.039 --> 03:42.928 investors and researchers . We've 03:42.928 --> 03:45.095 already convened two indus E summits , 03:45.095 --> 03:47.206 one here in Washington and another in 03:47.206 --> 03:49.150 New Delhi and the White House just 03:49.150 --> 03:51.261 announced that a third indus X summer 03:51.261 --> 03:53.372 summit will take place this September 03:53.372 --> 03:55.595 in Silicon Valley . We're very proud of 03:55.595 --> 03:57.650 what this initiative has achieved in 03:57.650 --> 03:59.650 just one year and we're excited for 03:59.650 --> 04:01.872 what's ahead , a detailed fact sheet on 04:01.872 --> 04:04.206 indus X is available on the DOD website . 04:04.206 --> 04:06.428 And finally , as you may have seen , we 04:06.428 --> 04:08.317 posted a statement from Secretary 04:08.317 --> 04:10.483 Austin yesterday announcing that Derek 04:10.483 --> 04:12.317 Cholet will start in July as the 04:12.317 --> 04:14.483 secretary's chief of staff . Mr Cholet 04:14.483 --> 04:16.539 has served in senior policy roles at 04:16.539 --> 04:18.706 the White House , the Pentagon and the 04:18.706 --> 04:18.320 Department of State , including his 04:18.329 --> 04:20.162 current role as counselor of the 04:20.162 --> 04:22.440 Department of State . In his statement , 04:22.440 --> 04:24.162 Secretary Austin expressed his 04:24.162 --> 04:26.329 gratitude to Mr Cet for taking on this 04:26.329 --> 04:28.329 key assignment at such an important 04:28.329 --> 04:30.496 moment . And as previously announced , 04:30.496 --> 04:32.607 Kelly Magsamen , the current chief of 04:32.607 --> 04:34.718 staff will depart this week after 3.5 04:34.718 --> 04:36.773 years in the position since the very 04:36.773 --> 04:38.885 first day of this administration . As 04:38.885 --> 04:40.998 Secretary Austin said in his June 5 04:41.009 --> 04:43.065 statement , he's deeply grateful for 04:43.065 --> 04:45.287 her tremendous service over 3.5 pivotal 04:45.287 --> 04:47.398 years to him , the department and the 04:47.398 --> 04:49.509 country as the chief of staff . So on 04:49.509 --> 04:51.676 behalf of the secretary and the entire 04:51.676 --> 04:53.898 office of the Secretary of Defense , we 04:53.898 --> 04:56.120 all wish her the very best as she takes 04:56.120 --> 04:55.929 some time off before pursuing other 04:55.940 --> 04:57.996 opportunities . And with that , I'll 04:57.996 --> 05:00.218 take your questions , Tara , that was a 05:00.218 --> 05:02.540 lot . Um I wanted to ask about the 05:02.549 --> 05:05.260 humanitarian assistance for Gaza . Is 05:05.269 --> 05:08.260 there a role for dod particularly with 05:08.269 --> 05:10.690 the Coordinations Cell ? You have um 05:10.700 --> 05:12.756 some warnings today from the UN that 05:12.756 --> 05:14.660 they , we'll just pull out of 05:14.670 --> 05:16.980 distributing aid if more is not done to 05:16.989 --> 05:19.267 protect those that are distributing it . 05:20.160 --> 05:22.382 Yeah . So , um you know , there , there 05:22.382 --> 05:24.529 is a role uh when it comes to getting 05:24.540 --> 05:26.540 aid into Gaza for the Department of 05:26.540 --> 05:28.540 Defense and it's exactly what we're 05:28.540 --> 05:32.100 doing . Uh we are working with uh the 05:32.109 --> 05:34.850 US Interagency as well as uh other 05:34.880 --> 05:37.670 international agencies and partners to 05:37.679 --> 05:40.709 facilitate the flow of aid into Gaza . 05:40.989 --> 05:42.711 Uh Certainly , you know , as I 05:42.711 --> 05:44.767 highlighted uh during the discussion 05:44.767 --> 05:47.089 today with Minister Gla uh that was on 05:47.100 --> 05:49.970 the agenda was to discuss ways to , to 05:49.980 --> 05:52.091 ensure that aid can get to the people 05:52.091 --> 05:54.147 who need it most . Uh But you know , 05:54.147 --> 05:56.489 from a dod standpoint uh to get to the 05:56.500 --> 05:58.611 crux of your question , uh There's no 05:58.611 --> 06:00.778 plans for example , to put us military 06:00.778 --> 06:02.859 forces on the ground in , in Gaza . 06:02.869 --> 06:04.925 We're going to continue to work with 06:04.925 --> 06:07.480 humanitarian organizations via USA ID 06:07.779 --> 06:10.739 uh and other regional partners to 06:10.750 --> 06:12.972 ensure that , that we can find a way to 06:12.972 --> 06:15.139 get that aid to the people who need it 06:15.139 --> 06:17.194 most ? But is there more potentially 06:17.194 --> 06:16.369 that could be done through the 06:16.380 --> 06:18.436 coordinations cell ? Because some of 06:18.436 --> 06:20.769 the concerns or complaints is that they , 06:20.769 --> 06:22.436 they don't have enough direct 06:22.436 --> 06:24.602 communication with ID F Well , again , 06:24.602 --> 06:26.824 you know , as I , as I mentioned here , 06:26.824 --> 06:29.047 you know , that that's one aspect of it 06:29.047 --> 06:31.269 is , is looking at those mechanisms . I 06:31.269 --> 06:31.170 think probably the most important 06:31.179 --> 06:33.619 aspect though would be uh the other 06:33.630 --> 06:35.797 thing that I mentioned , which is uh a 06:35.797 --> 06:37.908 cease fire and the onus is on Hamas . 06:37.908 --> 06:39.963 So if a cease fire could be put into 06:39.963 --> 06:42.019 place right now , that would greatly 06:42.019 --> 06:44.519 facilitate uh the security and uh 06:45.140 --> 06:47.140 safety considerations on the ground 06:47.140 --> 06:49.362 which would further facilitate the flow 06:49.362 --> 06:52.350 of aid to you along these lines . Could 06:52.359 --> 06:54.526 you give us an update on the pier ? Is 06:54.526 --> 06:57.109 it still moving aid ? If so how much ? 06:57.250 --> 06:59.929 And also again , if the UN decides to 06:59.940 --> 07:03.179 stop delivering aid . What is that for 07:03.190 --> 07:05.190 the operation of the pier where you 07:05.190 --> 07:07.301 curtail the amount of aid you sending 07:07.301 --> 07:09.412 to the marshal area ? Will you stop ? 07:09.412 --> 07:11.246 Does that have an effect on your 07:11.246 --> 07:13.357 operations ? Yeah , so a few things . 07:13.357 --> 07:15.579 So first of all , yes , the the pier is 07:15.579 --> 07:18.399 operational , resumed operations again 07:18.410 --> 07:20.632 today as you know , yesterday they took 07:20.632 --> 07:23.149 a day to do some scheduled maintenance 07:23.160 --> 07:25.271 on the pier But , but the bottom line 07:25.271 --> 07:27.216 is , yes , it's operational aid is 07:27.216 --> 07:29.049 flowing across the causeway . Um 07:29.049 --> 07:31.216 Centcom , you know , per standard will 07:31.216 --> 07:33.382 be issuing updates in terms of the the 07:33.382 --> 07:35.493 amounts I can tell you . Uh Right now 07:35.493 --> 07:37.327 to date since May 17th , they've 07:37.327 --> 07:40.429 delivered more than 6800 metric tons or 07:40.440 --> 07:43.570 £15 million of humanitarian aid ashore 07:43.579 --> 07:46.190 for onward delivery . Now your question 07:46.200 --> 07:48.829 about uh the amount of aid again , back 07:48.839 --> 07:51.470 to my earlier comment , you know , the 07:51.480 --> 07:54.179 the dod is working with uh the 07:54.190 --> 07:56.959 Interagency and International NGO S to 07:56.970 --> 07:59.192 facilitate the delivery of aid . And so 07:59.192 --> 08:01.799 that's our role in this is to help get 08:01.809 --> 08:03.865 the aid there , whether it's via the 08:03.865 --> 08:06.087 Maritime Corridor , whether it's via uh 08:06.087 --> 08:08.720 air or , you know , preferably land 08:08.730 --> 08:11.008 routes . Uh And so again , we're gonna , 08:11.008 --> 08:13.230 we're gonna continue to work with those 08:13.230 --> 08:15.397 agencies who are the ones that are out 08:15.397 --> 08:17.619 there that are doing the hard work to , 08:17.619 --> 08:19.730 to facil facilitate those donations . 08:19.730 --> 08:21.952 Um But bottom line is we'll be standing 08:21.952 --> 08:24.008 ready uh to help get the aid there . 08:24.008 --> 08:26.230 Now , last thing I'll say on that is uh 08:26.230 --> 08:28.230 again to underscore , you know , uh 08:28.230 --> 08:31.109 this is a temporary peer . So this is a 08:31.260 --> 08:33.950 uh temporary solution to help rush aid 08:33.960 --> 08:36.390 into the zone . Uh Again , recognizing 08:36.400 --> 08:38.622 the the dire security situation there . 08:38.739 --> 08:40.906 Um But again , we're going to continue 08:40.906 --> 08:42.906 to look at all ways to get aid into 08:42.906 --> 08:45.340 Gaza . If the UN stops delivering food , 08:46.010 --> 08:48.070 will you just continue moving 08:48.080 --> 08:50.080 humanitarian aid to that marshaling 08:50.080 --> 08:52.247 area ? Or you basically say if they're 08:52.247 --> 08:54.358 not delivering aid , we're gonna have 08:54.358 --> 08:56.358 to at some point stop . Um I mean , 08:56.358 --> 08:58.469 certainly , uh we've got to take into 08:58.469 --> 09:00.630 account uh the the capacity of the 09:00.640 --> 09:02.862 marshaling area . We're not quite there 09:02.862 --> 09:05.029 yet . Um So , you know , again , we're 09:05.029 --> 09:07.140 gonna continue to be in communication 09:07.140 --> 09:09.084 with the UN uh with the World Food 09:09.084 --> 09:10.973 Program , us ID and look at those 09:10.973 --> 09:13.029 things . Ultimately , I think we all 09:13.029 --> 09:15.251 want uh the same thing which is to make 09:15.251 --> 09:17.473 sure aid can get to the people who need 09:17.473 --> 09:19.765 it in Gaza . You mentioned civilian 09:19.775 --> 09:21.608 casualties was an issue that was 09:21.608 --> 09:23.719 discussed this morning between Austin 09:23.719 --> 09:25.942 and Galland . Did the secretary receive 09:25.942 --> 09:28.053 any commitment or assurances from the 09:28.053 --> 09:29.997 Israeli Defense Minister to reduce 09:29.997 --> 09:32.219 civilian casualties ? Um You know , I'm 09:32.219 --> 09:34.275 not going to be able to go into more 09:34.275 --> 09:36.275 details and what I provided in , in 09:36.275 --> 09:38.275 that read out there , Idris , other 09:38.275 --> 09:38.090 than to say again , you know , and , 09:38.099 --> 09:40.266 and I don't want to speak for Minister 09:40.266 --> 09:42.266 Glat . Um other than to say again , 09:42.266 --> 09:44.210 that , that this is a priority for 09:44.210 --> 09:46.432 Secretary Austin in terms of protecting 09:46.432 --> 09:48.599 civilians . And that is something that 09:48.599 --> 09:50.155 has come up in every single 09:50.155 --> 09:52.377 conversation that they have . That it's 09:52.377 --> 09:54.488 a priority for the Israelis as well . 09:54.488 --> 09:56.321 Uh I'm not going to , again , uh 09:56.321 --> 09:59.830 characterize Minister Glo's words . I 09:59.840 --> 10:03.229 think the secretary uh recognizes that 10:03.239 --> 10:05.890 his message is being received uh loud 10:05.900 --> 10:08.067 and clear . Uh And again , we're going 10:08.067 --> 10:10.229 to continue to uh highlight how 10:10.239 --> 10:12.461 important it is . I mean , you heard it 10:12.461 --> 10:14.739 in his opening comments , right ? It's , 10:14.739 --> 10:16.961 it's both a uh a moral obligation and a 10:16.961 --> 10:19.960 strategic imperative . So who initiated 10:19.969 --> 10:23.599 the call ? Uh the secretary did ? Yeah , 10:23.609 --> 10:25.720 let me get you , sir . Rashid Jaar Al 10:25.720 --> 10:28.599 Ghai Egypt . The secretary has 10:28.609 --> 10:30.849 indicated that diplomacy is the best 10:30.859 --> 10:34.450 way to prevent the recent tensions 10:34.460 --> 10:37.419 between Lebanon and between Hezbollah 10:37.429 --> 10:40.179 and Israel from escalating into a full 10:40.190 --> 10:43.940 blown war . What has been discussed in 10:43.950 --> 10:46.172 the talks between the secretary and his 10:46.172 --> 10:48.172 Israeli counterpart on this issue ? 10:48.309 --> 10:50.420 Well , again , as I highlighted it at 10:50.420 --> 10:54.010 the top , um you know , we think uh 10:54.020 --> 10:57.250 that uh no one wins if there's a 10:57.260 --> 11:00.609 broader regional conflict . Uh And so 11:00.619 --> 11:02.841 that's something that the Department of 11:02.841 --> 11:04.952 Defense in the United States has been 11:04.952 --> 11:07.175 working very hard at ever since Hamas's 11:07.175 --> 11:09.341 attack on October 7th . Uh And so , uh 11:09.341 --> 11:11.239 the secretary has been clear both 11:11.250 --> 11:14.169 publicly and privately that uh we 11:14.179 --> 11:16.489 firmly believe that a diplomatic 11:16.500 --> 11:18.556 resolution to the tensions along the 11:18.556 --> 11:22.010 Israel Lebanon border . Uh are are the 11:22.020 --> 11:25.559 way to go and to prevent a potential , 11:25.570 --> 11:27.880 a potential escalation . Uh And 11:27.890 --> 11:30.070 especially in this type of situation 11:30.080 --> 11:32.690 where there's a risk of miscalculation 11:32.950 --> 11:35.172 uh that , that no one wants to see . So 11:35.172 --> 11:37.450 let me go to the phone here real quick . 11:37.450 --> 11:41.200 Uh Lara Seligman Politico . Hi , Pat . 11:41.210 --> 11:43.479 Thanks for doing this . Can you tell me 11:43.489 --> 11:45.539 what was the impetus for Secretary 11:45.549 --> 11:47.716 Austin's call with the Russian Defense 11:47.716 --> 11:50.159 Minister ? Thanks Laura . Uh I'm not 11:50.169 --> 11:52.058 gonna have anything to provide uh 11:52.058 --> 11:54.058 beyond what I read out at the top . 11:54.058 --> 11:56.169 Other than again , uh , the secretary 11:56.169 --> 11:58.169 believes that uh , keeping lines of 11:58.169 --> 12:01.020 communication open are important . All 12:01.030 --> 12:03.086 right , let me go to , uh Jeff Shole 12:03.086 --> 12:05.580 task and purpose . Uh , thank you . Uh , 12:05.590 --> 12:07.830 former President Trump has criticized 12:07.840 --> 12:09.729 the military for going for moving 12:09.729 --> 12:12.390 toward electric tanks . Uh , as far as 12:12.400 --> 12:14.400 you know , is there , are there any 12:14.400 --> 12:16.739 plans for electric tanks ? Yeah . 12:16.750 --> 12:18.972 Thanks , Jeff . Um , seeing those press 12:18.972 --> 12:21.139 reports , I'm , I'm not aware of any , 12:21.139 --> 12:23.289 uh , electric tanks . Certainly refer 12:23.299 --> 12:25.521 you to the army for any questions about 12:25.521 --> 12:29.090 their acquisitions programs . Um Just 12:29.099 --> 12:32.559 leave it there . Thank you , General . 12:32.679 --> 12:36.580 I have two questions on the North Korea , 12:36.590 --> 12:40.330 Russia and Ukraine first question . 12:40.340 --> 12:43.710 Russian President Putin recognized the 12:43.719 --> 12:47.140 North Korea as a nuclear state and the 12:47.150 --> 12:50.724 US Congress is also talking about the 12:50.734 --> 12:54.145 arming South Korea with the nuclear 12:54.155 --> 12:57.445 weapons in response to North Korea's 12:57.455 --> 12:59.965 nuclear weapons . What is the 12:59.974 --> 13:03.054 Pentagon's view on the South Korea 13:03.114 --> 13:05.625 should arm is set with the nuclear 13:05.635 --> 13:07.619 weapons . Yeah , look , our , our 13:07.630 --> 13:10.750 policy hasn't changed uh as it relates 13:10.760 --> 13:13.849 to the uh denuclearization of the 13:13.859 --> 13:16.390 Korean Peninsula . Uh You know , again , 13:16.400 --> 13:18.622 we'll continue to work closely with our 13:18.622 --> 13:22.059 Rok uh Japanese uh allies and others in 13:22.070 --> 13:24.530 the region to ensure security and 13:24.539 --> 13:26.761 stability throughout the Indo Pacific . 13:26.761 --> 13:28.928 And I'll just leave it there for North 13:29.299 --> 13:31.400 Korea to send to the military 13:31.580 --> 13:35.229 Commission announced that North Korea 13:35.239 --> 13:38.630 would join forces with the Russian 13:38.640 --> 13:42.260 military . And as part of the North 13:42.270 --> 13:46.039 Korea and Russia military alliance , 13:46.049 --> 13:48.590 the North Korean army , Engineer Union 13:48.599 --> 13:51.890 would be dispatched to Donetsk , 13:51.979 --> 13:55.510 Ukraine , which means occupied 13:55.520 --> 13:59.140 by Russia . Uh It will be 13:59.150 --> 14:02.500 dispatched as early as next month . 14:03.219 --> 14:06.789 How do you assess about the rapid 14:06.799 --> 14:09.690 situation in which North Korea and 14:09.700 --> 14:12.559 Russia are moving toward 14:13.109 --> 14:15.849 Ukraine ? So , just to clarify , you're 14:15.859 --> 14:18.599 asking , what do I think about 14:18.820 --> 14:22.359 Russia assigning North Korean forces to 14:22.369 --> 14:25.619 the battlefield in Ukraine ? I mean 14:25.630 --> 14:27.000 North Korean army ? 14:29.559 --> 14:31.392 Yeah , I mean , that's certainly 14:31.392 --> 14:33.710 something to uh to keep an eye on . Um 14:33.719 --> 14:36.890 I think that um if , if I , you know , 14:36.900 --> 14:38.840 if I were North Korean military 14:38.849 --> 14:40.738 personnel management , I would be 14:40.738 --> 14:42.960 questioning my choices on uh sending my 14:42.960 --> 14:45.590 forces to be cannon fodder uh in an 14:45.599 --> 14:49.270 illegal war against Ukraine and we've 14:49.280 --> 14:51.169 seen the kinds of casualties that 14:51.169 --> 14:54.580 Russian forces . Um So , um but again , 14:54.590 --> 14:56.868 uh something that we'll keep an eye on , 14:57.559 --> 15:00.270 let me move on Janie . Yes , sir . Um , 15:00.280 --> 15:02.391 regarding to the uh escalation of the 15:02.391 --> 15:04.558 border between Libanon and Israel , do 15:04.559 --> 15:07.869 you still believe that the diplomatic 15:07.880 --> 15:11.390 resolution is still possible ? And 15:11.400 --> 15:13.799 today , after the meeting between 15:13.809 --> 15:15.642 Secretary Austin and his Israeli 15:15.642 --> 15:18.679 counterpart , uh , did you see that the 15:18.690 --> 15:22.090 Israeli agree to go with , uh , with 15:22.099 --> 15:24.289 the Secretary Austin assessment about 15:24.299 --> 15:27.099 the this solution as a diplomatic ? Do 15:27.109 --> 15:30.309 they agree with that ? But , and even 15:30.320 --> 15:32.431 though did they agree with the , what 15:32.431 --> 15:34.487 the Secretary Austin says about that 15:34.487 --> 15:36.598 any another war between Hezbollah and 15:36.598 --> 15:39.059 Israel could easily become a regional 15:39.070 --> 15:41.239 war ? Yeah . Again , I'm I'm not gonna 15:41.250 --> 15:43.150 speak for Minister Gla uh or the 15:43.159 --> 15:45.326 Israeli delegation . I'll , I'll allow 15:45.326 --> 15:47.548 them to do that . Uh But to answer your 15:47.548 --> 15:49.548 question , yes , we do think uh the 15:49.548 --> 15:51.715 diplomatic resolution is possible . Uh 15:51.715 --> 15:53.937 And that's something that will continue 15:53.937 --> 15:56.159 to work with all parties involved uh on 15:56.159 --> 15:58.326 to , to achieve for the reasons that I 15:58.326 --> 16:00.437 spelled out . Yes , sir . Thank you . 16:00.437 --> 16:02.603 Thank you . My name is Musk Al Fazal . 16:02.739 --> 16:04.400 I'm representing South Asia 16:04.409 --> 16:07.210 perspectives . May I know how the 16:07.219 --> 16:09.809 Pentagon navigating its military and 16:09.820 --> 16:12.099 security partnership with Bangladesh ? 16:12.109 --> 16:14.940 Given the US public designation of 16:14.950 --> 16:17.320 immediate past army Chief of Bangladesh 16:17.330 --> 16:20.359 General Aziz . Due to his involvement 16:20.369 --> 16:22.599 in significant corruption , the country 16:22.609 --> 16:24.960 is moving in the wrong direction with 16:24.969 --> 16:27.510 extreme violation of human rights and 16:27.520 --> 16:30.780 democratic rights . Top police and rab 16:30.789 --> 16:32.900 personnel have been sanctioned by the 16:32.900 --> 16:35.150 US and the current regime is using the 16:35.159 --> 16:37.280 security forces to keep the power by 16:37.289 --> 16:39.289 any means . Yeah , thanks for the 16:39.299 --> 16:41.270 question and welcome to the to the 16:41.280 --> 16:43.502 briefing room here as you're aware . Uh 16:43.502 --> 16:45.447 and as you highlighted , the state 16:45.447 --> 16:48.150 department has designated General Ahmed 16:48.159 --> 16:50.299 for significant corruption . They did 16:50.309 --> 16:53.000 this back in May . Uh that designation 16:53.010 --> 16:55.719 reaffirms the US commitment to 16:55.729 --> 16:58.099 strengthening democratic institutions 16:58.109 --> 17:00.331 and the rule of law in Bangladesh . And 17:00.331 --> 17:02.165 the department supports the anti 17:02.165 --> 17:04.387 corruption efforts that are being taken 17:04.387 --> 17:06.498 there . And I would just , you know , 17:06.498 --> 17:08.498 conclude by saying that the US does 17:08.498 --> 17:10.220 have a close bilateral defense 17:10.220 --> 17:12.442 relationship with Bangladesh in support 17:12.442 --> 17:14.609 of shared values and interests such as 17:14.609 --> 17:16.831 a shared free and open Indo Pacific and 17:16.838 --> 17:18.909 maritime and regional security . So 17:18.918 --> 17:20.974 just leave it there , Liz , thanks . 17:20.974 --> 17:22.974 There's a report out that the Biden 17:22.974 --> 17:25.140 administration is considering allowing 17:25.140 --> 17:27.251 us military contractors in Ukraine to 17:27.251 --> 17:29.251 help maintain us , provided weapons 17:29.251 --> 17:31.474 systems in Ukraine without getting into 17:31.474 --> 17:33.751 hypotheticals of what could be decided . 17:33.751 --> 17:36.410 Um What's the difference between doing 17:36.420 --> 17:39.130 this and having us military boots on 17:39.140 --> 17:41.084 the ground ? Yeah , thanks for the 17:41.084 --> 17:43.307 question , Liz . What I'd say right now 17:43.307 --> 17:45.251 is I'm not going to comment on any 17:45.251 --> 17:47.196 reports of internal discussions or 17:47.196 --> 17:49.362 proposals that may or may not be under 17:49.362 --> 17:51.473 consideration . You know , the bottom 17:51.473 --> 17:53.696 line is the president and the secretary 17:53.696 --> 17:55.918 have been clear that we're not going to 17:55.918 --> 17:58.084 send us troops to fight in Ukraine and 17:58.084 --> 18:00.251 that won't change . So I'll just leave 18:00.251 --> 18:02.770 it there . Ok . Sure . Um Regarding the 18:02.780 --> 18:05.260 dod uh Inspector General report on 18:05.270 --> 18:07.326 tracking funds to China for pathogen 18:07.326 --> 18:09.548 research . Uh The report mentions there 18:09.548 --> 18:11.548 are quote significant restraints in 18:11.548 --> 18:13.659 order to track those those funds . So 18:13.659 --> 18:15.881 will there be any revisions made in the 18:15.881 --> 18:17.992 future to accurately track those ? Um 18:17.992 --> 18:19.937 Let me take that question . I just 18:19.937 --> 18:19.849 don't have that information in front of 18:19.859 --> 18:21.970 me , so we'll get back to you on it , 18:21.970 --> 18:24.137 buddy . Thank you General . So , uh Mr 18:24.137 --> 18:26.081 Gallant said today that the US and 18:26.081 --> 18:27.915 Israel are working to achieve an 18:27.915 --> 18:30.750 agreement uh about the tension on the 18:30.760 --> 18:32.816 borders between Israel and Lebanon . 18:32.816 --> 18:35.920 But he added , we must uh also discuss 18:35.939 --> 18:39.609 readiness for every possible scenario . 18:39.910 --> 18:42.849 Did the secretary um discuss such 18:42.859 --> 18:46.650 scenarios with uh Mr Galant ? I think 18:46.660 --> 18:50.010 he was alluding to uh war maybe ? Well 18:50.020 --> 18:52.689 again , I as you can appreciate , I'm 18:52.699 --> 18:55.619 not gonna speak for uh Minister Galant 18:55.630 --> 18:58.520 or his comments . I will say again , uh 18:58.530 --> 19:00.699 that they did have a discussion about 19:00.709 --> 19:03.199 the tensions along the Israel Lebanon 19:03.209 --> 19:06.060 border . Uh The secretary uh again , 19:06.069 --> 19:09.130 highlighted the importance of finding a 19:09.140 --> 19:12.140 diplomatic resolution to those tensions . 19:12.469 --> 19:14.410 Uh You know , it was a very frank 19:14.420 --> 19:18.400 candid professional conversation uh and 19:18.410 --> 19:21.140 uh and robust . Uh so uh lots of 19:21.150 --> 19:23.369 discussion on the the situation as it 19:23.380 --> 19:25.819 relates to Lebanon , but I'll just 19:25.829 --> 19:27.900 leave it there . And the secretary 19:27.910 --> 19:31.060 thanked Mr Galland for his efforts to 19:31.069 --> 19:33.994 increase the flow of human aid to Gaza . 19:34.005 --> 19:36.116 However , today , the integrated food 19:36.116 --> 19:38.834 security face plus said that 21.5 19:38.844 --> 19:41.435 million Palestinians in Gaza 19:41.574 --> 19:45.415 face high levels of 19:45.425 --> 19:48.084 acute food insecurity and half a 19:48.094 --> 19:51.915 million are facing starvation . Was the 19:51.925 --> 19:53.925 secretary aware of these statistics 19:54.005 --> 19:56.061 before making his comments . And can 19:56.061 --> 19:59.234 you point to any specific efforts that 19:59.244 --> 20:02.739 he was talking about on the uh 20:02.750 --> 20:05.989 from Mr Gant to uh make sure food is 20:06.000 --> 20:08.167 actually and it is actually getting to 20:08.167 --> 20:10.389 the people of Gaza and again , with the 20:10.389 --> 20:12.829 caveat that I'm not Israel Mod 20:12.839 --> 20:14.950 spokesperson and and I'm not going to 20:14.950 --> 20:16.895 stand up here and be Minister Gant 20:16.895 --> 20:19.006 spokesperson . What the secretary was 20:19.006 --> 20:21.228 alluding to is the fact that you know , 20:21.228 --> 20:23.117 first of all , uh Israel is not a 20:23.117 --> 20:25.283 monolith . And Minister Gallant has uh 20:25.283 --> 20:27.450 from the secretary's perspective , has 20:27.450 --> 20:30.750 worked hard to enable the mechanisms by 20:30.760 --> 20:33.020 which uh humanitarian assistance can 20:33.030 --> 20:35.609 get into Gaza . Uh for example , uh 20:35.619 --> 20:39.469 working to ensure that aid can uh get 20:39.479 --> 20:41.646 past protesters , for example , on the 20:41.646 --> 20:44.800 Israeli side into Gaza , working to get 20:44.810 --> 20:46.921 the gates open , supporting J lots in 20:46.921 --> 20:49.089 terms of providing security so that J 20:49.130 --> 20:51.186 lots can be anchored to the pier and 20:51.186 --> 20:53.352 then of course , uh supporting the the 20:53.352 --> 20:55.670 Coordinations Cell that exists . So 20:55.744 --> 20:57.855 from Secretary Austin's perspective , 20:57.855 --> 21:00.022 Minister Gallant has been a partner we 21:00.022 --> 21:02.133 can work with in terms of identifying 21:02.133 --> 21:04.515 ways to get aid into Gaza . Recognizing 21:04.525 --> 21:06.747 the challenges that still exist there , 21:06.747 --> 21:08.858 recognizing the fact that much , much 21:08.858 --> 21:11.081 more aid needs to get in . So this will 21:11.081 --> 21:13.303 be something that they continue to talk 21:13.303 --> 21:15.209 about . Thank you , General Prime 21:15.219 --> 21:17.386 Minister Netanyahu said that Israel is 21:17.386 --> 21:19.949 ready to fight two wars on two fronts . 21:19.959 --> 21:21.849 And today , the Israeli Defense 21:21.859 --> 21:24.859 Minister said in the room that they're 21:24.869 --> 21:27.839 determined to actually establish 21:27.849 --> 21:29.905 security in the North and change the 21:29.905 --> 21:32.127 reality on the ground . So if that were 21:32.127 --> 21:33.910 to happen with seeing from the 21:33.920 --> 21:36.087 secretary that it's not a hypothetical 21:36.087 --> 21:38.087 anymore , but a calculation in this 21:38.087 --> 21:40.142 department that it could turn into a 21:40.142 --> 21:42.198 full blown war in the region if that 21:42.198 --> 21:44.364 were to happen . Uh can Israel rely on 21:44.364 --> 21:46.420 the United States militarily because 21:46.420 --> 21:48.420 we've seen play out before that you 21:48.420 --> 21:50.531 said one thing is rather than other , 21:50.531 --> 21:52.864 but you were still behind on militarily . 21:52.864 --> 21:54.920 So can that still be the case ? So I 21:54.920 --> 21:56.864 appreciate the question and I will 21:56.864 --> 21:58.976 respectfully disagree that it's not a 21:58.976 --> 22:01.198 hypothetical . It is a hypothetical . I 22:01.198 --> 22:03.198 mean , certainly that is a scenario 22:03.198 --> 22:03.180 that could happen , but it hasn't yet . 22:03.189 --> 22:06.229 And so our focus right now is on 22:06.239 --> 22:08.349 finding a diplomatic solution to the 22:08.359 --> 22:10.420 tensions that are along the border 22:10.430 --> 22:14.380 there . Um And you know , um as I 22:14.390 --> 22:17.640 highlighted at the top , uh our support 22:17.650 --> 22:19.650 for Israel's inherent right to self 22:19.650 --> 22:21.969 defense is ironclad . It will remain 22:22.150 --> 22:24.206 that way . We'll continue to support 22:24.206 --> 22:26.150 Israel and their ability to defend 22:26.150 --> 22:28.261 themselves . But when it comes to the 22:28.261 --> 22:30.261 tensions along the border , when it 22:30.261 --> 22:32.428 comes to the broader region , we don't 22:32.428 --> 22:34.761 want to see a broader regional conflict . 22:34.761 --> 22:36.650 And so that will continue to be a 22:36.650 --> 22:38.706 primary focus of this department and 22:38.706 --> 22:38.310 this government . Thank you . Take a 22:38.339 --> 22:40.561 few more . Yes , sir . Thank you . Um I 22:40.561 --> 22:42.783 have a question on a different topic uh 22:42.783 --> 22:44.672 about the launches of the Russian 22:44.672 --> 22:47.359 satellite to space the cosmo satellite 22:47.369 --> 22:51.219 2576 . Um There are 22:51.229 --> 22:53.489 supposed to be nuclear and um the 22:53.500 --> 22:55.709 question is where the Pentagon is 22:55.719 --> 22:57.989 standing with the nuclear anti 22:58.069 --> 23:01.300 satellite program . And uh if the 23:01.310 --> 23:03.588 Pentagon is also looking on a new Cold , 23:03.588 --> 23:05.810 I mean , not looking , but , you know , 23:05.810 --> 23:07.977 it's aware there might be on the verge 23:07.977 --> 23:10.060 of a new Cold War in space against 23:10.069 --> 23:12.869 Russia and China . Well , yeah , I mean , 23:13.170 --> 23:15.170 there's a , there's a lot to unpack 23:15.170 --> 23:17.170 there . Um You know , so the bottom 23:17.170 --> 23:20.819 line is uh we recognize uh that space 23:20.829 --> 23:23.719 is now congested and contested , right ? 23:23.729 --> 23:25.451 You know , it's not the benign 23:25.451 --> 23:27.673 environment that it used to be . Uh and 23:27.673 --> 23:30.500 there are actors uh that are looking to 23:30.510 --> 23:32.579 uh you know , create conditions in 23:32.589 --> 23:35.430 space that threaten uh not only us 23:35.439 --> 23:37.550 national security interests but , but 23:37.550 --> 23:39.772 other countries as well . Uh And so our 23:39.780 --> 23:42.489 focus is on uh protecting our 23:42.500 --> 23:44.979 capabilities uh but also ensuring that 23:44.989 --> 23:48.339 space uh doesn't become uh the kind of 23:48.349 --> 23:50.516 battleground that , that you suggest . 23:50.516 --> 23:52.460 Uh So is there a cold war in space 23:52.460 --> 23:54.989 right now ? No . Um but it's certainly 23:55.000 --> 23:57.222 something that we will need to continue 23:57.222 --> 23:59.389 to stay very focused on , which is why 23:59.389 --> 24:01.500 you saw in our case , the US military 24:01.500 --> 24:03.611 create a US Space force several years 24:03.611 --> 24:05.800 ago so that you have uh space force 24:05.810 --> 24:08.032 guardians who come to work every single 24:08.032 --> 24:10.199 day with the primary job of keeping an 24:10.199 --> 24:12.199 eye on the space domain to not only 24:12.209 --> 24:14.376 ensure we understand what's in space , 24:14.376 --> 24:17.479 but also protect our interests and 24:17.489 --> 24:19.600 importantly , working with our allies 24:19.600 --> 24:21.822 and partners around the world to do the 24:21.822 --> 24:24.100 same . Thank you very much . Yes , sir . 24:24.100 --> 24:25.322 Thank you very much . 24:28.619 --> 24:30.841 So , government of Pakistan announced a 24:30.841 --> 24:32.959 new military operation against the 24:32.969 --> 24:35.349 Pakistani Taliban and allied groups , 24:35.380 --> 24:38.079 some of them believed are also wanted 24:38.089 --> 24:40.050 for China , for example , East 24:40.109 --> 24:43.170 Turkistan Islamic moment . So uh United 24:43.180 --> 24:45.459 States before and after the Doha 24:45.469 --> 24:48.619 agreement um showed its commitment to 24:48.630 --> 24:51.239 go after I SI S and linked group like 24:51.250 --> 24:54.119 Iskp who is actively working with 24:54.130 --> 24:55.908 Pakistani Taliban and attacking 24:55.930 --> 24:58.290 civilians of Pakistan . And uh also 24:58.300 --> 25:00.467 there are concerns from Chinese side . 25:00.467 --> 25:03.810 So do you think so ? Um still uh 25:03.819 --> 25:07.680 there is like United States , uh 25:07.900 --> 25:10.170 United States have something with 25:10.180 --> 25:12.402 Pakistani building on this operation of 25:12.402 --> 25:14.624 the United States is aware about this . 25:14.624 --> 25:16.989 Pentagon is aware about this . Yeah , 25:17.000 --> 25:19.569 1st , 1st of all , welcome . Um what I 25:19.579 --> 25:21.523 would tell you is I , you know , I 25:21.523 --> 25:23.690 don't have any specifics as it relates 25:23.690 --> 25:25.969 to particular Pakistani operations , 25:25.979 --> 25:28.146 counterterror operations . I would say 25:28.146 --> 25:30.312 broadly speaking , uh you know , we we 25:30.312 --> 25:32.035 fully appreciate and recognize 25:32.035 --> 25:34.310 Pakistan's important role as a uh 25:34.329 --> 25:35.829 partner . When it comes to 25:35.829 --> 25:37.718 counterterrorism . We have a long 25:37.718 --> 25:39.607 history of of working together on 25:39.607 --> 25:41.662 counterterrorism uh efforts . Uh And 25:41.662 --> 25:45.060 when it comes to uh regional terrorist 25:45.069 --> 25:47.291 threats , it's certainly something that 25:47.291 --> 25:49.236 we continue to keep an eye on . Uh 25:49.236 --> 25:51.236 especially , you know , for obvious 25:51.236 --> 25:53.402 reasons as it relates to protecting us 25:53.402 --> 25:55.180 national security interests and 25:55.180 --> 25:57.236 protecting the homeland . Um But the 25:57.236 --> 25:59.458 way that we do that is , uh we don't do 25:59.458 --> 26:01.513 that alone . We work with allies and 26:01.513 --> 26:03.736 partners throughout the world to assess 26:03.736 --> 26:03.560 those threats and take appropriate 26:03.569 --> 26:05.625 action . So again , I don't have any 26:05.625 --> 26:07.847 specifics on the operations that you're 26:07.847 --> 26:09.902 talking about . Uh But I'm confident 26:09.902 --> 26:11.847 that at multiple levels , we're in 26:11.847 --> 26:13.958 contact with the Pakistani government 26:13.958 --> 26:16.180 as well as other partners in the region 26:16.180 --> 26:18.458 to address potential terrorist threats . 26:18.458 --> 26:21.150 Thank you , Senior General in Okinawa , 26:21.160 --> 26:23.400 Japan . Local authorities said that 26:23.410 --> 26:25.949 prosecutors charged a US servicemen at 26:25.959 --> 26:28.839 the Air Force in Okinawa for allegedly 26:28.849 --> 26:31.560 sexually assaulting a girl under 16 26:31.569 --> 26:33.880 years old in March . And it was 26:33.890 --> 26:36.060 revealed yesterday . Could you give us 26:36.069 --> 26:38.290 comment on this case ? And what do you 26:38.300 --> 26:40.522 think about the potential impact on the 26:40.522 --> 26:42.522 US Japan ? Yeah . Unfortunately , I 26:42.522 --> 26:44.856 just , I don't have any details on that . 26:44.856 --> 26:47.078 I'd have to refer you to uh you said it 26:47.078 --> 26:49.022 was Air Force . Yeah , I'd have to 26:49.022 --> 26:51.078 refer you to the Air Force for , for 26:51.078 --> 26:53.411 any questions on that . Thank you . Yes , 26:53.411 --> 26:55.633 ma'am . Hi , Kimberly Underwood from FC 26:55.633 --> 26:55.520 Signal Magazine . I wanted to ask about 26:55.530 --> 26:58.839 the strategy as Dod con continues to 26:58.849 --> 27:00.793 advance strategies and the digital 27:00.793 --> 27:02.960 workforce through the strategies . Are 27:02.960 --> 27:04.738 there any broad areas that this 27:04.814 --> 27:07.114 secretary will need to iron A as far as 27:07.125 --> 27:10.305 it , or C four technologies um you know , 27:10.314 --> 27:12.594 to take dod into the future ? And then 27:12.604 --> 27:14.826 I had a quick indus uh three question . 27:15.185 --> 27:17.364 Sure . Um I'm gonna take your question 27:17.375 --> 27:19.915 because I wanna get you uh uh a proper 27:19.925 --> 27:22.147 answer on that , but uh appreciate it . 27:22.175 --> 27:24.397 And for indus three , do you have any , 27:24.397 --> 27:26.564 uh would the secretary have any advice 27:26.564 --> 27:28.453 to Silicon Valley companies about 27:28.453 --> 27:30.964 participating in the event or companies 27:30.974 --> 27:33.196 that may be interested in understanding 27:33.196 --> 27:35.640 um the indus partnership ? Yeah . Well , 27:35.650 --> 27:37.869 you know , just broadly speaking , um 27:39.420 --> 27:41.198 especially when you look at the 27:41.198 --> 27:43.087 challenges that the department is 27:43.087 --> 27:45.087 facing around the world today as we 27:45.087 --> 27:47.420 implement the national defense strategy . 27:47.420 --> 27:49.587 I mean , it , it's clear that that the 27:49.587 --> 27:51.698 partnership between the Department of 27:51.698 --> 27:53.920 Defense and Industry is vital and , and 27:53.920 --> 27:56.087 you see this on , on multiple levels . 27:56.087 --> 27:58.198 Uh and for example , through programs 27:58.198 --> 28:00.760 like Diu or Indus X or , you know , 28:00.770 --> 28:04.209 many , many others . Um it's critical 28:04.219 --> 28:06.380 that we be able to , to work together 28:06.390 --> 28:08.723 to understand each other's requirements . 28:08.723 --> 28:10.723 Uh And so , you know , that's gonna 28:10.723 --> 28:12.668 continue to be a priority for this 28:12.668 --> 28:14.890 department . So thank you very much . I 28:14.890 --> 28:17.112 take two more . Yes , sir . Yeah , hi . 28:17.112 --> 28:19.439 So as uh you guys celebrate a year of 28:19.449 --> 28:22.349 indus X . Um It is also a year 28:22.359 --> 28:24.839 anniversary of my colleague , Vve Rag 28:24.849 --> 28:27.280 um being detained by Indian authorities 28:27.290 --> 28:30.729 for the crime of journalism . Um So as 28:30.739 --> 28:32.739 you all celebrate , you know , this 28:32.739 --> 28:34.406 partnership with India , what 28:34.406 --> 28:36.461 conversations are certain assurances 28:36.461 --> 28:39.280 has the Pentagon pursued um from India 28:39.290 --> 28:41.439 on press freedom and human rights in 28:41.449 --> 28:43.727 exchange for all of these partnerships ? 28:43.727 --> 28:46.005 Yeah . Well , certainly , I , you know , 28:46.005 --> 28:48.060 I know that our State Department has 28:48.060 --> 28:50.060 spoken to this , you know , broadly 28:50.060 --> 28:52.171 speaking , uh again from a department 28:52.171 --> 28:54.393 of defense standpoint , we certainly uh 28:54.393 --> 28:56.439 support uh and will defend a open , 28:56.449 --> 28:58.671 free and independent press . That's our 28:58.671 --> 29:00.671 position . Um So I'll just leave it 29:00.671 --> 29:03.339 there . No last question . A couple of 29:03.349 --> 29:05.571 short ones on the call with the Russian 29:05.571 --> 29:07.793 Defense Minister today . Could you tell 29:07.793 --> 29:09.960 us about how long it lasted ? And then 29:09.960 --> 29:12.016 secondarily , since the focus was in 29:12.016 --> 29:14.071 large part , you said on maintaining 29:14.071 --> 29:16.182 lines of communication , uh How would 29:16.182 --> 29:15.530 you characterize those lines of 29:15.540 --> 29:17.873 communication right now ? Yeah , thanks . 29:17.873 --> 29:20.096 No , I , I do appreciate the question . 29:20.096 --> 29:20.040 I'm just not going to have any more 29:20.050 --> 29:22.161 details to provide than , than what I 29:22.161 --> 29:24.217 provided to you . All right . Thanks 29:24.217 --> 29:24.400 very much . Everybody . Appreciate it .