WEBVTT 00:02.040 --> 00:05.960 What's that ? But talking 00:06.740 --> 00:09.580 were they saying anything nice ? No 00:09.750 --> 00:13.250 I'll bet not . Mhm mm . 00:14.340 --> 00:16.560 Just a couple of things at the top . 00:17.340 --> 00:20.170 The secretary will be meeting on friday 00:20.170 --> 00:22.630 with the indian Minister of External 00:22.630 --> 00:25.160 Affairs , Jack Shenker 00:25.740 --> 00:28.950 as part of India's first cabinet level 00:28.950 --> 00:31.240 visit to Washington . The secretary's 00:31.240 --> 00:33.360 meeting with the External Affairs 00:33.360 --> 00:35.582 Minister will continue discussions that 00:35.582 --> 00:37.749 the two held in New Delhi in March and 00:37.749 --> 00:39.710 will continue the robust bilateral 00:39.710 --> 00:41.599 defence and security relationship 00:41.599 --> 00:43.488 between our two countries . We're 00:43.488 --> 00:45.599 looking forward to having him here at 00:45.599 --> 00:47.821 the pentagon and hosting him for a good 00:47.821 --> 00:50.250 set of talks , friday , friday friday . 00:50.640 --> 00:53.780 Yeah . Uh we're also pleased to 00:53.780 --> 00:55.836 announce that Deputy Secretary Hicks 00:55.836 --> 00:58.800 and the Deputy secretary of HHS Palm 00:58.810 --> 01:01.190 signed a memorandum of understanding to 01:01.190 --> 01:03.310 continue . The agencies are agencies 01:03.310 --> 01:05.750 partnership in defeating Covid 19 and 01:05.750 --> 01:07.694 preparing for future public health 01:07.694 --> 01:09.583 emergencies . Through the defense 01:09.583 --> 01:11.361 assisted acquisition , sell the 01:11.361 --> 01:13.790 department will continue to support HHS 01:13.790 --> 01:15.846 and expanding domestic production of 01:15.846 --> 01:17.957 medical supplies . Additionally , the 01:17.957 --> 01:19.957 mou will help bolster the strategic 01:19.957 --> 01:21.846 National stockpile and accelerate 01:21.846 --> 01:23.770 development and distribution Of 01:23.770 --> 01:25.826 COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics . 01:26.240 --> 01:28.462 For the full details on the mou and for 01:28.462 --> 01:30.950 more on the whole team . The release 01:30.950 --> 01:33.117 can be found on our website at defense 01:33.117 --> 01:35.172 dot gov . And then just lastly , I'd 01:35.172 --> 01:37.283 like to give a shout out to one of my 01:37.283 --> 01:39.228 colleagues at the White House . Uh 01:39.228 --> 01:41.450 Karine jean Pierre who had her debut at 01:41.450 --> 01:43.394 the at the podium over there and I 01:43.394 --> 01:45.506 don't know if you had a chance to see 01:45.506 --> 01:44.980 it , but but I thought you did a 01:44.980 --> 01:47.202 fantastic job and we welcome her to the 01:47.202 --> 01:49.540 podium . And it's just uh more arrows 01:49.540 --> 01:51.318 in the quiver here as we try to 01:51.318 --> 01:52.929 communicate on behalf of the 01:52.929 --> 01:54.910 administration and with that bob 01:54.920 --> 01:56.940 johnson in Afghanistan , can you 01:56.940 --> 01:59.051 confirm that the Reagan Ronald Reagan 01:59.051 --> 02:01.273 carrier is going to be added to the mix 02:01.273 --> 02:03.218 on the gold ? Yeah , I've seen the 02:03.218 --> 02:05.440 press reporting on that bob . I think , 02:05.440 --> 02:07.162 you know , we don't talk about 02:07.162 --> 02:08.996 potential future operations . We 02:08.996 --> 02:08.680 certainly don't talk about potential 02:08.680 --> 02:11.370 ship movements uh in advance . I don't 02:11.370 --> 02:13.426 really have any decision to speak to 02:13.426 --> 02:15.426 about that today . The only thing I 02:15.426 --> 02:17.720 would add is , and we've talked about 02:17.720 --> 02:21.180 this for a while . Uh the 02:21.180 --> 02:23.540 secretary wants to make sure that 02:23.540 --> 02:26.210 General Miller has uh the right options 02:26.210 --> 02:28.970 at his disposal to make sure that the 02:28.980 --> 02:31.220 withdrawal from Afghanistan has done in 02:31.220 --> 02:33.360 a safe , orderly and deliberate way . 02:35.240 --> 02:38.480 Let me go to the phone Stephen lucy 02:38.490 --> 02:42.380 from military dot com . Mhm . Uh 02:42.390 --> 02:46.310 Thank you very much , john there's been 02:46.320 --> 02:49.610 a lot of talk in recent weeks about the 02:49.610 --> 02:51.970 concerns over afghan interpreters and 02:51.970 --> 02:55.910 other um uh Other Afghans who 02:55.910 --> 02:57.966 have assisted the United States over 02:57.966 --> 03:00.450 the last 20 years and some discussion 03:00.450 --> 03:04.170 over whether to move them to Guam as 03:04.170 --> 03:07.560 kind of a waypoint while the um 03:08.240 --> 03:10.690 while the visa process takes its course , 03:10.700 --> 03:12.950 can you talk to me about what , can you 03:12.950 --> 03:15.061 tell us what the pentagon is planning 03:15.061 --> 03:18.190 right now to assist interpreters ? And 03:18.200 --> 03:21.170 is this Guam option on the table for 03:21.170 --> 03:23.226 something that might happen sometime 03:23.226 --> 03:25.920 soon ? So I mean the secretary shares 03:25.930 --> 03:29.150 uh concerns about um 03:30.040 --> 03:33.600 uh so many afghans who has who have 03:33.600 --> 03:35.780 helped us over the last two decades . 03:35.780 --> 03:38.620 He knows many of them himself . Um So 03:38.620 --> 03:41.360 he certainly vested in uh making sure 03:41.360 --> 03:43.610 that we we do right by them . Um and 03:43.610 --> 03:45.777 he's actively participating in what is 03:45.777 --> 03:48.730 an interagency discussion about how to 03:48.730 --> 03:51.330 best address this issue . I think you 03:51.330 --> 03:53.200 saw our colleagues at the State 03:53.200 --> 03:55.422 Department just as recently as the last 03:55.422 --> 03:57.589 day or so , uh provide some additional 03:57.589 --> 03:59.811 context of things that they're doing to 03:59.811 --> 04:01.811 try to expand the special immigrant 04:01.811 --> 04:03.644 Visa program that they run . And 04:03.644 --> 04:05.867 certainly um to the degree that D . O . 04:05.867 --> 04:07.922 D . Can be helpful . We will again , 04:07.922 --> 04:10.144 this is part of an interagency effort , 04:10.144 --> 04:12.740 but secretary absolutely mindful of our 04:12.740 --> 04:16.240 obligations to these very brave 04:16.240 --> 04:18.407 afghans and we're going to continue to 04:18.407 --> 04:20.840 work inside again , a government wide 04:20.840 --> 04:23.050 effort to try to address it . I don't 04:23.050 --> 04:26.100 have any specific planning options to 04:26.100 --> 04:28.322 speak to you today . I mean , I've seen 04:28.322 --> 04:30.780 the press reporting about Guam . I mean , 04:30.790 --> 04:33.670 there's have no specifics to speak to 04:33.670 --> 04:37.660 in terms of uh whether or how we 04:37.660 --> 04:39.660 would ever get into a position like 04:39.660 --> 04:43.210 that . Um uh I think it won't be lost 04:43.210 --> 04:46.400 on on you particularly that . I mean 04:46.400 --> 04:48.567 this is a planning organization and we 04:48.567 --> 04:50.511 want to be ready for all manner of 04:50.511 --> 04:52.511 contingencies . But there's been no 04:52.511 --> 04:54.920 tasking um to uh to do anything of that 04:54.920 --> 04:57.650 sort or to provide any transportation 04:57.840 --> 05:00.100 at this time . So I think I'll leave it 05:00.100 --> 05:03.780 at that . Yeah , tom thanks for doing 05:03.780 --> 05:06.002 this . You've spoken many times from up 05:06.002 --> 05:07.891 there about the defender , europe 05:07.891 --> 05:09.990 exercises that are going on about a 05:09.990 --> 05:12.900 week ago , an exercise took place in 05:12.900 --> 05:15.178 Serbia with Serbian and Russian troops . 05:15.340 --> 05:18.330 I'm interested in the guns perspective 05:18.330 --> 05:20.630 on this , because Serbia is a member of 05:20.630 --> 05:23.260 NATO's Partnership for Peace and this 05:23.260 --> 05:25.260 is the first time a nation that's a 05:25.260 --> 05:27.482 member of the Partnership for Peace has 05:27.482 --> 05:29.316 essentially conducted a military 05:29.316 --> 05:33.260 exercise with a country that's top our 05:33.260 --> 05:36.140 list of potential adversaries . What is 05:36.140 --> 05:38.970 the pentagon's perspective on this ? I 05:38.970 --> 05:41.137 don't I don't have any details on this 05:41.137 --> 05:44.880 particular exercise . Tom So I'm , you 05:44.880 --> 05:48.300 know , I'm not exactly um , uh , 05:48.310 --> 05:50.421 informed enough to speak to what this 05:50.421 --> 05:52.588 exercise was or what they did . So let 05:52.588 --> 05:54.643 me see the exercise did take place . 05:54.643 --> 05:56.754 But more importantly , the question , 05:56.754 --> 05:56.520 I'm sorry , let me I'm sorry if it 05:56.520 --> 05:58.742 wasn't clear I'm interested , depending 05:58.742 --> 06:00.909 on the perspective and the fact that a 06:00.909 --> 06:03.076 country in this case Serbia , a member 06:03.076 --> 06:05.131 of NATO's Partnership for Peace , an 06:05.131 --> 06:07.076 organization formed to essentially 06:07.076 --> 06:09.131 combat Russia is exercising with the 06:09.131 --> 06:11.210 enemy . Well , I mean , nobody's 06:11.220 --> 06:14.150 labeled Russia the enemy . I know you 06:14.150 --> 06:16.372 did , but that's not the phrase that we 06:16.372 --> 06:20.200 would use to refer to Russia . Uh and 06:20.210 --> 06:22.432 I would let these two sovereign nations 06:22.432 --> 06:24.599 speak to their exercises and bilateral 06:24.599 --> 06:26.766 relationship that's really for them to 06:26.766 --> 06:29.250 to speak to . Uh We value Serbia as a 06:29.250 --> 06:31.250 member of the Partnership for Peace 06:31.250 --> 06:33.306 Programme and we certainly value our 06:33.306 --> 06:35.472 contributions to the alliance . If the 06:35.472 --> 06:37.417 alliance has any comment on it , I 06:37.417 --> 06:39.639 refer you to my colleague in brussels . 06:39.639 --> 06:41.639 But yeah , I think I think that's a 06:41.639 --> 06:43.361 better question put to like my 06:43.361 --> 06:45.472 colleague at NATO , and again , these 06:45.472 --> 06:47.694 two nations should speak to their their 06:47.694 --> 06:49.694 bilateral relationship and whatever 06:49.694 --> 06:49.660 exercises that they're going to conduct . 06:49.670 --> 06:53.170 Okay , Laura . There was a report that 06:53.170 --> 06:55.337 just came out saying that the pentagon 06:55.337 --> 06:57.530 is drafting a memo asking personnel to 06:57.530 --> 06:59.940 report anonymous helped them health 06:59.940 --> 07:03.010 symptoms that might be related to the 07:03.010 --> 07:06.080 Havana syndrome . Can you confirm this ? 07:06.080 --> 07:08.191 Can you say if this is something that 07:08.191 --> 07:10.302 you're thinking about doing ? I can't 07:10.302 --> 07:12.302 confirm the press reporting about a 07:12.302 --> 07:14.469 memo . I just saw it before I came out 07:14.469 --> 07:16.920 here myself , laura . But the secretary 07:16.920 --> 07:19.560 does take this phenomenon seriously . 07:19.940 --> 07:23.440 Uh And uh we obviously the health and 07:23.450 --> 07:25.617 well being of our people are paramount 07:25.617 --> 07:27.690 uh priority to him and to all the 07:27.690 --> 07:30.220 leaders here at the department . Uh So 07:30.220 --> 07:34.030 we are uh we are part of a 07:34.040 --> 07:35.929 government wide effort and we are 07:35.929 --> 07:37.818 contributing to a government wide 07:37.818 --> 07:40.040 effort to try to better understand uh , 07:40.040 --> 07:42.262 these health phenomenon and um and what 07:42.262 --> 07:44.484 might be causing them not great answers 07:44.484 --> 07:46.707 right now , we're still working hard on 07:46.707 --> 07:48.762 this , but I can't speak to specific 07:48.762 --> 07:50.873 communications that may or may not be 07:50.873 --> 07:53.096 considered again . I just saw the press 07:53.096 --> 07:52.420 report before coming out here . Can you 07:52.420 --> 07:54.600 say who or which office within the 07:54.600 --> 07:56.822 pentagon is going to be responsible for 07:56.822 --> 07:58.878 looking into this ? I just , I don't 07:58.878 --> 08:00.878 know . I just saw that press report 08:00.878 --> 08:03.430 before uh , before coming out . So I 08:03.440 --> 08:06.430 don't have the problem of uh you get 08:06.430 --> 08:09.890 the memo also , uh there's a there's a 08:09.900 --> 08:11.956 it's not just one office , I think , 08:11.956 --> 08:14.122 you know , there's a there's a team of 08:14.122 --> 08:16.870 people here that um , that are working 08:16.870 --> 08:19.260 on this uh and to try to get a better 08:19.260 --> 08:21.630 understanding of it . and uh it's it's 08:21.630 --> 08:24.600 cutting across uh department because as 08:24.600 --> 08:27.060 you would think it's it's because we 08:27.060 --> 08:29.960 don't know um because it is 08:30.170 --> 08:33.250 potentially affecting the health of our 08:33.250 --> 08:35.250 employees . We want to get a better 08:35.250 --> 08:37.139 understanding of it and there's a 08:37.139 --> 08:40.060 there's a across departmental effort to 08:40.060 --> 08:42.338 try to try to contribute to the effort . 08:43.740 --> 08:47.720 Yeah . Thanks . I know you just told 08:47.720 --> 08:49.664 bob that you don't talk about ship 08:49.664 --> 08:51.498 movements , but can you at least 08:51.498 --> 08:53.580 confirm that Secretary Austin is 08:53.580 --> 08:55.747 considering the movement of the Reagan 08:55.747 --> 08:58.030 as an option for help with Afghanistan . 08:58.040 --> 09:00.096 And then what I can tell you is that 09:00.096 --> 09:02.460 the secretary is constantly evaluating 09:02.540 --> 09:04.950 options and balancing requirements 09:04.950 --> 09:07.090 versus capabilities and as I said to 09:07.090 --> 09:10.550 bob uh is very keenly focused on making 09:10.550 --> 09:12.772 sure that General Miller has the assets 09:12.772 --> 09:14.900 and the resources he needs to conduct 09:14.900 --> 09:17.090 this , withdraw in a safe and orderly 09:17.090 --> 09:19.034 way . And of course we also have a 09:19.034 --> 09:21.146 robust presence in the Middle East at 09:21.146 --> 09:23.146 large outside of of the Afghanistan 09:23.146 --> 09:25.312 efforts . So there's a lot to consider 09:25.312 --> 09:28.040 when you're talking about moving major 09:28.040 --> 09:30.151 units , but that's as far as I can go 09:30.151 --> 09:32.373 today . Okay , thank you . And then I'd 09:32.373 --> 09:34.207 like to get your reaction or the 09:34.207 --> 09:36.151 pentagon's reaction to the taliban 09:36.151 --> 09:38.040 telling neighboring countries and 09:38.040 --> 09:41.560 around Afghanistan not to host us basis . 09:42.040 --> 09:44.040 I've seen reports of that . I can't 09:44.040 --> 09:46.207 confirm that . That's in fact what the 09:46.207 --> 09:48.318 message that they're sending . What I 09:48.318 --> 09:50.318 can tell you is that we continue to 09:50.318 --> 09:52.360 support diplomatic efforts uh to 09:52.360 --> 09:54.460 explore opportunities in the region 09:54.470 --> 09:58.300 that would allow us to improve our 09:58.300 --> 09:59.689 over the horizon counter 09:59.689 --> 10:01.911 counterterrorism capability . As I said 10:01.911 --> 10:04.022 yesterday , we already have a counter 10:04.022 --> 10:05.911 over the horizon counterterrorism 10:05.911 --> 10:08.790 capability in the region . It's just a 10:08.790 --> 10:10.790 matter of how do we work to improve 10:10.790 --> 10:13.012 that and make it more robust ? And part 10:13.012 --> 10:14.901 of that is to have these sorts of 10:14.901 --> 10:16.623 diplomatic discussions . We're 10:16.623 --> 10:18.623 supportive of that participating in 10:18.623 --> 10:20.512 that , but I don't have any final 10:20.512 --> 10:22.679 decisions or resolution on any of that 10:22.679 --> 10:24.901 with any particular neighboring country 10:24.901 --> 10:27.110 to speak to you today . Yeah . Take 10:27.110 --> 10:29.332 another card to Afghanistan interpreter 10:29.332 --> 10:33.040 question . So leaving 10:33.040 --> 10:35.096 Guam out of it , is there a group in 10:35.096 --> 10:37.207 the pentagon that is putting together 10:37.207 --> 10:39.151 options for the State Department ? 10:39.151 --> 10:41.318 Should there be a request for you guys 10:41.318 --> 10:43.096 to help get interpreters out of 10:43.096 --> 10:45.262 Afghanistan ? What I would say is , as 10:45.262 --> 10:47.429 you know , we're planning organization 10:47.429 --> 10:49.318 and we plan for contingencies all 10:49.318 --> 10:51.262 around the world . Uh noncombatant 10:51.262 --> 10:53.720 evacuations is a is a mission that the 10:53.720 --> 10:56.530 military often has to be ready for in 10:56.530 --> 10:59.560 many places around the world . Um so 10:59.570 --> 11:02.560 without confirming specific options and 11:02.570 --> 11:04.792 details that are out there in the press 11:04.792 --> 11:06.848 base , I , I can tell you that , you 11:06.848 --> 11:08.959 know , we're always planning for uh , 11:08.959 --> 11:11.181 the kinds of contingencies that that we 11:11.181 --> 11:10.850 might need . It would be irresponsible 11:10.850 --> 11:13.420 for us not to , but as general 11:13.420 --> 11:15.760 Mackenzie said himself , um , there's 11:15.760 --> 11:18.570 been no tasking of this kind were not 11:18.570 --> 11:20.860 at that stage . And at that point and 11:20.870 --> 11:24.430 if we are so tasked , we believe that 11:24.430 --> 11:26.263 we have the capabilities and the 11:26.263 --> 11:28.374 resources to execute those missions . 11:28.374 --> 11:30.486 But it would as you well know Megan , 11:30.486 --> 11:32.486 it would be highly dependent on the 11:32.486 --> 11:34.597 circumstance and I just can't at this 11:34.597 --> 11:36.597 stage of the game speculate on what 11:36.597 --> 11:38.708 that , what the circumstances and the 11:38.708 --> 11:40.708 factors and the details might be at 11:40.708 --> 11:42.597 this point , but it's likely that 11:42.597 --> 11:44.652 you're thinking about it . We are we 11:44.652 --> 11:48.060 are planning organization Megan . Yeah , 11:48.740 --> 11:51.550 the world thank you for adding that 11:51.560 --> 11:53.660 important prepositional phrase . You 11:53.660 --> 11:55.870 know how that was . You're a great 11:55.870 --> 11:58.740 editor . You should be up here to Jared 11:58.750 --> 12:01.790 from Al Monitor . Hi john , thank you 12:01.790 --> 12:03.679 so much for doing this . I'm just 12:03.679 --> 12:06.250 wondering if if you have anything on 12:06.260 --> 12:08.482 this arrest , the security situation in 12:08.482 --> 12:10.538 Baghdad following the arrest of this 12:10.538 --> 12:13.830 PMF official cause of muslim . If any U . 12:13.830 --> 12:15.997 S . Officials have spoken to the Iraqi 12:15.997 --> 12:17.774 counterparts about the security 12:17.774 --> 12:19.552 situation or if the U . S . Was 12:19.552 --> 12:21.719 involved in this investigation leading 12:21.719 --> 12:23.941 to this officials arrest . I actually , 12:23.941 --> 12:26.460 I've seen press reporting on that jerry 12:26.460 --> 12:28.516 but I can't confirm the actual press 12:28.516 --> 12:31.360 reports . So I'm I'm not really liberty 12:31.360 --> 12:33.527 to answer your question with any great 12:33.527 --> 12:35.304 detail . Uh , we don't have any 12:35.304 --> 12:37.800 independent confirmation that that this 12:37.800 --> 12:40.140 actually happened . Okay . And has 12:40.140 --> 12:42.307 there been any coordination with Iraqi 12:42.307 --> 12:44.473 officials on the security situation in 12:44.473 --> 12:46.584 Baghdad today ? Uh we uh we're always 12:46.584 --> 12:48.807 in consultation with our Iraqi partners 12:48.807 --> 12:50.751 about security uh in the country , 12:50.751 --> 12:52.807 particularly as it relates to ISIS , 12:52.807 --> 12:52.670 which is why we're there . I think 12:52.670 --> 12:54.892 that's important for people to remember 12:54.892 --> 12:58.190 the mission of the troops that we have 12:58.190 --> 12:59.857 in in Iraq are there at their 12:59.857 --> 13:02.010 invitation to help them with their 13:02.010 --> 13:04.288 fights against ISIS . That's the focus . 13:04.288 --> 13:05.954 And that's when we talk about 13:05.954 --> 13:08.860 consultations with uh with our Iraqi 13:08.860 --> 13:11.380 partners . It's really in in that vein 13:11.390 --> 13:13.668 about the counter ISIS mission Szilvia . 13:14.940 --> 13:17.160 Um I do have a question about money . 13:17.540 --> 13:21.450 There was a coup in mali yesterday and 13:21.450 --> 13:23.506 today the State Department announced 13:23.506 --> 13:27.180 that the US is uh suspending 13:27.190 --> 13:30.890 security assistance to the armed 13:30.900 --> 13:34.300 forces . So I wanted to know what kind 13:34.300 --> 13:36.560 of assistance was provided . 13:37.140 --> 13:41.110 Uh Yeah , so we as I understand 13:41.110 --> 13:44.160 it and I would certainly welcome you to 13:44.540 --> 13:46.429 consult with our State Department 13:46.429 --> 13:48.860 colleagues that the security assistance 13:49.440 --> 13:52.970 with molly was actually suspended last 13:52.970 --> 13:56.580 summer Back from August of 2020 . Uh 13:56.590 --> 13:58.620 there's been no resumption of that 13:58.630 --> 14:01.500 since August 2020 . And so there's been 14:01.500 --> 14:04.040 no additional suspensions . This is a 14:04.050 --> 14:06.420 suspension that occurred uh almost a 14:06.420 --> 14:08.700 year ago . Um and as for the details of 14:08.700 --> 14:10.922 what that comprised , you would have to 14:10.922 --> 14:13.256 talk to the State Department about them . 14:13.290 --> 14:16.490 They say the assistance that we had 14:16.490 --> 14:19.210 continued previously . Person 14:19.220 --> 14:22.760 available authorities . Yeah . Actually 14:23.440 --> 14:25.900 checked with the State Department this 14:25.900 --> 14:29.060 morning and uh I'm sure that what 14:29.060 --> 14:30.949 they're referring to there is the 14:30.949 --> 14:34.370 previous decision from last summer to 14:34.370 --> 14:36.314 suspend security assistance . It's 14:36.314 --> 14:38.426 never been when it was suspended back 14:38.426 --> 14:40.370 in august last year . It was never 14:40.370 --> 14:42.600 resumed as I understand it , but please 14:42.600 --> 14:44.820 feel free to contact my colleagues at 14:44.820 --> 14:47.480 the State Department . Yeah , thank you 14:47.490 --> 14:50.130 on the meeting on friday . What are the 14:50.130 --> 14:52.880 Secretary's key priority areas when it 14:52.880 --> 14:54.780 comes to India ? Us defence 14:54.780 --> 14:57.000 relationship ? I think you I'm not 14:57.000 --> 14:58.944 going to get ahead of the specific 14:58.944 --> 15:01.167 agenda will certainly provide a readout 15:01.167 --> 15:03.222 of the meeting on friday afternoon . 15:03.222 --> 15:06.090 But uh as I said in the opening 15:06.090 --> 15:08.201 statement , it will be a continuation 15:08.201 --> 15:10.423 of the discussion , the very productive 15:10.423 --> 15:12.646 discussions that we had when we were in 15:12.646 --> 15:14.990 New Delhi a month or so ago because 15:15.000 --> 15:17.056 India is a strategic defense partner 15:17.056 --> 15:19.167 and there's there's lots to discuss . 15:19.167 --> 15:21.222 Um , I won't get ahead of the actual 15:21.222 --> 15:23.278 agenda . And in Afghanistan , as you 15:23.278 --> 15:25.500 withdraw troops from Afghanistan , what 15:25.500 --> 15:27.722 role do you see for India ? There is it 15:27.722 --> 15:29.667 helping you in with true grit from 15:29.667 --> 15:31.960 Afghanistan ? India , speak to what 15:32.040 --> 15:34.151 bilateral relationship that they want 15:34.151 --> 15:36.429 to have with Afghanistan going forward , 15:36.429 --> 15:39.700 as we talked about , have over you and 15:39.700 --> 15:41.922 I have talked about for a long time . I 15:41.922 --> 15:44.033 mean , India has been helpful partner 15:44.033 --> 15:46.256 in Afghanistan in terms of training and 15:46.256 --> 15:48.144 that kind of thing . Whether that 15:48.144 --> 15:50.144 continues and that's really for the 15:50.144 --> 15:52.367 indian government to speak to you . Not 15:52.367 --> 15:54.533 for not for us to and one final one on 15:54.533 --> 15:56.700 us , Covid 19 assistance to India . Do 15:56.700 --> 15:58.867 you have any update on it ? And is the 15:58.867 --> 16:01.089 pentagon also providing some assistance 16:01.089 --> 16:03.089 to other South Asian countries like 16:03.089 --> 16:05.311 Nepal and Sri Lanka have no updates for 16:05.311 --> 16:07.480 Covid support to India . And I don't 16:07.480 --> 16:09.647 have anything to announce with respect 16:09.647 --> 16:11.960 to other nations in the region . Yeah . 16:12.340 --> 16:13.360 Abraham , 16:16.740 --> 16:19.420 they had hi john thanks a lot to take 16:19.420 --> 16:21.364 in my question . It's been a while 16:21.364 --> 16:23.310 since he talked about um that the 16:23.310 --> 16:25.143 Russian troop build up along the 16:25.143 --> 16:27.366 Ukrainian border . Do you have anything 16:27.366 --> 16:29.310 news at about what's been observed 16:29.310 --> 16:31.310 there ? And also given that there's 16:31.310 --> 16:33.410 going to be a summit with Biden and 16:33.410 --> 16:35.720 Vladimir Putin ? Do you foresee 16:35.720 --> 16:37.998 Secretary Austin having a role in that ? 16:38.140 --> 16:41.760 Thanks ? I don't have anything to read 16:41.760 --> 16:45.560 out for uh the 16:45.940 --> 16:48.510 summit with President Putin , that's 16:48.510 --> 16:50.788 really for the White House to speak to . 16:50.788 --> 16:52.732 I have nothing with respect to the 16:52.732 --> 16:56.010 Secretary schedule too , um to offer 16:56.010 --> 16:59.520 their um as for the um 16:59.530 --> 17:02.340 troop build up in presence along the 17:02.340 --> 17:04.562 border with Ukraine and inside Occupied 17:04.562 --> 17:07.920 Crimea , we certainly have seen uh the 17:07.930 --> 17:11.710 bulk of those forces redeploy away uh 17:11.720 --> 17:14.600 from the border with Ukraine and uh out 17:14.600 --> 17:17.770 of occupied Crimea , there is still 17:17.780 --> 17:21.610 a sizable residual force there . 17:21.620 --> 17:24.310 Um And I would remind again that that 17:24.310 --> 17:26.090 the Russians were never fully 17:26.090 --> 17:28.146 transparent about what their purpose 17:28.146 --> 17:30.312 was and and what they were , what they 17:30.312 --> 17:32.830 were trying to achieve uh in the room 17:32.830 --> 17:35.100 here . Yeah , on Afghanistan new York 17:35.100 --> 17:37.322 times had a story yesterday saying that 17:37.440 --> 17:39.930 the withdrawal may be completed mid 17:39.930 --> 17:42.780 july instead of extending into 17:42.930 --> 17:44.930 september , do you have anything on 17:44.930 --> 17:46.986 that job ? The President's direction 17:46.986 --> 17:49.340 was clear to be complete with the 17:49.340 --> 17:51.760 withdrawal by early september . Um 17:51.770 --> 17:53.937 We're as I've said , and you've seen a 17:54.240 --> 17:56.184 statements coming out of centcom , 17:56.184 --> 17:58.351 we're moving at pace . Um I don't have 17:58.351 --> 18:00.296 anything more specific to add with 18:00.296 --> 18:02.462 respect to schedule . I mean I've seen 18:02.462 --> 18:04.573 these press reports but I'm not going 18:04.573 --> 18:06.740 to speculate about what the exact time 18:06.740 --> 18:08.740 frame is going to end up being . As 18:08.740 --> 18:10.900 I've said before , this is a dynamic 18:10.900 --> 18:14.760 situation . Um And uh we were mindful 18:14.760 --> 18:16.970 of all the dynamic factors that that 18:16.970 --> 18:19.490 that could play into this . So we're 18:19.490 --> 18:21.800 continuing to focus on it , making sure 18:21.800 --> 18:23.967 that we meet the President's intention 18:23.967 --> 18:26.690 to be out no later than early september . 18:26.700 --> 18:30.270 And the report , also based on two 18:30.640 --> 18:32.807 reference in reference to some U . S . 18:32.807 --> 18:34.973 Officials saying that NATO is going to 18:34.973 --> 18:36.918 continue to training of the Afghan 18:36.918 --> 18:38.918 forces in in other countries in the 18:38.918 --> 18:41.084 region . And Jordan is also one of the 18:41.084 --> 18:43.050 options that the Afghan forces are 18:43.050 --> 18:45.272 going to be trained . Is there is there 18:45.272 --> 18:47.560 a coordination from here to Jordanian 18:47.570 --> 18:50.320 government that possibly Afghan forces 18:50.320 --> 18:52.760 may be trained in that country ? I I 18:52.760 --> 18:54.816 know of no specific discussions with 18:54.816 --> 18:58.390 Jordan over this . Uh And I would refer 18:58.390 --> 19:01.770 to NATO to speak to uh 19:02.240 --> 19:04.690 those reports . I can't confirm that 19:04.690 --> 19:06.746 that's really for NATO to speak to . 19:06.746 --> 19:09.490 What I can tell you is that from the US 19:09.490 --> 19:11.434 perspective , and you've heard the 19:11.434 --> 19:13.657 secretary talk about this uh that we're 19:13.657 --> 19:15.657 going to continue to support afghan 19:15.657 --> 19:17.879 forces largely financially , but we are 19:17.879 --> 19:21.020 also exploring what possibilities uh 19:21.030 --> 19:23.860 can be had in terms of over the horizon 19:23.870 --> 19:27.190 uh logistical support , particularly 19:27.190 --> 19:29.357 for things like aircraft maintenance . 19:29.357 --> 19:31.740 Uh , but but that's that's where our 19:31.740 --> 19:34.930 focus is . I won't speak to for NATO 19:34.930 --> 19:37.690 and whatever these reports are about 19:37.700 --> 19:39.644 training and where that might take 19:39.644 --> 19:42.300 place . Yeah , thank you . Uh , 19:42.310 --> 19:45.050 Japanese Defense Minister recently said 19:45.060 --> 19:47.760 that he is open to having a quad 19:47.770 --> 19:50.520 defense ministers meeting at some point 19:50.530 --> 19:53.090 in the future . Is the secretary 19:53.100 --> 19:56.770 hosting also open to having such a quad 19:56.780 --> 19:58.947 defense ministers meeting . Surgery is 19:58.947 --> 20:02.430 always uh willing to uh 20:02.440 --> 20:05.480 have productive discussions with his 20:05.480 --> 20:08.610 counterparts and the quad nations again , 20:08.620 --> 20:12.300 First trip overseas , Japan South Korea 20:12.310 --> 20:15.250 went to India , um , uh , and even on 20:15.250 --> 20:17.910 that trip managed a phone call with his 20:17.910 --> 20:20.270 Australian counterpart while we were in 20:20.270 --> 20:23.170 the air . So he's always going to look 20:23.170 --> 20:25.392 favourably on opportunities to continue 20:25.392 --> 20:29.130 that kind of dialogue . Okay , what ? 20:29.140 --> 20:31.362 This was easy , all right , have a good 20:31.362 --> 20:31.950 afternoon .