WEBVTT

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Well , good afternoon . And thanks for

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welcoming me back to Kev and to this

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proud Academy director Maleko .

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I'm very grateful for those generous

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words . And speaking of outstanding

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diplomats , all Americans should be

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proud of our tireless and fearless

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ambassador Bridget brink , ambassador .

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Thanks for doing the tremendous work .

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Let me also thank my good friend ,

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Minister Umarov Bruce . Thanks for that

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very kind introduction and for your

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tremendous service to your country .

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Ladies and gentlemen , it's a great

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honor to be here with you today . I'd

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like to like to talk today about

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Ukraine's just war of self defense and

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the road ahead . I'd like to start by

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echoing the words of President Kennedy

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in his historic 1963 speech in Berlin .

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There are some who say

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that they don't understand or say that

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they don't understand what is at stake

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between the free world and an

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aggressive tyrant like Putin . And I

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say to them , let them come to Kiev .

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There are some who say that both sides

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are to blame for Putin's war of

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aggression . Let them come to Kev .

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There are some who blur the lines

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between aggressor and victim .

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Let them come to key and there are some

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who deny that the Kremlin targets

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Ukrainian civilians . Let them

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come to Kev . There are some who

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say that Ukraine isn't a real nation ,

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let them come to Kev .

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And finally , there are some who claim

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that Ukraine lacks the courage to

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prevail . Let them come to Keith .

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Ladies and gentlemen , let us never

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forget how this war began for years .

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Putin had harassed and assaulted the

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independent nation state of Ukraine .

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And on February 24th , 2022

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Putin crossed the line into an all out

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invasion and the Kremlin started the

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largest war in Europe since world war

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two . Now Putin's war of

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choice poses fundamental questions to

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every government in every person

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who seeks a decent and secure

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world . And so I asked

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today , do rules matter ,

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do rights matter ? Does

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sovereignty matter ?

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I believe that they do . President

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Biden believes that they do and

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every free citizen of Ukraine believes

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that they do

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when the largest military in Europe

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becomes a force of aggression , the

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whole continent feels the shock .

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When a permanent member of the UN

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Security Council tries to deny

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self rule to more than 40 million

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people , the whole world feels the blow .

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And when a dictator puts his imperial

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fantasies ahead of the rights of a free

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people , the whole international

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system feels the outrage .

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And so that's why nations of goodwill

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from every corner of the planet have

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seen and have risen to

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Ukraine's defenses and that's why the

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United States and our allies and

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partners have proudly become the

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arsenal of Ukrainian democracy .

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America's values call , call us to

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stand by a peaceful democracy fighting

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for its life . And America's

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security demands that we stand

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up to Putin's aggression . America's

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security demands that

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we stand up to Putin's aggression .

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Ukraine matters to us security for four

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blunt reasons . Putin's

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war threatens European

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security . Putin's war

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challenges , our NATO allies ,

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Putin's war attacks , our shared

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values and Putin's war

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is a frontal assault on the rules based

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international order that keeps us all

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safe . No ,

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this invasion hasn't gone the way that

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the Kremlin plan after

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970 days of war ,

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Putin has not achieved one single

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strategic objective , not one .

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President Zaleski didn't flee . K

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didn't fall and Ukraine didn't

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fold instead .

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Russia has paid a staggering price for

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Putin's imperial folly .

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Russian forces have suffered hundreds

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of thousands of casualties since

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February 2022 . And

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according to the Center for Strategic

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and International Studies , Russian

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losses in just the first year of

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Putin's war were more than Moscow's

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losses in all of his conflicts since

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World war I I combined

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and Russia has had to dig so deep into

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Soviet stockpiles that it is attacking

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Ukraine with tanks from the time of

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World War two .

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Russia has squandered more than $200

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billion to sustain its invasion .

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And Russia has given up untold billions

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of dollars more in previously

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anticipated economic growth .

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Now , Ukraine has suffered terribly at

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Putin's hands since February

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2022 . According to the UN . Russian

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forces have killed more than 11,000

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Ukrainian civilians in verified

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civilian casualty incidents . And that

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includes more than 600 Children .

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The UN says that Putin's forces have

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bombed more than 250 Ukrainian schools

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and hospitals and they've wrecked

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treasured sites of Ukrainian history

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culture in memory ,

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but the Kremlin's malice has not broken

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Ukraine's spirit . Ukraine stands

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unbowed and strengthened .

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You know , your fight began with

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soldiers setting tank ambushes on the

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streets of Kiev and with

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ordinary citizens making Molotov

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cocktails to defend their homes .

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And it continues today with a battle

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tested Ukrainian military and security

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forces and a roaring Ukrainian

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defense industrial base

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and Ukrainian factories are now pumping

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out some of the best uavs in the world

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and experienced Ukrainian air defenders

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are protecting their forces and their

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families . And your

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soldiers have shown incredible skill .

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Your front line defenders have shown

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heroic resolve

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and your citizens have shown stunning

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courage .

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Ukraine's resistance is powered by the

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emergency workers who rushed to the

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scene and by the energy workers who

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raced to fix the damage of the

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Kremlin's attacks and by the doctors

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who risked their own lives to save the

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wounded and by the nurses who provide

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comfort in hours of anguish

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and by the clergy who tend to suffering

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souls , by the teachers who

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keep Ukraine's school schools open

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and by the parents and grandparents who

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fight every day to keep their Children

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safe and give them a future of

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peace . And so

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your admirers around the world are

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studying the Ukraine way of resistance

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and we strongly encourage the reforms

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that Ukraine has launched to help real

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help realize its people's hopes of

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joining the European Union . And NATO

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Ukraine's defenders have brought

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inspiration to the world and glory to

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Ukraine , Slavo Ukrainian .

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Yet this struggle imposes obligations

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on us all . As

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President Biden told the Un General

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Assembly in September , our

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test is to make sure that the forces

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holding us together are stronger than

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the forces that are pulling us apart

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and make no mistake . The

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outcome of Ukraine's fight for freedom

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will help set the trajectory for global

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security in the 21st century .

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Europe's future is on the line .

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Nato's strengths is on the line

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in America's security

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is on the line . So the United

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States government has moved with

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urgency and purpose

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and we've seen a huge progress that

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principled diplomacy can produce the

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kind of diplomacy taught right here in

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this academy . Since April

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2022 I have been convening the Ukraine

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defense contact group , coalition of

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some 50 countries from around the world

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determined to help Ukraine fight

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Putin's aggression . The contact group

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has met some 24 times now

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and I know that Minister Umarov and my

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other Ukrainian friends refer to the

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contact group as the Ramstein format

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after Ramstein airbase where the

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contact group was forced .

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And each time that I'm back at Ramstein ,

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I find it moving to look around that

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long table and to see in

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human form , the global indignation

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over Putin's crimes . And to

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see the determined defense leaders from

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around the world , from Argentina to

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Australia and from , from Tunisia to

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Turkey . And it has worked

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America's allies and partners are

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sharing the burden of our shared

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security and that's the power of

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Ramstein , you know , as a

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percentage of GDP a dozen

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us allies and partners now provide more

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security assistance to Ukraine than the

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United States does . And members of

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the contact group have provided more

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than $1 billion in direct security

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assistance to Ukraine . And I'm proud

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to remind you that the United

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States is doing our part as well .

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My country has committed more than $58

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billion in security assistance for

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Ukraine . Since February 2022 we've

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delivered two patriot batteries and

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dozens of other air defense systems .

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We provided 24 high Mars rocket systems

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and thousands of armored vehicles and

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drones and millions of rounds of

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artillery and other critical munitions .

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Now , that is a very real financial

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commitment , but for anyone who

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thinks that American leadership is

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expensive , well , consider the price

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of American retreat

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in the face of aggression . The price

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of principle is always dart by the cost

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of capitulation ,

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our allies and partners know that . And

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I've I've been proud to watch the pro

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Ukrainian coalition dig deep . So just

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consider Germany host . The Ramstein

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air base . Germany alone has provided

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or committed to military assistance for

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Ukraine valued at close to $31 billion .

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And through the contact group and its

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capability coalitions , Ukraine's

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friends are now forging an

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unprecedented co ordinated 13 country

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drive to increase industrial production

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to meet Ukraine's battlefield

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requirements and to build up the force

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to deter and repel Russian aggression

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in the future . And

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so not since World war two ,

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as America sys systematically rallied

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so many countries to provide such a

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range of industrial and military

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assistance for a partner in need .

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Now there is no silver bullet ,

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no single capability will turn the

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tide . No one system will end

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Putin's assault . What matters is the

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way that Ukraine fights back ? What

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matters is the combined effects of your

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military capabilities and what matters

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is staying focused on what works .

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Now , I believe that President Biden

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and Vice Vice President Harris will

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have a pro proud place in history for

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rallying the world to defend Ukraine .

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And so will the allies and partners who

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seek a free Ukraine in a safer world ?

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But the proudest place of all will

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go to the Ukrainian people

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from President Zelinski on down , your

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leaders chose to fight back .

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And the people of Ukraine have met

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Russia's aggression and atrocities with

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magnificent defiance .

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The spirit of Ukraine has inspired the

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world and it has reminded us

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all to never take our freedom for

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granted .

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And so we refuse to blame Ukraine for

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the Kremlin's aggression . We

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refuse to offer excuses for Putin's

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atrocities and we refuse to

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pretend that appeasement will stop an

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invasion . We fully understand the

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moral chasm between aggressor and

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defender and we will not be gulled by

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the frauds and the falsehoods of the

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Kremlin's apologists .

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And we will continue to defend the

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Ukrainians people , the Ukrainian

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people's right to live in a , in a sec ,

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in security and in freedom .

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The Kremlin has forced us into an age

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where Europe's largest military

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invades Europe's second largest country

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and we dare not believe as the novelist

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George Elliot once wrote that the giant

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forces that used to shake the earth are

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forever laid to sleep .

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America's goals remain clear ,

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achievable and principled .

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We seek a free and sovereign Ukraine

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that can defend itself from Russian

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aggression today and deter Russian

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aggression in the future . We

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seek a more secure Europe in a

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reinforced commitment from nations of

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goodwill worldwide to an open

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international system of rules rights

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and responsibilities .

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I know that the Kremlin's war

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is a nightmare from which the Ukrainian

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people are trying to await .

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But we should all understand that

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Putin's assault is a warning .

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It is a sneak preview of a world built

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by tyrants and thugs .

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A chaotic violent world carved into

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spheres of influence . A world where

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bullies trample their smaller neighbors

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and in a world where aggressors force

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free people to live in fear .

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So we face a hinge in history .

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We can continue to insist that cross

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border invasion is the cardinal sin of

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world politics and we can

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continue to stand firm against Putin's

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aggression or

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we can let Putin have his way and we

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can condemn our Children and

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grandchildren to live in a far bloodier

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and more dangerous world .

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So we must continue to face squarely

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face the specter of an aggressive

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Russia backed by other autocrats from

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North Korea and Iran .

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If Ukraine falls under Putin's boot ,

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all of Europe will fall under Putin's

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shadow .

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Putin is not just hammering at the

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norms of the international system built

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at such a terrible cost by the allies

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after World War two , he is shoving us

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all toward a world where right , where ,

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where might makes right ? And we're

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empire Trump's sovereignty and he is

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determined to show that his brand of

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autocracy can outlast the world's

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democracies . You

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see , Putin does not just think that

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his will is stronger , he thinks that

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his system is better ,

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but he could not be more wrong .

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You know , few forces are more powerful

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than a democracy fighting for its

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freedom . As I have

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said , peace is not self

22:07.579 --> 22:11.270
executing order

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does not preserve itself

22:15.569 --> 22:18.439
and the principles of freedom and

22:18.449 --> 22:21.900
sovereignty and human rights do not

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uphold themselves .

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Yes , there is a price to be paid for

22:28.660 --> 22:32.339
human freedom . But it is dwarfed

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by the price that we would all pay for

22:34.947 --> 22:37.069
letting aggression go unchecked .

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So President Biden has chosen the path

22:42.489 --> 22:44.599
of mutual responsibility and common

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security and we have chosen to

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share the responsibility of ensuring

22:51.459 --> 22:54.170
that Ukraine remains sovereign and free

22:56.339 --> 23:00.310
and make no mistake . The United States

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does not seek war with Russia . And

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even as Putin makes profoundly reckless

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and dangerous threats about nuclear war ,

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we will continue to behave with the

23:13.400 --> 23:15.550
responsibility that the world rightly

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demands of a nuclear armed state .

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So the United States will uphold our

23:22.040 --> 23:25.689
sworn NATO obligations . United States

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will defend every inch of NATO

23:27.900 --> 23:30.510
territory and the United States will

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get Ukraine what it needs to fight for

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its survival and security .

23:48.599 --> 23:50.821
Ladies and gentlemen , let's be clear ,

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Ukraine does not belong to Putin .

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Ukraine belongs to the Ukrainian people

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and Moscow will never prevail in

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Ukraine .

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You know , Putin thought that Ukraine

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would surrender . He was wrong .

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Putin thought that our democracies

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would cave . He was wrong

24:20.339 --> 24:22.839
and Putin thought that the free world

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would cower , he was wrong

24:28.619 --> 24:32.430
and Putin thinks that he will win . He

24:32.439 --> 24:36.189
is wrong . And as I said in Halifax ,

24:36.199 --> 24:39.780
almost two years ago , free people

24:40.260 --> 24:43.410
will always refuse to replace an open

24:43.420 --> 24:46.760
order of rules and rights with one

24:46.770 --> 24:49.270
dictated by force and fear .

24:51.280 --> 24:55.180
Now , Ukraine faces complex challenges

24:55.189 --> 24:58.699
in the days to come . And as then Vice

24:58.709 --> 25:01.219
President Biden said at this academy in

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2014 , democracy is not a

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destination .

25:08.319 --> 25:10.810
Democracy is a road travel

25:12.260 --> 25:15.040
and it's a hard road to travel .

25:18.109 --> 25:21.459
But you have shown the world

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the moral power of a free people

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fighting to defend their country .

25:28.780 --> 25:31.969
That force can bend the arc of history .

25:34.849 --> 25:36.550
Ladies and gentlemen , never

25:36.560 --> 25:39.989
underestimate the strategic advantage

25:40.000 --> 25:43.880
of a just cause , never underestimate

25:43.890 --> 25:47.660
the resolve of free citizens and

25:47.670 --> 25:50.119
never underestimate the power of a

25:50.130 --> 25:53.619
democracy summoned to defend itself .

25:56.969 --> 25:59.339
Ukraine has chosen the course of

25:59.349 --> 26:03.030
courage and so have we

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my friends ? You walk a hard road

26:09.280 --> 26:12.699
but you do not walk it alone . Thank

26:12.709 --> 26:15.150
you , God bless you and may God bless

26:15.160 --> 26:17.099
all who fight to defend freedom .