Please allow me now to introduce Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to deliver opening remarks well good morning everyone thanks for joining us for the 15th meeting of the Ukraine defense conflict group and it's great to see both new and familiar faces here today and I want to start with a word of thanks to Alexi reznikov for his hard work and dedication and for everything that he did for a free Ukraine in a secure world I'd like to
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| US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin hosts an in-person Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. |
welcome Ukraine's new defense
minister roostum umarov and rustam it's uh it's it's great to have you here I
thoroughly enjoyed our call a couple of days ago and certainly enjoyed our
meeting that we just concluded um I look forward to working with you and your
team closely and I know that everyone else here does as well now even as we're
meeting here Ukraine
Ukrainian troops are in a hard
fight to reclaim their Sovereign territory from dug in Russian Invaders
Ukraine's counter-offensive continues to make steady forward progress and brave
Ukrainian troops are breaking through the heavily fortified lines of Russia's
Army of aggression Ukraine's progress is a testament to the fighting Spirit of
its people but Ukraine's recent gains also hinge on the crucial capabilities
provided by the members of this contact group in our shared commitment will be
vital during the current battles and for the long road ahead in total the
United States and Ukraine's Global Partners have committed more than 76 billion
dollars in Direct Security assistance to Ukraine's
defense now these donations
demonstrate the profound resolve of some 50 countries gathered here together
we're getting Ukraine what it needs when it needs it together we're rushing
Ukraine the security assistance that it needs for the current counter-offensive
and helping it to build a force that will ward off future aggression and
together we continue to demonstrate our iron sense of purpose ladies and
gentlemen history will show the full Folly of Putin's Putin's Reckless cruel
and unprovoked invasion of his peaceful neighbor in this war time is not on
Putin's side time is never on the side of a dictator who launches an Imperial
War of choice and time is never on the side of aggression the people of Ukraine
are fighting in self-defense for a just cause they're fighting to save their
Futures and secure their freedom
and they have the guts and the persistence to Outlast the Kremlin throughout
this tragic War Putin has tried to demoralize the Ukrainian people instead he
has demoralized the Russian military and the Kremlin has isolated Itself by its
flagrant aggression just look at the 50 countries proudly represented around
this table standing together to defend Ukraine in the rules-based international
order and then look at the Kremlin left alone with the likes of Iran and North
Korea meanwhile the United States and our allies and partners have proven our
staying power over and over again so make no mistake we will stand by the
Ukrainian people for the Long Haul since our last meeting the United States has
committed additional security assistance packages totaling more than two
billion dollars those packages include urgently needed air defense ammunition
and mine clearing equipment and we're ensuring accountability of U.S
contributions through robust in-use monitoring
and we'll continue to work closely
with our Ukrainian Partners to ensure that all assistance is used effectively
and safeguarded I'm also pleased to announce that the M1 Abrams tanks that the
United States had previously committed to will be entering Ukraine soon now the
more Russia prolongs its War the more glaring its cruelty becomes Russia's
assault have increased far beyond the battlefield an inflicted Untold human
suffering in recent months Russia has continued to Target Ukraine's ports and
its grain infrastructure but he's attacked so far have destroyed at least 280
000 tons of grain and that's enough to feed as many as 10.5 million people for
a year and Russia's attacks continue to threaten Global Food security and to
risk needless humanitarian crises around the planet so this contact group has
stepped up with donations of patriot Irish tea Hawk naysams and sampte and
other air defense systems and those defensive systems will continue to protect
Ukraine's critical infrastructure
including grain and energy supplies I've said it before and I'll say it again
air defense is saving lives so I urge this group to continue to dig deep on
ground-based air defense for Ukraine and we must continue to push hard to
provide Ukraine with the air defense systems and interceptors that it needs and
right now In the Heat of battle we must also keep pushing to get Ukraine the
ammunition that it needs to keep up the fight including one five five
millimeter ammunition and we're looking further ahead to ensure that Ukraine
can deter future aggression and defend its Sovereign territory so let me say
just a word about the contact group's long-term capability coalitions these
formations further fortify Ukraine's ability to outlast Russian aggression I'm
grateful to many friends here today including Denmark Estonia Germany
Luxembourg the Netherlands and Poland for stepping up to lead coalitions these
coalitions are tackling specific capabilities such as leopard tanks F-16
training and information technology and we'll hear updates on their work later
today and to add to this group's long-term support for Ukraine I'm proud to
announce that the United States is supplementing the F-16 training Coalition
with U.S
Based training all this
underscore is a key topic for today's meeting the future of Ukraine's Armed
Forces and how this Coalition will evolve to help Ukraine build a credible
capable combat Force for the long term our commitment to Ukraine isn't just for
the duration of one campaign it's a commitment to long-term Security in Europe
and Beyond and it's a commitment to our shared values of freedom and
sovereignty this contact group has done so much for the people of Ukraine and
it must continue to evolve to sustain our Support over the Long Haul so we will
stay United we will stay resolute and we will stay firm in our determination to
defend Ukraine and to uphold the world where aggression does not pay and thank
you for being here and so now we'll pause just a moment to let our friends in
the media depart