ウィスパリング同時通訳研究会コミュのDefense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Mark Milley hold a press conference following their meeting with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

Patrick (00:01):Secretary Austin.
Secretary Austin (00:03):
Thanks, Patrick. Good afternoon everyone. We’ve just completed our seventh meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and it’s been another highly successful session now. We were meeting today as Russia continues to target Ukraine’s civilians and bombard its energy grid, but Russia’s deliberate cruelty only deepens our resolve. And we’ll continue to support Ukraine’s bedrock right to defend itself and defend the rules based international order. Yesterday we saw reports of a deadly explosion in Poland near its border with Ukraine. I spoke last night to my Polish counterpart, deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, Błaszczak, and I conveyed my deep condolences to the Polish people and to the loved ones of those who were killed. I also underscored America’s ironclad commitment to defend Poland. We have full confidence in the Polish government’s investigation of this explosion, and they’ve been conducting that investigation in a professional and deliberate manner. And so we won’t get ahead of their work.
(01:23)
We’re going to stay in close touch with our Polish counterparts as well as with our NATO allies and other valued partners. We’re still gathering information, but we have seen nothing that contradicts President Duda’s preliminary assessment that this explosion was most likely the result of a Ukrainian air defense missile that unfortunately landed in Poland. And whatever the final conclusions may be, the world knows that Russia bears ultimate responsibility for this incident. Russia launched another barrage of missiles against Ukraine, specifically intended to target Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure. This tragic and troubling incident is yet another reminder of the recklessness of Russia’s war of choice. And Ukraine has a bedrock right to defend itself and we will continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as a defender country. And we were joined again today at the Contact Group meeting by my good friend Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, and by Deputy Chief of Defense, Lieutenant General Moisiuk. I spoke with General Reznikov by phone before this morning’s Contact Group meeting about yesterday’s explosion in Poland and will remain in close consultation as we move forward. Ukraine’s commanders have shown tremendous leadership and tenacity, and they updated the Contact Group this morning on the current battlefield dynamics and on Ukraine’s most urgent self-defense needs. Ukraine’s troops continue to consolidate their gains on the battlefield as they head into the winter. And the Contact Group continues to push hard to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses in the face of Russia’s ongoing barrages. I’m pleased to be able to report that the NASAMS air defense systems that we’ve sent to Ukraine are now operational and their performance so far has been very impressive.
(03:42)
The NASAMS systems had a 100% success rate in intercepting Russian missiles as the Kremlin continues its ruthless bombardment of Ukraine, including yesterday’s attacks. We’re also working to secure more critical equipment to protect and repair Ukraine’s energy infrastructure after Russia’s indefensible attacks. We also heard an important update from General Cavoli, our Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. I’m confident that the training efforts spearheaded by the United States and many other members of this Contact Group will equip the Ukrainian armed forces with the skills that they need to consolidate their gains and to seize new opportunities on the battlefield. I’d also like to acknowledge the European Union’s important efforts here. The EU’s training program across Europe will do a great deal to reinforce what other countries are doing bilaterally.
(04:41)
I’d also like to recognize Germany and Poland for their leadership in this larger mission. And let me thank the UK for pledging to train another 19,000 Ukrainian troops next year. The Contact Group also discussed important industrial based initiatives to sustain our security assistance to Ukraine. Let me also thank the department’s acquisition and sustainment team, as well as the co-host of the National Armaments Directors, the working group under the Contact Group auspices. Now, all of these initiatives help prepare the Ukrainians to consolidate their gains during the winter and to prepare to seize new initiatives in the spring. And you can see this Contact Group’s ongoing unity and commitment in some of the announcements that its members made. I’d like to thank Sweden for coming forward today with a substantial $287 million package of assistance to Ukraine.

(05:43)
This package includes key capabilities, including an air defense system that will bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s ongoing ruthless attacks. And Spain has promised to send two more launchers and missiles, and Canada is stepping up with its latest tranche of $500 million in assistance. And Canada remains one of the lead donors of winter gear. Germany has advanced much needed donations of air defense, artillery and MRS ammunition. And Greece also announced an important donation of 155 millimeter ammunition. And Poland has committed additional artillery and tank ammunition, as well as short range air defense capabilities. And so these contributions will make a real difference, and so does as coordination of our security assistance that this Contact Group makes possible.
(06:43)
So we will continue to deepen our work together. And the Contact Group has met seven times this year, and each meeting has produced tangible results that help Ukraine defend itself and its citizens. You can see that progress in Ukraine’s victories and Kharkiv and Kherson. Over the weekend, the world saw Ukrainian forces liberate Kherson, demonstrating once again the determination of the Ukrainian people to live free in their own country. Now, our resolve is only strengthened by Russia’s indefensible attacks on civilian targets, and we’ll continue to stand together in common purpose because no member of this Contact Group wants to live in a world where big countries bulldoze their peaceful neighbors. And we won’t just accept Putin’s imperial aggression and erosion of international norms as some kind of new normal. Instead, we will continue to stand up for Ukraine’s inalienable rights to defend itself.
(07:50)
We’ll continue to strengthen our unity and resolve. We’ll continue to show the power of partnership. And we’ll continue to bolster Ukraine’s armed forces by rushing them the capabilities that they need to defend their country. And we will continue to help the people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom. Thank you very much, and I’ll turn it over to General Milley for his opening comments.

General Milley (08:15):
Thank you, secretary Austin. I appreciate that and I appreciate your leadership as we gathered today this morning for the seventh consecutive convening of the Ukrainian Contact Group, which we’ve been doing every month as you know. And thanks also to all the ministers of defense out there who participated and all of my counterparts, all the charges that participated and other senior representatives from almost 50 countries showed up at this meeting this morning and continue to take part in these discussions which are very productive. The mission of the group remains clear, to support Ukraine as they counter the illegal and unprovoked Russian aggression, and to continue to supply Ukraine with the capabilities necessary to defend their sovereignty. Through these Contact Group sessions and other close coordinations that I have and the secretary has with our counterparts that I talked to General Zaluzhny weekly, and my staff continually talks to his staff.
(09:16)
We continue to respond to Ukraine’s battlefield requirements and their needs for means of fighting for their freedom. This is a war of choice. It’s a war of choice for Russia. They embarked on a tremendous strategic mistake. They made a choice in February of this year to illegally invade a country that posed no threat to Russia. In making that choice, Russia established several objectives. They wanted to overthrow President Zelensky and his government. They wanted to secure access to the Black Sea. They wanted to capture Odessa. They wanted to seize all the way to the Dnipro River, pause, and then continue to attack all the way to Carpathian Mountains. In short, they wanted to overrun all of Ukraine. And they lost. They didn’t achieve those objectives. They failed to achieve their strategic objectives, and they’re now failing to achieve their operational and tactical objectives.
(10:21)
Russia changed their war aims in March and beginning of April. Their war of choice then focused on the seizure of the Donbas, Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. That was their operational objectives, and they failed there. Then they changed again and expanded to seize Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. These strategic reframing of their objectives, of their illegal invasion have all failed, every single one of them. And we’ve just witnessed last week, Russia’s retreat from Kherson. They retreated across the Dnipro River. They moved to more defensible positions south of the river. Their losses due to Ukrainian success and skill and bravery in the battlefield have been very, very significant. And it’s clear that the Russian will to fight does not match the Ukrainian will to fight. On the battlefield, Ukrainian’s offensive up in Kharkiv has been very successful where they cross the Oskil river, and they have moved the east and are near the town of Svatove. There is a significant ongoing fight down in Bakhmut right now and in the vicinity of Sivers’k and Soledar, where the Ukrainians are fighting a very, very successful mobile defense.
(11:48)
There is limited contact right now in Zaporizhzhia and limited contact in and around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. And as we already discussed, Kherson’s offensive has been successful. So across the entire frontline trace of some 900 or so kilometers, the Ukrainians have achieved success after success, after success. And the Russians have failed every single time. They’ve lost strategically, they’ve lost operationally, and I repeat, they lost tactically. What they’ve tried to do, they failed at. They started this war, and Russia can end this war. Russia can make another choice and they can make a choice today to end this war. However, Russia is choosing to use their time to attempt to regroup their forces, and they are imposing a campaign of terror, a campaign of maximum suffering on the Ukrainian civilian population in order to defeat Ukrainian morale. The Russians

General Milley (13:00):
They’re striking throughout the depth and breadth of all of Ukraine with air launch cruise missiles, with caliber sea launch cruise missiles, and with other types of munitions. They are striking the Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and it has little or no military purpose. While assessments are ongoing, yesterday strikes looked like they launched at least 60 missiles, and they may have launched upwards of 90 or even perhaps a hundred, and we’ll have better assessments in the days ahead.
(13:33)
But it was likely the largest wave of missiles that we’ve seen since the beginning of the war. These missiles, again, they targeted intentionally and damaged civilian power generation facilities to cause unnecessary suffering with the civilian population. We assess now that over a quarter of Ukrainian civilians or without power. The deliberate targeting of the civilian power grid causing excessive collateral damage and unnecessary suffering on the civilian population is a war crime.
(14:14)
With the onset of winter, families will be without power, and more importantly, without heat. Basic human survival and subsistence is going to be severely impacted. And human suffering for the Ukrainian population is going to increase. These strikes will undoubtedly hinder Ukraine’s ability to care for the sick and the elderly. Their hospitals will be partially operational. The elderly are going to be exposed to the elements.
(14:44)
In the wake of unrelenting Russian aggression and incalculable human suffering, Ukraine will continue to endure. Ukraine is not going to back down. Ukrainian people are hard, they’re tough, and most of all, they’re free and they want to remain free. Ukraine is going to continue to take the fight to the Russians. And I just had a significant conversation with my Ukrainian counterpart and he assures me that that is the future for Ukraine.
(15:20)
As Ukraine continues to fight, air defense capabilities are becoming critical for their future success. An integrated system, an integrated air defense system, an integrated air and missile defense system is what is necessary as Ukraine repels Russian aerial attacks. And a significant portion of today’s conversations in today’s meeting with almost 50 countries focused on how we as a global coalition can provide the right mix of air defense systems and ammunition for Ukraine to continue its control of the skies and prevent the Russians from achieving air superiority. To combat continued Russian strikes, last Thursday, the United States announced a $400 million in additional commitments to support Ukraine and those capabilities included missiles for the Hawk air defense systems, which is a compliment what Spain has recently committed. There’s other air defense systems included in that 400 million package along with ground systems such as up-armored Humvees, grenade launches and additional HIMARS ammunition and lots of other pieces of equipment. Wars are not fought by armies, they’re fought by nations. This war is fought by the Ukrainian people and is fought by the Russian people. And this is a war that Russia’s leadership has chosen to put Russia into. They didn’t have to do this, but they did. And they have violated Ukrainian sovereignty and they have violated territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is in complete contradiction to the basic rules that underlined the United Nations charter established at the end of World War II.
(17:13)
This is one of the most significant attempts to destroy the rules-based order that World War II was fought all about. And we in the United States are determined to continue to support Ukraine with the means to defend themselves for as long as it takes. But at the end of the day, Ukraine will remain a free and independent country with its territory intact. Russia could end this war today. Russia could put an end to it right now, but they won’t. They’re going to continue that fight. They’re going to continue that fight into the winter, as best we can tell. And we the United States, under the direction of the President and the Secretary of Defense, we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes to keep them free, sovereign, independent with their territory intact.
(18:11)
The president of the United States has been very, very clear to us that it’s up to Ukraine to decide how and when or if they negotiate with the Russians. And we will continue to support them as long as it takes. The United States will continue to support Ukraine with the best possible equipment to position them on the battlefield, to give them positions of strength against the Russians. And that is also true of all the other nations that attended the meeting today. There is an absolute sense of urgency, an absolute sense of determination on the part of all the member states that attended our meeting today. And I can tell you the cohesion and coherence of the organization is complete and the resolve is high.
(19:02)
Ukrainians are not asking for anyone to fight for them. They don’t want American soldiers or British or German or French or anybody else to fight for them. They will fight for themselves. All Ukraine is asking for is the means to fight, and we are determined to provide that means. Ukrainians will do this on their timeline, and until then, we will continue to support all the way for as long as it takes. It is evident to me in the contact group today that that is not only a US position, but it is a position of all the nations that were there today. We will be there for as long as it takes to keep Ukraine free. Thank you, and I welcome your questions.