WEBVTT 00:01.080 --> 00:03.080 Well , thank you everyone for being 00:03.080 --> 00:04.913 here today . It's my pleasure to 00:04.913 --> 00:06.969 introduce Secretary of Defense Lloyd 00:06.969 --> 00:09.191 Austin and chairman of the Joint Chiefs 00:09.191 --> 00:11.170 of Staff General Mark Milley . The 00:11.180 --> 00:13.236 secretary and the chairman will each 00:13.236 --> 00:15.402 deliver opening remarks and then we'll 00:15.402 --> 00:17.513 have time to take a few questions . I 00:17.513 --> 00:19.680 will moderate those questions and call 00:19.680 --> 00:18.780 on journalists and please note that we 00:18.790 --> 00:21.012 have a very tight schedule today . So I 00:21.012 --> 00:23.179 would ask that those who are called on 00:23.179 --> 00:25.290 to please limit your follow ups and I 00:25.290 --> 00:27.457 really appreciate your assistance with 00:27.457 --> 00:27.180 that . Ah , Secretary Austin over to 00:27.190 --> 00:29.440 you , sir . Thanks Patrick . Good 00:29.450 --> 00:31.172 afternoon , everyone . We just 00:31.172 --> 00:33.479 concluded our 12th meeting of the 00:33.488 --> 00:36.680 Ukraine defense contact group for more 00:36.689 --> 00:38.689 than a year . This group of some 50 00:38.689 --> 00:40.419 countries has rushed security 00:40.430 --> 00:42.541 assistance to the embattled people of 00:42.541 --> 00:45.310 Ukraine that includes air defense 00:45.319 --> 00:48.459 systems , armored vehicles and large 00:48.470 --> 00:51.529 quantities of ammunition . Contact 00:51.540 --> 00:53.318 group members have also trained 00:53.318 --> 00:55.740 thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and to 00:55.750 --> 00:58.439 repel their Russian invaders . And 00:58.450 --> 01:00.561 today we committed to doing even more 01:00.561 --> 01:02.839 to support Ukraine's fight for freedom . 01:03.979 --> 01:05.979 I came away from today's meeting as 01:05.979 --> 01:08.449 confident as ever in the contact 01:08.459 --> 01:11.430 group's resolve and sustained unity . 01:12.540 --> 01:15.889 Let me highlight three points . First , 01:15.900 --> 01:19.410 we heard directly from Minister 01:19.419 --> 01:21.308 Reznikoff , Ukraine's Minister of 01:21.308 --> 01:24.430 Defense and his team about the current 01:24.440 --> 01:26.830 battlefield dynamics and about the 01:26.839 --> 01:28.950 follow on requirements that Ukraine's 01:28.950 --> 01:31.510 defenders will need in the weeks and 01:31.519 --> 01:34.339 months ahead . And I wanna again 01:34.349 --> 01:36.669 recognize Mr Reznikoff for his 01:36.680 --> 01:39.839 leadership , the whole world has seen 01:39.849 --> 01:42.879 how much Ukraine's armed forces have 01:42.889 --> 01:45.230 accomplished and I have great 01:45.239 --> 01:47.589 confidence that they will continue to 01:47.599 --> 01:51.580 succeed . Second , we discuss some 01:51.589 --> 01:53.645 of the critical capability gaps that 01:53.645 --> 01:56.529 Ukraine is facing in many countries 01:56.540 --> 01:58.262 have been stepping up with new 01:58.262 --> 02:00.989 commitments to fill them . Now , one of 02:01.000 --> 02:03.900 Ukraine's most urgent requirements is 02:03.910 --> 02:06.610 ground based air defense and this 02:06.620 --> 02:08.620 contact group will continue driving 02:08.620 --> 02:11.320 hard to help Ukraine defend the skies . 02:12.490 --> 02:14.259 In recent weeks , Russia has 02:14.270 --> 02:16.929 intensified its sordid bombardment , 02:16.940 --> 02:19.889 bombardment of Ukraine's cities and 02:19.899 --> 02:22.589 infrastructure and the Kremlin's 02:22.600 --> 02:26.589 cruelty only underscores Ukraine's need 02:26.600 --> 02:29.309 for a stronger layered ground base air 02:29.320 --> 02:32.699 defense architecture . So the members 02:32.710 --> 02:35.779 of the contact group continue to scour 02:35.789 --> 02:38.100 their stocks for missiles and systems 02:38.550 --> 02:41.309 that they can send . The United States 02:41.320 --> 02:43.209 and others have worked with their 02:43.209 --> 02:45.320 private sec with their private sector 02:45.320 --> 02:48.460 on contracts to build new Nissans and 02:48.470 --> 02:51.440 other air defense equipment . And I 02:51.449 --> 02:53.616 applaud the countries that are finding 02:53.616 --> 02:55.505 ways to meet Ukraine's urgent air 02:55.505 --> 02:58.130 defense needs and we will stay laser 02:58.139 --> 03:01.479 focused on this task . During today's 03:01.490 --> 03:03.820 meeting , several allies and partners 03:03.830 --> 03:06.619 also discussed plans for training 03:06.630 --> 03:09.740 Ukrainian pilots on fourth generation 03:09.750 --> 03:13.360 fighter aircraft including the F-16 and 03:13.369 --> 03:15.536 planning and executing . This training 03:15.536 --> 03:17.779 will be a significant undertaking . But 03:17.789 --> 03:20.190 the coordination of this contact group 03:20.300 --> 03:23.050 will help make that possible . And I 03:23.059 --> 03:25.115 especially want to thank Denmark and 03:25.115 --> 03:27.226 the Netherlands which have decided to 03:27.226 --> 03:29.392 lead a European coalition in providing 03:29.392 --> 03:32.330 F-16 training for Ukrainian forces . 03:33.520 --> 03:35.464 In the coming weeks . My Dutch and 03:35.464 --> 03:37.631 Danish counterparts will work with the 03:37.631 --> 03:39.520 United States and other allies to 03:39.520 --> 03:43.119 develop a training framework . Norway 03:43.389 --> 03:47.080 Belgium , Portugal and Poland have 03:47.089 --> 03:48.922 already offered to contribute to 03:48.922 --> 03:51.679 training and we expect more countries 03:51.690 --> 03:53.857 to join this important initiative soon 03:55.270 --> 03:58.520 starting work on the F-16 training now 03:58.529 --> 04:00.979 is an important example of our long 04:00.990 --> 04:03.679 term commitment to Ukraine's security . 04:05.610 --> 04:08.100 Third , the contact group discussed 04:08.110 --> 04:11.119 long term sustainment of our support 04:12.130 --> 04:14.259 that includes industrial initiatives 04:14.270 --> 04:16.326 and coordinating our work to ramp up 04:16.489 --> 04:19.869 production of critical equipment . I 04:19.880 --> 04:21.880 appreciate the work of the National 04:21.880 --> 04:24.350 Armaments Directors who meet under the 04:24.359 --> 04:27.149 auspices of the contact group to ramp 04:27.160 --> 04:29.399 up industrial production and I look 04:29.410 --> 04:31.521 forward to doing even more together . 04:32.410 --> 04:34.521 And today members of the Leopard Tank 04:34.521 --> 04:37.230 consortium discuss their progress in 04:37.239 --> 04:39.072 setting up a maintenance hub and 04:39.072 --> 04:41.450 furthering their efforts to resource 04:41.459 --> 04:43.700 this important program for years to 04:43.709 --> 04:47.380 come . So we got a lot done today , but 04:47.390 --> 04:50.049 we are by no means done altogether . 04:51.070 --> 04:53.980 And so we're not gonna let up today's 04:53.989 --> 04:55.989 meeting has again shown the contact 04:55.989 --> 04:58.156 group's steadfast support of Ukraine . 04:58.809 --> 05:00.976 And that's because nations of goodwill 05:01.359 --> 05:03.359 don't want to live in a world where 05:03.359 --> 05:05.359 autocrats can invade their peaceful 05:05.359 --> 05:07.750 neighbors with impunity . So we're 05:07.760 --> 05:09.871 going to keep strengthening Ukraine's 05:09.871 --> 05:11.871 position on the battlefield . We're 05:11.871 --> 05:14.093 going to get Ukraine's defenders , what 05:14.093 --> 05:16.316 they need when they need it . And we're 05:16.316 --> 05:18.538 going to remain united . We're going to 05:18.538 --> 05:20.549 stand by Ukraine for as long as it 05:20.559 --> 05:23.250 takes . Thanks again . And now let me 05:23.260 --> 05:25.230 turn it over to uh General Milley 05:25.239 --> 05:27.470 chairman . Thanks , secretary and good 05:27.480 --> 05:29.647 afternoon , everyone . Uh as secretary 05:29.647 --> 05:32.859 noted , this is our 12th meeting of the 05:32.869 --> 05:34.980 Ukrainian Defense contact group . And 05:34.980 --> 05:37.140 this group stands as a very powerful 05:37.149 --> 05:39.320 symbol of the international solidarity 05:39.700 --> 05:41.700 in support of Ukraine . And it made 05:41.700 --> 05:43.811 possible really due to the leadership 05:43.811 --> 05:45.867 of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin 05:45.959 --> 05:48.029 without his leadership , this would 05:48.040 --> 05:51.209 never have began 12 iterations ago and 05:51.220 --> 05:53.387 it certainly would have been sustained 05:53.387 --> 05:55.609 for well over a year . So thank you for 05:55.609 --> 05:57.720 your leadership and thank you also to 05:57.720 --> 05:59.942 all the ministers and Chiefs of Defense 05:59.942 --> 06:02.164 from 50 nations that participated today 06:02.164 --> 06:04.880 virtually . And that is a statement of 06:04.890 --> 06:07.350 real unity in my view . I also want to 06:07.359 --> 06:09.359 thank Ukrainian Minister of Defense 06:09.359 --> 06:11.415 Reznikoff and my counterpart , who I 06:11.415 --> 06:13.359 talked to very , very frequently , 06:13.359 --> 06:15.470 General Zuni and also his rep who was 06:15.470 --> 06:17.399 there today . General Moe , their 06:17.410 --> 06:19.354 leadership remains steadfast . The 06:19.354 --> 06:21.077 bravery and the courage of the 06:21.077 --> 06:22.966 Ukrainian people is exemplary and 06:22.966 --> 06:25.132 inspires literally the world and their 06:25.132 --> 06:27.609 courage and tactical skill in the face 06:27.619 --> 06:30.459 of extreme adversity is second to none . 06:30.829 --> 06:34.260 Today marks the 456 day 06:34.600 --> 06:36.660 since Russia began its illegal and 06:36.670 --> 06:38.820 unprovoked invasion of a free and 06:38.829 --> 06:40.885 independent country called Ukraine . 06:40.885 --> 06:43.149 Putin envisioned a swift victory , a 06:43.200 --> 06:45.670 quick dissolution of the Ukrainian 06:45.679 --> 06:49.380 spirit , a conquering of the government , 06:49.390 --> 06:51.750 a capturing of the city of Kiev and 06:52.040 --> 06:53.929 pretty much three quarters of the 06:53.929 --> 06:56.151 entire country . He could not have been 06:56.151 --> 06:58.040 more wrong . The Ukrainian people 06:58.040 --> 07:00.070 remain resolute and their spirit is 07:00.079 --> 07:02.679 unyielding . The battle of Baku is just 07:02.690 --> 07:05.359 one example for nine consecutive months , 07:05.609 --> 07:07.665 Ukraine has fought a very successful 07:07.665 --> 07:10.380 defense and exacted a tremendous cost 07:10.390 --> 07:12.839 on Russian forces . And that was due to 07:12.850 --> 07:14.970 Ukrainian courage and their tactical 07:14.980 --> 07:17.149 and operational skill . The Ukrainian 07:17.160 --> 07:19.359 forces continue to fight and they're 07:19.369 --> 07:21.425 making the Russians pay severely for 07:21.425 --> 07:23.559 every inch of Ukrainian ground . 07:23.950 --> 07:25.894 Ukrainian resistance is not fueled 07:25.894 --> 07:28.579 merely by weaponry and manpower . It's 07:28.589 --> 07:30.839 fueled by the unbreakable spirit of 07:30.850 --> 07:33.450 freedom and democracy . Ukraine 07:33.459 --> 07:35.459 continues to defend its sovereignty 07:35.459 --> 07:37.237 with strength and courage . And 07:37.237 --> 07:39.292 recently we have seen the Ukrainians 07:39.292 --> 07:42.750 use the US Patriot missile system air 07:42.760 --> 07:45.420 defense system to great effect . These 07:45.429 --> 07:47.318 systems have been instrumental in 07:47.318 --> 07:49.119 protecting the Ukrainian skies 07:49.130 --> 07:51.019 bolstering Ukraine's defenses and 07:51.019 --> 07:52.574 contributing to the overall 07:52.574 --> 07:54.741 effectiveness of the Ukrainian fight . 07:54.741 --> 07:57.029 The proficiency of the Ukrainian forces 07:57.040 --> 07:59.151 in operating these systems as fast as 07:59.151 --> 08:01.570 they did is testament to their skill 08:01.579 --> 08:04.070 and adaptability under pressure . It's 08:04.079 --> 08:05.968 another example of the Ukrainians 08:05.968 --> 08:08.023 leveraging the tools provided by the 08:08.023 --> 08:09.857 international coalition into the 08:09.857 --> 08:11.857 tangible success on the battlefield 08:11.857 --> 08:14.079 from anti tank weapons like javelins in 08:14.079 --> 08:16.301 the beginning of this fight all the way 08:16.301 --> 08:18.468 to patriots today and we will soon see 08:18.468 --> 08:20.579 the same with F-16s , but this is not 08:20.579 --> 08:22.523 just about military success . It's 08:22.523 --> 08:24.690 about a larger battle , a battle about 08:24.690 --> 08:26.579 the principles of sovereignty and 08:26.579 --> 08:28.523 democracy . It's about standing up 08:28.523 --> 08:30.412 against unprovoked aggression and 08:30.412 --> 08:32.412 upholding the so called rules based 08:32.412 --> 08:34.635 international order . Every nation that 08:34.635 --> 08:36.412 was there today underscores the 08:36.412 --> 08:36.309 importance of these principles that 08:36.320 --> 08:38.799 have been in effect since 1945 . 08:39.150 --> 08:41.780 Ukraine continues to prove that the 08:41.789 --> 08:44.780 spirit of freedom is resolute every day . 08:44.789 --> 08:47.011 The Ukrainians showcase the world their 08:47.011 --> 08:49.011 unwavering commitment to uphold the 08:49.011 --> 08:51.011 values of freedom and sovereignty . 08:51.011 --> 08:53.233 This week , the President United States 08:53.233 --> 08:55.122 released the United States's 38th 08:55.122 --> 08:57.233 drawdown package with additional high 08:57.239 --> 08:59.295 mars ammunition , artillery rounds , 08:59.295 --> 09:01.183 anti arm systems , and additional 09:01.183 --> 09:03.350 support vehicles . These munitions and 09:03.359 --> 09:05.460 vehicles and weapons will strengthen 09:05.469 --> 09:07.580 the Ukrainian offensive and defensive 09:07.580 --> 09:09.302 capabilities . They enable the 09:09.302 --> 09:11.413 Ukrainians to hold Russian forces and 09:11.413 --> 09:13.525 supply lines at risk . They raise the 09:13.525 --> 09:15.469 cost of Russia's continuing war of 09:15.469 --> 09:17.525 aggression . The United States along 09:17.525 --> 09:19.636 with our partners and allies continue 09:19.636 --> 09:21.636 to train Ukrainian forces to enable 09:21.636 --> 09:23.636 their success on the battlefield as 09:23.636 --> 09:25.580 well . We will continue to support 09:25.580 --> 09:27.747 Ukraine's fight today as well as their 09:27.747 --> 09:29.969 future capabilities to defend and deter 09:29.969 --> 09:31.858 aggression in the future . As the 09:31.858 --> 09:31.599 president and the Secretary of Defense 09:31.609 --> 09:33.750 have repeatedly said we , the United 09:33.760 --> 09:35.940 States stand firmly with Ukraine . Our 09:35.950 --> 09:38.590 commitment remains unwavering . We will 09:38.599 --> 09:40.655 support Ukraine as the president and 09:40.655 --> 09:42.821 the secretary have said for as long as 09:42.821 --> 09:44.599 it takes until Russia ends this 09:44.599 --> 09:46.377 unprovoked aggression , we will 09:46.377 --> 09:48.432 continue to uphold the principles of 09:48.432 --> 09:50.210 democracy , sovereignty and the 09:50.210 --> 09:52.321 international rule of law . Thank you 09:52.321 --> 09:54.432 and I welcome all of your questions . 09:54.432 --> 09:54.409 Thank you both gentlemen . Our first 09:54.419 --> 09:56.586 question will go to Associated Press . 09:59.260 --> 10:01.510 Thank you . Um Secretary Austin and 10:01.520 --> 10:03.830 Chairman Millie for months , we heard a 10:03.840 --> 10:06.979 firm no , on F-16s to Ukraine . Can you 10:06.989 --> 10:08.940 tell us how and why your thinking 10:08.950 --> 10:11.200 changed on this ? And why wouldn't the 10:11.210 --> 10:13.890 US now send its own jets to Ukraine ? 10:14.210 --> 10:16.377 And my second question is also for you 10:16.377 --> 10:18.559 both in a few minutes . General C Q 10:18.570 --> 10:20.570 Brown will be nominated as the next 10:20.570 --> 10:23.809 chairman . Um What does he bring that 10:23.820 --> 10:26.042 is needed at this moment in history for 10:26.042 --> 10:29.789 the US to this role ? Well , 10:29.799 --> 10:32.109 um we've been focused from the very 10:32.119 --> 10:34.510 beginning , Tara on providing Ukraine 10:34.940 --> 10:36.996 the capabilities that it needs to be 10:36.996 --> 10:39.590 successful on the battlefield now and 10:39.599 --> 10:42.500 into the future in the months ahead . 10:43.580 --> 10:47.400 And so as Russia's invasion has 10:47.409 --> 10:51.039 evolved and so has our security 10:51.049 --> 10:54.909 assistance . And one thing that I 10:54.919 --> 10:57.030 would point out , as we said from the 10:57.030 --> 10:59.197 very beginning , it's still true today 10:59.197 --> 11:01.530 that that is a very lethal airspace . 11:01.940 --> 11:04.450 And so we wanted to focus and have been 11:04.460 --> 11:06.640 focusing on the things that Ukraine 11:06.650 --> 11:08.706 needs to defend itself , protect its 11:08.706 --> 11:10.817 infrastructure , protect its people . 11:10.817 --> 11:13.250 We've been emphasizing things like air 11:13.260 --> 11:15.630 defense capability . You saw us talk 11:15.640 --> 11:17.979 about that a number of times and we saw 11:17.989 --> 11:20.479 the reason just recently why we were so 11:20.489 --> 11:22.929 focused on that and the capabilities 11:22.940 --> 11:25.051 that we've managed to uh put together 11:25.051 --> 11:27.590 as a result of uh what we provided and 11:27.599 --> 11:29.432 also what uh what our allies and 11:29.432 --> 11:32.260 partners have provided you can see are 11:32.270 --> 11:34.326 very impressive and they continue to 11:34.326 --> 11:36.548 grow . It's not enough , we'll continue 11:36.548 --> 11:38.548 to work on it and we'll continue to 11:38.548 --> 11:40.270 work to create follow on force 11:40.270 --> 11:42.492 capability for the Ukrainians as well . 11:42.492 --> 11:45.380 We , we've uh provided uh nine brigades , 11:45.390 --> 11:47.989 nine brigades of combat capability 11:48.000 --> 11:50.500 platforms and trained troops . And I 11:50.510 --> 11:52.677 point out to you that that's as big as 11:52.677 --> 11:54.900 many of the Western nations have in 11:54.909 --> 11:57.020 their land forces . Ok . So this is , 11:57.020 --> 11:59.700 this is not trivial , but it's not done . 11:59.710 --> 12:01.821 We're going to continue to work to uh 12:01.821 --> 12:04.059 generate uh additional capability going 12:04.070 --> 12:06.700 forward in terms of General Brown . Uh 12:07.219 --> 12:10.260 He is uh an incredibly capable and 12:10.270 --> 12:12.492 professional officer and what he brings 12:12.492 --> 12:15.309 to the to the table uh to any table is 12:15.320 --> 12:17.320 that , is that professionalism that 12:17.320 --> 12:19.487 deep experience in , in war fighting ? 12:19.487 --> 12:21.542 And I , I have personal knowledge of 12:21.542 --> 12:23.840 that . Uh So uh I think General Brown 12:23.849 --> 12:26.369 is gonna gonna be a great of gonna be a , 12:26.380 --> 12:28.669 a great officer in any capacity that 12:28.679 --> 12:32.460 he's in . So terror on the F-16 12:32.469 --> 12:34.802 piece , what's the problem to be solved ? 12:34.802 --> 12:36.969 The problem to be solved is control of 12:36.969 --> 12:38.780 the airspace . And Ukraine has 12:38.789 --> 12:40.929 demonstrated that very effectively in 12:40.940 --> 12:43.218 the last year and a half , the fastest , 12:43.218 --> 12:45.273 quickest and cheapest way to control 12:45.273 --> 12:47.496 that airspace was from the ground . You 12:47.496 --> 12:49.551 can either do it from the , from the 12:49.551 --> 12:51.773 ground uh and providing effective uh uh 12:51.773 --> 12:53.880 uh integrated air defense systems at 12:53.890 --> 12:55.946 the low altitude , short range , mid 12:55.946 --> 12:58.223 altitude , mid range and high altitude , 12:58.223 --> 13:00.057 long range . Uh That is the most 13:00.057 --> 13:02.168 effective way to deny air superiority 13:02.168 --> 13:04.223 to the Russians . And that's exactly 13:04.223 --> 13:06.334 what they did . Uh And if you look at 13:06.334 --> 13:08.501 F-16s , 10 F-16 is a billion dollars , 13:08.501 --> 13:10.557 you had the sustainment cost another 13:10.557 --> 13:09.640 billion dollars . So you're talking 13:09.650 --> 13:11.761 about $2 billion for 10 aircraft . Uh 13:11.761 --> 13:13.969 The Russians have 1000 4th and 5th 13:13.979 --> 13:15.923 generation fighters . So if you're 13:15.923 --> 13:17.979 going to contest Russia in the air , 13:17.979 --> 13:19.923 you're going to need a substantial 13:19.923 --> 13:21.757 amount of 4th and 5th generation 13:21.757 --> 13:23.868 fighters . So if you look at the cost 13:23.868 --> 13:25.646 curve and do the analysis , the 13:25.646 --> 13:27.812 smartest thing to have done is exactly 13:27.812 --> 13:29.812 what we did do , which is provide a 13:29.812 --> 13:31.868 significant amount of integrated air 13:31.868 --> 13:33.979 defense to cover the battle space and 13:33.979 --> 13:36.035 deny the Russians the airspace . And 13:36.035 --> 13:38.201 that is exactly what happened and that 13:38.201 --> 13:40.368 enabled the Ukrainians to have success 13:40.368 --> 13:42.590 on the ground in ground maneuver in the 13:42.590 --> 13:44.590 defensive battle as we go forward . 13:44.590 --> 13:46.590 F-16s clearly have a role . Ukraine 13:46.590 --> 13:46.465 deserves a capable air force . It's 13:46.474 --> 13:48.641 going to take a considerable length of 13:48.641 --> 13:50.807 time to build up an air force . That's 13:50.807 --> 13:52.974 the size and scope and scale that will 13:52.974 --> 13:54.752 be necessary I've known CQ like 13:54.752 --> 13:56.918 Secretary Austin has for a long time . 13:56.918 --> 13:58.854 He's a great officer in my view , 13:58.864 --> 14:01.500 personal view . Uh He has all the 14:01.510 --> 14:03.621 knowledge , skills , attributes to do 14:03.621 --> 14:05.232 this job . Uh and he has the 14:05.232 --> 14:07.232 appropriate demeanor and he's got a 14:07.232 --> 14:09.454 great chemistry with obviously with the 14:09.454 --> 14:11.288 president and others . So C Q is 14:11.288 --> 14:13.232 absolutely superb and I am looking 14:13.232 --> 14:15.177 forward to a speedy confirmation . 14:15.177 --> 14:17.399 Thank you both . Our next question will 14:17.399 --> 14:21.150 go to Dan Le Moth Washington Post . Uh 14:21.159 --> 14:23.437 Gentlemen , thanks for your time today . 14:23.570 --> 14:25.792 Mr Secretary . The announcement on this 14:25.792 --> 14:28.460 F-16 plan raises the questions , what 14:28.469 --> 14:30.580 complementary roles the United States 14:30.580 --> 14:32.747 might play in it . Be it the provision 14:32.747 --> 14:35.429 of F-16 weapons US personnel in the 14:35.440 --> 14:37.662 training program ? Anything along those 14:37.662 --> 14:39.940 lines ? How do you envision that going ? 14:40.099 --> 14:42.179 And General Milley , we've seen a 14:42.190 --> 14:44.710 continued evolution in which the US 14:44.719 --> 14:47.650 holds back certain platforms , F-16s 14:48.099 --> 14:51.280 tanks , things of that sort . Um Only 14:51.289 --> 14:53.900 to eventually agree . Uh part of that 14:53.909 --> 14:56.131 has been risk escalation , we have been 14:56.131 --> 14:58.299 told over and over again uh from that 14:58.309 --> 15:00.309 standpoint , from a risk assessment 15:00.309 --> 15:02.531 standpoint . How do you see this moment 15:02.531 --> 15:04.253 as different now ? Thank you . 15:08.780 --> 15:10.947 Well , Dan , I I I would just tell you 15:10.947 --> 15:13.479 that uh our approach , you know , to 15:13.489 --> 15:15.322 providing security assistance to 15:15.322 --> 15:19.210 Ukraine for the last year plus has been 15:19.219 --> 15:23.169 to uh follow uh an international 15:23.179 --> 15:24.679 approach where we , we get 15:24.679 --> 15:26.790 contributions from everybody that can 15:26.790 --> 15:30.640 contribute , would not conceive of 15:30.650 --> 15:32.261 doing business different now 15:32.261 --> 15:34.261 differently now , I mean , that's , 15:34.261 --> 15:36.317 that's the way we've operated across 15:36.317 --> 15:38.428 the board . You know , I've talked to 15:38.428 --> 15:40.206 the Ministers of Defense of the 15:40.206 --> 15:42.039 Netherlands and , uh , and , and 15:42.039 --> 15:44.150 Denmark and talked about , you know , 15:44.150 --> 15:47.559 what's necessary to frame out the , the , 15:47.570 --> 15:49.750 the training plan . And we also talked 15:49.760 --> 15:51.760 about the fact that , I mean , they 15:51.760 --> 15:53.760 recognize also that training is one 15:53.760 --> 15:56.450 thing but to have a capability , you 15:56.460 --> 15:58.650 need , you need sustainment , you need 15:58.659 --> 16:01.049 maintenance , you need ordinance . So 16:01.059 --> 16:03.919 all of that will be worked through . Um 16:04.669 --> 16:06.391 you know , with the , with the 16:06.391 --> 16:08.613 committee going forward there and , and 16:08.613 --> 16:10.725 a committee will be led by uh Denmark 16:10.725 --> 16:13.002 and uh in the Netherlands . But it's a , 16:13.002 --> 16:15.225 it's an international effort . And as I 16:15.225 --> 16:17.280 said earlier , you know , we've seen 16:17.280 --> 16:17.039 other countries very quickly step up to 16:17.049 --> 16:19.400 the plate and want to contribute . So , 16:20.479 --> 16:22.590 so then I , I would offer a couple of 16:22.590 --> 16:24.919 things to everything we do . Uh No 16:24.929 --> 16:27.040 matter where it is around the world , 16:27.040 --> 16:28.873 we're always looking at the cost 16:28.873 --> 16:30.707 benefit and risk . Uh and F-16 , 16:30.707 --> 16:32.762 there's no magic weapons in war . Uh 16:32.762 --> 16:35.250 And , and , and sometimes certain 16:35.260 --> 16:37.371 things uh get labeled as , you know , 16:37.371 --> 16:39.538 this is going to be the magic weapon . 16:39.538 --> 16:41.760 There are no magic weapons , an F-16 is 16:41.760 --> 16:43.982 not , neither is anything else . And as 16:43.982 --> 16:45.871 we look at what the problem to be 16:45.871 --> 16:45.369 solved in , at the beginning of this 16:45.380 --> 16:47.547 war , it was a defensive fight against 16:47.547 --> 16:49.619 mechanized armored forces . Russian 16:49.630 --> 16:51.574 forces that were coming across the 16:51.574 --> 16:53.630 border . What do you need for that ? 16:53.630 --> 16:53.599 You need anti armor weapons , you need 16:53.609 --> 16:55.665 lots of them and you had to keep the 16:55.665 --> 16:57.720 air space clear of Russian close air 16:57.720 --> 16:59.849 support that would enable Russian 16:59.859 --> 17:01.915 ground maneuver . And that's exactly 17:01.915 --> 17:03.803 what was provided . So it's not a 17:03.803 --> 17:06.026 question of we agree later or agree now 17:06.026 --> 17:08.137 or under pressure . That's not at all 17:08.137 --> 17:10.359 what's getting done here . This is hard 17:10.359 --> 17:12.415 core military analysis that looks at 17:12.415 --> 17:14.526 cost benefit and risk and what is the 17:14.526 --> 17:16.581 need on the battlefield now . And in 17:16.581 --> 17:18.803 the near future F-16s are a much longer 17:18.803 --> 17:20.915 view . And again , as I said , in the 17:20.915 --> 17:22.859 beginning , you need a significant 17:22.859 --> 17:25.338 number of F-16s or fourth or fifth 17:25.348 --> 17:27.459 generation fighters and the pilots to 17:27.459 --> 17:29.626 go with them and the sustainment costs 17:29.626 --> 17:31.792 and the missiles and the maintenance , 17:31.792 --> 17:34.015 all of that package . If you were to do 17:34.015 --> 17:36.126 that , just F-16s , you wouldn't have 17:36.126 --> 17:35.899 tanks , you wouldn't have Bradley's , 17:35.909 --> 17:38.076 you wouldn't have anti armed weapons , 17:38.076 --> 17:40.298 you wouldn't have anything else , you'd 17:40.298 --> 17:42.465 spend all your money on just that . So 17:42.465 --> 17:44.631 it's a cost risk benefit analysis that 17:44.631 --> 17:46.853 leads you to these separate incremental 17:46.853 --> 17:48.853 sort of packages that go forward in 17:48.853 --> 17:50.965 addition to what we're doing with the 17:50.965 --> 17:53.187 international community . It's not done 17:53.187 --> 17:55.242 frivolously and it's done totally in 17:55.242 --> 17:57.353 coordination with our counterparts in 17:57.353 --> 17:59.409 Ukraine . You know , Dan , sometimes 17:59.409 --> 18:01.520 when we have these conversations , it 18:01.520 --> 18:05.469 sounds like Ukraine is losing on 18:05.479 --> 18:07.701 this , on this battlefield . That's not 18:07.701 --> 18:09.859 the case . Ukraine has inflicted 18:09.869 --> 18:13.459 significant casualties . On , on , on 18:13.469 --> 18:15.636 the Russian forces , they've , they've 18:15.636 --> 18:17.525 destroyed an incredible amount of 18:17.525 --> 18:20.040 equipment . And so , and this is , this 18:20.050 --> 18:23.010 is before we , we provided them with 18:23.020 --> 18:25.353 the capability that they're getting now . 18:25.353 --> 18:27.439 So this is additive and hopefully it 18:27.449 --> 18:30.520 will put the Ukrainians in a good place 18:30.530 --> 18:32.586 to be able to change the dynamics on 18:32.586 --> 18:34.540 the battlefield . And so we'll see 18:34.550 --> 18:36.772 that's our goal to make sure that we've 18:36.772 --> 18:38.883 done everything we can to put them in 18:38.883 --> 18:40.828 the right place to be successful . 18:41.270 --> 18:43.492 Thank you , gentlemen . Next question , 18:43.492 --> 18:45.214 we'll go to Ira Sali Reuters . 18:47.959 --> 18:49.848 Um Chairman Millie , it's been uh 18:49.959 --> 18:52.030 several days since the attack and 18:52.040 --> 18:55.689 incursion into Belgrad , Belgrade . Um 18:56.160 --> 18:58.382 There have been social media , images , 18:58.382 --> 19:00.382 videos and pictures showing us made 19:00.382 --> 19:02.493 military equipment and vehicles being 19:02.493 --> 19:03.993 used in it . Um After your 19:03.993 --> 19:06.104 conversations with the Ukrainians and 19:06.104 --> 19:08.216 your own intelligence means , um were 19:08.216 --> 19:10.382 us made military vehicles used in that 19:10.382 --> 19:12.493 incursion and how did the militia get 19:12.493 --> 19:14.660 them ? Did the Ukrainians provide them 19:14.660 --> 19:16.882 with those vehicles and equipment ? And 19:16.882 --> 19:19.310 Mr Secretary , this incident and other 19:19.319 --> 19:21.375 recent incidents including the drone 19:21.375 --> 19:24.140 attack near the Kremlin . Has that 19:24.150 --> 19:26.540 raised concern for you that the 19:26.550 --> 19:29.219 Russians could use incidents like these 19:29.229 --> 19:31.579 as a pretext to broaden the war . And 19:31.589 --> 19:33.311 have you talked to your , your 19:33.311 --> 19:34.922 Ukrainian counterparts about 19:34.922 --> 19:37.469 potentially um limiting the attacks 19:37.479 --> 19:39.479 that they're carrying out closer to 19:39.479 --> 19:41.590 their borders or within their borders 19:41.590 --> 19:42.757 for the time being ? 19:44.869 --> 19:48.400 So , uh I'll just very briefly just let 19:48.410 --> 19:50.243 you know that I've got the staff 19:50.243 --> 19:52.410 looking at that with the staff to , to 19:52.410 --> 19:54.632 confirm it tonight . So I don't have an 19:54.632 --> 19:54.239 answer for you . Right . This second , 19:54.420 --> 19:56.642 uh , the rules that we have established 19:56.642 --> 19:58.809 with the Ukrainians is to not use us , 19:58.809 --> 20:00.920 supplied equipment to attack into the 20:00.920 --> 20:03.760 geographic space of Russia . Um And , 20:03.770 --> 20:05.937 and , and look at they're a country at 20:05.937 --> 20:07.881 war . It's an existential threat . 20:07.881 --> 20:10.103 They're fighting for their survival . I 20:10.103 --> 20:11.937 can't say with , with definitive 20:11.937 --> 20:11.839 accuracy , right this minute to you , 20:11.930 --> 20:14.208 whether that and I saw the same videos , 20:14.208 --> 20:16.430 whether that's us supplied equipment or 20:16.430 --> 20:18.486 not . And what was the nature of the 20:18.486 --> 20:18.030 attack ? Who did , what to whom ? I 20:18.040 --> 20:19.984 can't say that with definitiveness 20:19.984 --> 20:22.151 right this minute . But I can say that 20:22.151 --> 20:24.373 we have asked the Ukrainians not to use 20:24.373 --> 20:26.207 us supplied equipment for direct 20:26.207 --> 20:28.207 attacks into Russia . Why is that ? 20:28.207 --> 20:30.530 Because we don't want , this is a 20:30.540 --> 20:33.400 Ukrainian war . It is not a war between 20:33.410 --> 20:35.632 the United States and Russia . It's not 20:35.632 --> 20:37.854 a war between NATO and Russia . This is 20:37.854 --> 20:40.077 a war between Ukraine and Russia and we 20:40.077 --> 20:42.299 are supporting and supplying and help , 20:42.299 --> 20:44.299 training and advising and assisting 20:44.299 --> 20:44.079 Ukraine . But it is not a direct 20:44.089 --> 20:46.729 conflict between the United States and 20:46.739 --> 20:50.479 Russia . I I can't say it any better 20:50.489 --> 20:52.670 than that . Uh Idris uh in response to 20:52.680 --> 20:55.869 the question that you asked me um in 20:55.880 --> 20:59.849 terms of um you know , any 20:59.859 --> 21:02.650 kind of pretext to broaden the war uh 21:02.660 --> 21:05.290 that , that Russia would make use of , 21:05.300 --> 21:07.609 I , I don't want to speculate , but I 21:07.619 --> 21:10.050 will tell you that we are focused on 21:10.060 --> 21:12.260 giving Ukraine providing Ukraine the 21:12.270 --> 21:15.099 capability it needs to be successful in 21:15.109 --> 21:17.969 defending its sovereign territory . And 21:17.979 --> 21:20.090 uh and that's , that's a conversation 21:20.090 --> 21:21.757 that we've had with our , our 21:21.757 --> 21:24.810 counterparts on a continual basis . 21:24.819 --> 21:27.041 We've engaged a number of times on this 21:27.041 --> 21:29.097 issue just to make sure that that to 21:29.097 --> 21:31.152 the chairman's point , we are not at 21:31.152 --> 21:33.152 war with Russia . This is , this is 21:33.152 --> 21:35.263 Ukraine's fight . Our goal is to make 21:35.263 --> 21:37.375 sure that we're doing everything that 21:37.375 --> 21:39.097 we can to make sure Ukraine is 21:39.097 --> 21:41.208 successful . Next question , we'll go 21:41.208 --> 21:42.541 to Louis Martinez ABC . 21:47.329 --> 21:50.229 Thank you . Um And can I ask you both 21:50.239 --> 21:52.310 uh this from what uh General Milley 21:52.319 --> 21:54.689 just said , it's about the investment 21:54.699 --> 21:56.866 in F-16s just for 10 F-16s . It sounds 21:56.866 --> 21:58.921 like it's gonna be a considerable uh 21:58.921 --> 22:01.459 budget , uh necessity . Uh It's just 22:01.469 --> 22:05.140 gonna keep a small uh cadre of aircraft 22:05.150 --> 22:07.709 flying . Um Can you get that level of 22:07.719 --> 22:10.520 support from the Congress uh for even 22:10.530 --> 22:12.641 more aircraft or even more additional 22:12.641 --> 22:14.641 support , uh you know , maintenance 22:14.641 --> 22:16.739 sustainment . Um Does this open up a 22:16.750 --> 22:19.410 whole new series of questions about how 22:19.420 --> 22:21.587 much funding you actually need for the 22:21.589 --> 22:23.949 fight ? Um Beyond just the ground fight , 22:23.959 --> 22:25.959 the artillery , the ammunition that 22:25.959 --> 22:28.209 everybody needs ? Um And there's a 22:28.219 --> 22:30.219 major debate going on in Washington 22:30.219 --> 22:33.050 right now , the debt ceiling , the 22:33.060 --> 22:35.780 possibility of a debt default , what 22:35.790 --> 22:38.760 potential impacts could we see on the 22:38.770 --> 22:40.939 force . We heard this on Monday from 22:40.949 --> 22:42.949 some of your peers , General Milley 22:42.949 --> 22:44.893 about the possibility that this is 22:44.893 --> 22:46.750 going to affect readiness . One 22:46.760 --> 22:48.482 actually called it potentially 22:48.482 --> 22:50.593 catastrophic . What are your thoughts 22:50.593 --> 22:52.816 on that ? And how is it going to impact 22:52.816 --> 22:55.199 service members and their families ? 22:56.569 --> 22:59.810 Um Yeah , so first in terms of the cost 22:59.819 --> 23:03.270 of F-16s , uh it's no surprise to 23:03.280 --> 23:05.520 anybody that this will be expensive . 23:05.760 --> 23:08.569 And uh chairman and I and , and my 23:08.589 --> 23:10.867 undersecretaries have been uh you know , 23:10.867 --> 23:14.849 clear about this throughout . Um I 23:14.859 --> 23:16.581 want to thank Congress for its 23:16.581 --> 23:18.637 bipartisan support that , that we've 23:18.637 --> 23:20.803 enjoyed . Uh you know , throughout our 23:20.803 --> 23:22.970 efforts to provide security assistance 23:22.970 --> 23:24.803 to Ukraine and the congressional 23:24.803 --> 23:27.199 support , as you know , is a major 23:27.209 --> 23:30.410 element in uh in our ability to uh to , 23:30.760 --> 23:33.093 to help Ukraine in the way that we have . 23:33.479 --> 23:35.869 Also , you know , the conversation that 23:35.880 --> 23:37.880 I've had with my counterparts , you 23:37.880 --> 23:39.936 know , as , as we begin to frame out 23:40.119 --> 23:41.930 requirements for training and 23:41.939 --> 23:44.150 maintenance and sustainment is that 23:44.160 --> 23:47.229 this costs money and , and not every 23:47.239 --> 23:50.959 country has uh F-16s or is , is able 23:50.969 --> 23:53.939 to uh chime in uh uh in terms of 23:53.949 --> 23:56.282 training or maintenance and sustainment , 23:56.282 --> 23:58.449 but they can provide monetary 23:58.459 --> 24:00.792 assistance . And so what I think you'll , 24:00.792 --> 24:03.609 you'll see our colleagues look to do is 24:03.619 --> 24:05.520 establish a fund so that other 24:05.530 --> 24:07.363 countries can contribute to this 24:07.363 --> 24:09.252 overall effort . But again , this 24:09.252 --> 24:11.474 should be an international effort . And 24:11.474 --> 24:13.869 I think uh because of that , I think uh 24:14.180 --> 24:16.347 you know , hopefully our Congress will 24:16.347 --> 24:18.458 be uh uh supportive as they have been 24:18.458 --> 24:21.989 throughout uh going forward on 24:22.000 --> 24:24.910 the uh debt ceiling piece . Like , um , 24:25.939 --> 24:28.050 you know , I , I'm not an economist . 24:28.050 --> 24:30.680 Uh but I think uh if we defaulted that 24:30.689 --> 24:32.633 would be have significant economic 24:32.633 --> 24:34.411 consequences , which would then 24:34.411 --> 24:36.245 translate into national security 24:36.245 --> 24:38.356 consequences . Uh paying troops , the 24:38.356 --> 24:40.411 morale of troops , uh weapon systems 24:40.411 --> 24:42.411 contracts . Uh All of that would be 24:42.411 --> 24:44.522 impacted , readiness clearly would be 24:44.522 --> 24:46.745 impacted . So our large scale exercises 24:46.745 --> 24:48.911 that we do at various training centers 24:48.911 --> 24:51.133 would probably either slow down or come 24:51.133 --> 24:50.989 to a halt in many , many cases . So I 24:51.000 --> 24:53.760 think there's no doubt whatsoever that 24:53.770 --> 24:55.659 there would be a very significant 24:55.659 --> 24:57.603 negative impact on the readiness , 24:57.603 --> 24:59.714 morale and capabilities of the United 24:59.714 --> 25:01.714 States military if we defaulted and 25:01.714 --> 25:03.770 didn't reach a debt ceiling thing as 25:03.770 --> 25:05.326 well as reputational damage 25:05.326 --> 25:07.829 internationally and so on . I think uh 25:07.839 --> 25:10.061 I wouldn't characterize it . I wouldn't 25:10.061 --> 25:11.728 use words , you know , to say 25:11.728 --> 25:13.839 catastrophic or not a non economist . 25:13.839 --> 25:16.006 Uh But I think it would be very , very 25:16.006 --> 25:15.949 significant uh without a doubt and it 25:15.959 --> 25:17.626 would have absolutely clear , 25:17.626 --> 25:19.681 unambiguous implications in national 25:19.681 --> 25:21.903 security . Last question very quickly . 25:23.790 --> 25:26.012 Sorry , sorry , we gotta move on . Last 25:26.012 --> 25:27.734 question . Tom Bowman . NPR Mr 25:27.734 --> 25:29.846 Secretary , you talked to some senior 25:29.846 --> 25:31.901 officers , retired , senior officers 25:31.901 --> 25:34.068 and we were kind of confused about the 25:34.068 --> 25:36.179 strategy here . Is it to help Ukraine 25:36.179 --> 25:38.290 win a decisive victory over Russia or 25:38.290 --> 25:40.512 is it more modest and try to get them a 25:40.512 --> 25:42.679 better hand at the negotiating table . 25:42.679 --> 25:44.846 And for General Milley Henry Kissinger 25:44.846 --> 25:46.734 recently gave an interview to the 25:46.734 --> 25:48.623 Economist magazine . He said both 25:48.623 --> 25:50.846 Russia and Ukraine will have to give up 25:50.846 --> 25:53.310 territory in any deal , both will be 25:53.319 --> 25:55.900 dissatisfied . But he worries war could 25:55.910 --> 25:58.969 erupt again because Ukraine is being so 25:58.979 --> 26:01.439 heavily armed . And they also have 26:01.449 --> 26:03.479 quote the least strategically 26:03.489 --> 26:05.711 experienced leadership in Europe , your 26:05.711 --> 26:09.640 thoughts on that . So in terms of 26:09.650 --> 26:11.761 the goals and objectives of Ukraine's 26:11.761 --> 26:13.761 campaign , we'll let the Ukrainians 26:13.761 --> 26:15.817 decide what that , what that will be 26:15.880 --> 26:18.102 our goal . As I've said , so many times 26:18.102 --> 26:20.158 is to make sure that we're providing 26:20.158 --> 26:24.069 them what they need to be able to 26:24.079 --> 26:26.880 defend their sovereign territory . I 26:26.890 --> 26:29.001 would remind everybody that this is a 26:29.001 --> 26:31.112 country that's in a fight in a pretty 26:31.112 --> 26:33.112 significant fight uh and what we've 26:33.112 --> 26:35.334 been doing and it's really artful and I 26:35.334 --> 26:37.557 applaud the Ukrainians on their ability 26:37.557 --> 26:40.109 to kind of grow into this . But we , 26:40.119 --> 26:42.520 we've been uh taking troops out of the 26:42.530 --> 26:44.869 fight uh and training them on 26:44.880 --> 26:47.189 sophisticated platforms . Uh and then 26:47.199 --> 26:49.366 putting those troops back in the fight 26:49.366 --> 26:51.532 all while they're fighting . And while 26:51.532 --> 26:54.810 this seems uh uh this seems simple , uh 26:54.819 --> 26:57.670 to , to many , it is very , very uh uh 26:57.680 --> 27:00.060 complicated and not without risk . And 27:00.069 --> 27:02.125 so there's you , you have to balance 27:02.125 --> 27:04.236 the scales uh throughout and the more 27:04.236 --> 27:06.347 sophisticated that equipment gets the 27:06.347 --> 27:08.458 more critical that the training , the 27:08.458 --> 27:10.569 maintenance and sustainment becomes , 27:10.569 --> 27:13.939 uh and so again , uh we have been 27:13.949 --> 27:16.060 focused on giving them what they need 27:16.060 --> 27:18.282 to be successful . And uh you know , as 27:18.282 --> 27:20.839 things evolve , our security assistance 27:20.849 --> 27:23.699 has evolved over time as well . So , 27:23.709 --> 27:26.260 Tom , thanks for asking a very easy 27:26.270 --> 27:28.339 question from , from the former 27:28.349 --> 27:30.238 national security adviser , Henry 27:30.238 --> 27:32.571 Kissinger . So , uh I , I looked at the , 27:32.571 --> 27:34.793 yeah , I saw that 100 years old . So uh 27:34.793 --> 27:36.793 look at , um it would , it would uh 27:36.793 --> 27:38.960 take a lot longer than a few seconds . 27:38.960 --> 27:41.071 I have to answer that , that question 27:41.071 --> 27:43.293 fully . I I I would just say this for , 27:43.293 --> 27:45.460 for the time being all wars come to an 27:45.460 --> 27:45.140 end sooner or later and they either 27:45.150 --> 27:47.261 come within one side , winning or the 27:47.261 --> 27:49.317 other side winning or they come to a 27:49.317 --> 27:51.150 negotiated settlement . This war 27:51.150 --> 27:53.206 militarily is not going to be won by 27:53.206 --> 27:55.150 Russia . It's just not , there are 27:55.150 --> 27:57.483 strategic objectives that they laid out , 27:57.483 --> 27:59.706 which was the conquest of the territory 27:59.706 --> 28:01.817 called Ukraine , the unseating of the 28:01.817 --> 28:03.872 Zelinsky government , the capture of 28:03.872 --> 28:06.079 Kiev those strategic objectives away a 28:06.160 --> 28:08.589 year ago really shortly after they 28:08.599 --> 28:11.219 invaded when Putin readjusted his 28:11.229 --> 28:13.300 strategic objectives to just grab 28:13.310 --> 28:16.469 Luhansk and the whole Don Bos area . So 28:16.479 --> 28:18.535 the strategic objectives that Russia 28:18.535 --> 28:20.646 set out to achieve are not achievable 28:20.646 --> 28:22.701 militarily . They're not going to be 28:22.701 --> 28:24.923 done . At the same time , the Ukrainian 28:24.923 --> 28:28.060 strategic objectives are to liberate 28:28.109 --> 28:31.180 all of Russian occupied Ukraine . There 28:31.189 --> 28:33.300 is a couple 100,000 Russian troops in 28:33.300 --> 28:35.411 Russian occupied Ukraine . That might 28:35.411 --> 28:37.569 be achievable militarily but probably 28:37.579 --> 28:40.089 not in the near term . So what does 28:40.099 --> 28:42.043 that mean ? That means fighting is 28:42.043 --> 28:44.099 going to continue , it's going to be 28:44.099 --> 28:46.321 bloody , it's going to be hard . And at 28:46.321 --> 28:48.321 some point , both sides will either 28:48.321 --> 28:50.321 negotiate a settlement or they will 28:50.321 --> 28:52.432 come to a military conclusion at some 28:52.432 --> 28:54.210 point in the future and we will 28:54.210 --> 28:56.155 continue to support Ukraine in its 28:56.155 --> 28:58.266 fight for its own freedom . Uh But as 28:58.266 --> 29:00.488 to his particular comments about giving 29:00.488 --> 29:02.710 up land , not land , et cetera , that's 29:02.710 --> 29:02.510 for those political leaders to decide . 29:02.520 --> 29:04.631 It's really not for me to decide at a 29:04.631 --> 29:06.576 press conference in the Pentagon . 29:06.576 --> 29:08.464 Thank you both , gentlemen . This 29:08.464 --> 29:10.520 concludes our press briefing today . 29:10.520 --> 29:09.709 Thank you very much for attending . 29:10.050 --> 29:13.939 Thanks everybody , us 29:13.959 --> 29:16.070 supply trucks that may have been used 29:16.070 --> 29:16.979 to decide that there's a problem .