Thank you for being here. It is my pleasure to introduce secretary of defense lloyd boston and general mark milley. The secretary and chairman will provide brief opening remarks and then we will have a few minutes to take some questions. I will moderate those questions and call on reporters and i would ask you to limit your followups since we do have a limited amount of time today. I appreciate your assistance with this. Mr. Secretary, over to you, sir. Good afternoon, everyone. We have made excellent progress at our sixth meeting of the Ukraine Defense group. We were joined by my good friend , ukraines minister of defense. And by major general, ukraines joined forces committee. I am very grateful to them for joining us and for their heroic leadership. They updated the Contact Group on the latest battlefield dynamics, on ukraines priority needs and on ukraines requirements to defend itself for the long haul. I am also very pleased that ministers and chiefs of defense from some 50 countries took part in todays discussion. That again underscores the result of the International Community to support ukraines selfdefense after russias cruel and unprovoked invasion. And that resolve has only been heightened by the deliberate cruelty of russias new garage against ukraines cities. Those assaults on targets with no military purpose again reveal the malice of Vladimir Putins war of choice. Russias atrocities have further united the nations of goodwill that stand with ukraine. So we are here because rules matter. Because rights matter. And because sovereignty matters. And in the past few days, Vladimir Putin has given us all another grim preview of a future in which the appetites of aggressive autocrats outweigh the rights of peaceful states. We would all be less secure in a world where big powers can assault peaceful neighbors and trample their borders by force. In the free citizens of ukraine have an inalienable right to govern themselves and to choose their own future. They underpin these are bedrock principles and they underpin the rulesbased International Order that makes us all more secure. This Contact Group will stay true to those values regardless of the outcome of any individual battle and we will not waver in our support for it ukraines right to defend its self from russias imperial ambitions. Ukraines forces have used systems like ours to change the dynamics of the war that putin started. That is help Ukrainian Forces seize the initiative during their counteroffensive. So we will continue to rush in the capabilities to help ukraine in the current fight. I commend the Contact Group members who have moved heaven and earth to get weapons and equipment into the hands of the Ukrainian Forces. At the same time, our allies and partners are driving hard to sustain it ukraines defenders for the long haul. As a conflict has evolved, the mention of this Contact Group has evolved the mission of this Contact Group has evolved. This underscored our shared commitment to keep on supplying ukraines defenders with the capability that they will need in the difficult weeks, months and years ahead. We discussed ways to do even more to training Ukrainian Forces who are making such impressive use of their new capabilities. And we push to galvanize our industrial basis, to fire up production for the systems to defend ukraine, even while meeting our own security needs. The leaders here built on the important progress from the september 28 meeting of our National Armaments director under the auspices of this Contact Group. Denmark and the u. K. Shared updates on several copenhagen conference initiatives including the Uks International donors fund for pulling International Funding for critical capabilities. And as we increased our longterm support for ukraine, transparency and accountability remain crucial. At todays meeting, we discussed Accountability Measures that ukraine is using to ensure that advanced weapons are fully tracked. We also discussed ways to Work Together to filled on our momentum and to meet new challenges. We know that ukraine still needs even more longrange fires and air Defense Systems and artillery systems. Along with other crucial capabilities. We are grateful to our many allies and partners, who have reached to meet ukraines selfdefense needs, often pulling from their own stocks or purchasing capabilities from domestic industry. Let me especially commend germany for its recent delivery of an irs tea air defense system. This critical donation will help ukraine better defend civilians from russian airstrikes. Germany also recently announced it will deliver more rocket systems and howitzers. And all that shows longterm support for ukraines defenders. We also recognize several countries doing important Work Together to ramp up production on key systems and reinvigorate their industrial basis. So norway, germany, and denmark have all invested in slovakias homegrown production of howitzers. And that just shows how much we can do when we come together in common purpose. These initiatives and many more will help us build momentum and ensure that the future Ukrainian Armed forces are capable and have the ability to sustain themselves. Now, some countries are not in a position to offer lethal assistance. But we urge them to provide vital nonlethal aid such as medical supplies, coldweather gear that the ukrainians need to fight in the winter. Because every contribution counts and the members of this Contact Group stand united in their support for ukraines selfdefense, through any season. We stand united by our commitment to the rulesbased International Order that underpins global security. We stand united against the deliberate use of war and atrocity to seize territory and redraw orders and trample the sovereign rights of peaceful states. And as President Biden has said, we stand united against the Global Politics of fear, coercion, and conquest. I will turn it over to general milley for his opening comments. Thanks, secretary austen and thank you for your steadfast leadership. This Contact Group would not be in existence without the leadership of secretary austin. I want to thank the Ukrainian Defense and especially also my counterpart in ukraine, for leading the Ukrainian Military in their efforts for their freedom. I maintain contact with him two to three times a week, the general, even more than that. And of course, our staff are in contact on a daytoday basis. I also want to thank all of the ministers and the chiefs of defense that were here at this meeting today, representing 50 countries. That is an incredible statement of resolve and International Support for the freedom of ukraine. And i am confident that this group will Stay Together for as long as it takes today. As secretary pointed out, this group met for the sixth time with senior representatives from each of these countries. It is a testament to our condemnation, collective condemnation. The International Condemnation of the illegal invasion by russia of ukraine. This fight is not just in ukraines interest. It is in the global interest to protect as the secretary pointed out, the rulesbased International Order. That is our purpose that has been given to us, the uniformed military from our civilian leadership, which is to uphold the rulesbased International Order established 80 years ago at the conclusion of world war ii. And our end state is equally clear, it is to ensure that ukraine remains a free, independent, sovereign nation. And the ways and means that we are doing that is through Security Force assistance with lethal and nonlethal aid, in order to enable ukraine to fight for themselves. Ukraine is not asking for soldiers from any other country. The ukrainians are willing to fight for themselves. All they ask for is the means to do it. And as President Biden has said and many other National Leaders have said, we will do as much as we can for as long as we can and we will do as much as it takes for as long as it takes. This Contact Group remains critical to the mission of supplying ukraine with the capabilities they need to fight for their country. And this war is a war of choice, a war of choice by russia. And russia is paying an extremely high cost, high cost in human life and casualties, and weapons material and in their economy each day that this war goes on, it costs russia more and more. In the russian people begin to suffer. Russia has chosen in response to escalate with a recent mobilization of 300,000 call ups for constraint for conscripts. They have tried to conduct an illegal annexation of four of the in occupied ukraine. They have increased their rhetoric to include rhetoric about nuclear weapons. And of course, in the past few days, russia has increased to their strikes on civilian infrastructure, power generation, and dams. Russia has deliberately struck civilian infrastructure with the purpose of harming civilians. They have targeted the elderly, women, and children of ukraine. Indiscriminate and deliberate attacks on civilians, that is a war crime in the International Rules of war. Ukraine and its citizens have suffered greatly, but the people and the nation of ukraine indoor. They are an inspiration to all. The nations gathered here today are committed to the assisting of ukraine defending itself. Ukraine continues to fight with bravery and honor and of Ukrainian Military is making continued progress as you see in their counteroffensives. In it the khaki, luhansk, and everywhere. They have fought extraordinarily well. In the discussions with this Contact Group today, they were about meeting ukraines current needs and also supporting them in the long haul. We focused on air defense, canon artillery, rocket artillery, maneuver tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, also discuss training and a wide variety of nonlethals of work. These systems and the associated ammunition are critical for ukraine to continue to fight back and they are employing these weapons extremely well. So i will stop there and i think you and welcome your questions. Mr. Secretary, chairman p thank you very much. Our first question will go to john from the new york times. Mr. Secretary. In your opening remarks you said quote art resolve to support ukraines defenders extends to all seasons. With winter fast approaching, do you expect them do you expect Ukrainian Armed forces to continue fighting to retake their territory throughout the season until spring . Thanks, john. The battlefield remains dynamic and winter always presents a challenge when it comes to fighting. But the International Community remains united and focused and committed to doing everything that we can to help ukraine protect its interests and defend its sovereign territory. I expect that ukraine will continue to do everything it can throughout the winter to regain its territory and to be effective on the battlefield. And we are going to do everything we can to make sure that they have what is required to be effective and we are going to do every thing we can most recently, we have seen them be very effective, both in the east and down in the south as they have taken back quite a bit of territory from the russians. So we can expect that type of activity will continue on through the winter. Lets go to you, deborah haynes. Sky news. Thank you very much. A british spy chief this week said that russia is running out of weapons. How concerned are you though about western stockpiles and whether it was to weapons could run out first and specifically on air Defense Systems, given the need from ukraine, why are western allies not sending these systems in faster . Is it because of a lack of political will or a lack of supplies . It certainly is not a question of lack of will. The commitments, the resolve that the chairman and i witnessed in this Contact Group meeting today was inspiring. And thats what i told the members of the group. They remain committed to doing everything they can to generate additional capabilities. And you heard me say at the top that several countries are working together to expand capacity and their industrial base. I think it is that kind of initiative, that kind of activity that will generate other opportunities for us as we go forward. We have talked about air defense, the requirement for Additional Air defense capabilities. And countries i have every confidence that countries will do whatever they can, if they can, to generate additional capabilities. Youve heard us talk about providing and that is a good capability. It is going to really help the ukrainians. You heard me say earlier that germany is providing an rst system. And again, i expect to see more capability come forward. We saw some additional countries volunteered to provide munitions for those systems today. And that is always encouraging, refreshing. So, the will is certainly there to do everything we can for as long as we can. And the commitment again, was inspiring. Ok, lets go to sylvia, agency francepresse. Thank you. Mr. Secretary, after president putins threat about nuclear use of nuclear weapons, you said repeatedly that you have seen it nothing that would cause you to change your nuclear posture. Will you communicate when you when this posture changes . And chairman, i have a question for you two. We spoke about air defense as a priority and the nations and the german rst have to be ordered to the industry. But it is urgent. So in the meantime, are there other systems, maybe older systems, that the allies of ukraine could find faster . So, let me begin by saying, Vladimir Putins saber rattling is reckless nuclear saver rattling is reckless. Its irresponsible. We do not expect to see ensure that kind of behavior from a Major Nuclear power. And so that is very dangerous. Youve heard a number of leaders around the world emphasize that. You should know and i know you do that we take this very seriously. And this is something that we remain focused on and we continue to watch indicators indications and any type of warning that you may have made a decision to he may have made a decision to go on a different direction. We have not seen any indicators that would lead us to believe that. But again, it is not something that we look at wants and we know all of this is something we remain focused on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To put it in context a little bit, what ukraine is asking for and what we think can be provided is an integrated air Missile Defense system. So, that does not control all of the airspace over ukraine, but they are designed to control priority targets that ukraine it needs to protect. What you are looking at really is a short range low altitude systems, then a medium range, medium altitude, and then longrange and High Altitude systems. It is a mix of all of these that denied the airspace to the russian aircraft, fixed wing aircraft and rush holt russ in russian Missile Defense. So far, ukraine has effectively used s3 hundreds and tens, 11s etc. They have been effective at denying russian air superiority. And that in turn has denied the russians the ability to conduct combined balance maneuver. So what needs to be done here by all the various countries that are at the Conference Today is chipped in and help them rebuild and sustain an integrated air Missile Defense system, specifically older systems like you were just asking about. Ukraine has asked for improved talk talk. That is a medium system. It is quite effective. And there are other systems out there. Throughout the world that are available. Many countries have patriot, many countries have other systems, there is a whole series of israeli systems that are quite capable. The germans have a systems as we mentioned. A lot of the countries here today have a wide variety of systems and the task will be to bring those together, get them deployed, that them trained, because each of these systems is different. Make sure that they can link together with command and control coming acacian systems and make sure that they have radars that can talk to each other, so they can acquire targets on inbound flights. So it is quite complicated from a technical standpoint. It is achievable, that is what we are aiming at. It will take a little bit of time. Thank you, sir. Final question, vladimir from ict v. Thank you for this opportunity. I am one of those who this monday, just as monday, was not sure i would be able to be here because of the airstrikes that we experienced in kyiv. And the question i am going to ask is not mine, it is the people of ukraine would like to ask you when will they be able to sleep well and not be afraid to leave their families behind and go on a trip like this . Because i am here and really anxious about what is happening to my family back home. So when are the systems going to be provided . And is there a possibility that the sky is going to be safe . The short answer to your question, sir, is that systems will be provided as fast as we can physically get them there. And this is something as i said at the top that we remain focused on. And we are going to provide systems that we have available, that countries like germany have available. We are going to try to provide additional munitions to the existing systems at the Ukrainian Forces are using that the Ukrainian Forces are using. As long as there is a conflict that goes on, there will always be uncertainty, so it is very difficult to predict when exactly it is going to be safe to move about, move in and out of the country. And i know that you are concerned about your family. And certainly, that is understandable. But we are going to do everything we can as fast as we can do to help the Ukrainian Forces get the capability they need to protect the ukrainian people. That is important to us. And by the way, it was important to all of the 50 members that were in that meeting today and their chiefs of defense. And this is i mean, the utility of this Ukraine DefenseContact Group, i just cannot i cannot overemphasize how useful this is, because it helps us to address current nearterm problems, and mobilize resources much faster than we otherwise would be able to. And again, i do not want to over i did not want to exaggerate this point, but i have to tell you that i remain impressed by the commitment of the members of the group. And for the most part, these are ministers of defense that show up to every meeting and not surrogates. [indiscernible] sorry. Im afraid that is all the time we have available. Mr. Secretary, chairman, thank you very much. Ladies and gemma, we appreciate it. This concludes our press rethink