>>> WHILE WE ASSESS THAT THE
VAST -- THE MAJORITY OF THAT
COMBAT POWER IS NOW IN UKRAINE,
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT HE
DOESN'T HAVE STUFF THAT'S NOT
COMMITTED AND IT DOESN'T MEAN
THAT WHAT HE HAS IN UKRAINE HAS
BEEN DIMINISHED.
THEY HAVE -- THEY HAVE LOST A
SENSE OF MOMENTUM HERE, BUT THAT
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY STILL
DON'T HAVE THE POWER AT THEIR
DISPOSAL.
>> THAT IS PENTAGON PRESS
SECRETARY JOHN KIRBY YESTERDAY
TALKING ABOUT THE 40-MILE-LONG
RUSSIAN MILITARY CONVOY WE'VE
BEEN DISCUSSING THIS MORNING
THAT HAS BEEN STALLED FOR
SEVERAL DAYS OUTSIDE KYIV.
JOINING US NOW CHAIRMAN OF THE
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE,
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN ADAM
SMITH OF WASHINGTON STATE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, IT IS GREAT TO
HAVE YOU WITH US THIS MORNING.
WHAT IS THE ASSESSMENT YOU CAN
MAKE, AT LEAST PUBLICLY HERE, OF
THE RUSSIAN MILITARY'S
PERFORMANCE?
THIS CLEARLY HAS TAKEN LONGER
AND HAS BEEN MORE ARDUOUS AND
MET MORE RESISTANCE THAN
VLADIMIR PUTIN EXPECTED.
BUT AS ADMIRAL KIRBY POINTED OUT
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE MARCH
INTO UKRAINE DOES NOT CONTINUE,
EVEN IF A BIT SLOWER THAN THEY
THOUGHT IT MIGHT.
>> YEAH, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY
ACCURATE.
OUR COMMITTEE HAS BEEN BRIEFED.
I HAVE BEEN PERSONALLY BRIEFED
BY CHAIRMAN MILLEY ON THIS.
THE ASSESSMENT, THIS HAS NOT
GONE AS WELL AS THE RUSSIAN
MILITARY HAD HOPED.
PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF THEIR
UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OF HOW
THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE WOULD REACT
AND PART BECAUSE OF FLAWS WITHIN
THE RUSSIAN MILITARY.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF REPORTING
HOW MANY OF THEIR MUNITIONS DID
NOT FIRE PROPERLY, WHETHER IT IS
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WORK OR
OPERATOR ERROR NOBODY KNOWS.
THEY'VE DEFINITELY STRUGGLED
BECAUSE THEIR MILITARY IS NOT AS
WELL ORGANIZED AS IT SHOULD BE.
BUT THEIR OVERWHELMING NUMBERS,
THEIR OVERWHELMING MASS GAVE
THEM A LOT OF ROOM FOR ERROR IN
THAT REGARD.
THE OTHER THING WE ARE SADLY
STARTING TO SEE, JUST LIKE WHAT
HAPPENED IN CHECHNYA, WHAT
HAPPENED IN SYRIA, IF THE
RUSSIANS GET BOGGED DOWN A
LITTLE BIT THEY JUST GET MORE
BRUTAL AND START USING THEIR
FORCE INDISCRIMINATELY.
THEY'RE BOGD DOWN ITBOGGED DOWN
HAVE THE OVERWHELMING ADVANTAGE
IS THE BOTTOM LINE.
>> WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
THE SUPPLY LINE, GETTING
ARMAMENT AND SUPPLIES INTO KYIV
RIGHT DOWN FROM POLAND OR
WHEREVER?
AND ONCE THE EQUIPMENT ARRIVES,
YOU MENTIONED THE 40-MILE-LONG
CONVOY OUTSIDE OF KYIV, CAN WE
PROVIDE TARGETING INFORMATION TO
THE UKRAINIANS?
>> YES, THERE'S A BUNCH
CONTAINED IN THAT QUESTION.
WE ON THE COMMITTEE HAVE DRILLED
DOWN A LOT ON THE SPECIFICS OF
THE SUPPLY LINE.
WE CAN'T GET INTO THAT FOR
OBVIOUS REASONS, BUT I MEAN THE
THING WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH
RIGHT NOW IS WHILE THAT, YOU
KNOW, RUSSIAN CONVOY IS BOGGED
DOWN IT IS A CRUCIAL MOMENT TO
GET SUPPLIES IN TO THE
UKRAINIANS, PARTICULARLY INTO
KYIV, TO GET HUMAN MAYORITARIAN,
WATER, WEAPONS, STINGERS,
ANTI-TANK MUNITIONS.
THAT SUPPLY LINE IS DIFFICULT
BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET THOSE
SUPPLIES IN TO SUPPORT THEM.
THE OTHER THING WE WONDER ABOUT
ON THE CONVOY, IF THEY HAVE
WEAPONS HOW COME THEY'RE NOT
HITTING IT MORE REGULARLY.
WE WANT TO TRY TO GET THE
WEAPONS IN.
THE LAST QUESTION ON THE INTEL,
IT IS A DIFFICULT LINE.
THIS IS THE LINE WE'RE TRYING TO
WALK AND CHAIRMAN MILLEY SAID IT
BEST.
WE WANT TO SUPPORT THE
UKRAINIANS IN EVERY WAY WE
POSSIBLY CAN WITHOUT GOING TO
WAR WITH RUSSIA.
WHEN IT COMES TO INTEL SHARING
AND TARGETING THAT'S A FINE
LINE.
WE ARE PROVIDING SOME
INTELLIGENCE.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT PROVIDING
THE TYPE OF REAL-TIME TARGETING
THAT YOU SEE OUR MILITARY HAVING
GOTTEN IN CONFLICTS LIKE IN IRAQ
WHERE INSTANT-TO-INSTANT WE HAVE
UAV, THE UNBLINKING EYE AS THEY
SAY, WATCHING THE SITUATION AND
GIVING THAT TARGETING DATA.
WE'RE NOT DOING THAT BECAUSE
THAT STEPS OVER THE LINE TO
MAKING US PARTICIPATE IN THE
WAR.
THE PENTAGON IS STRUGGLING IN
WALKING THAT VERY FINE LINE.
>> CONGRESSMAN, IT IS A FINE
LINE, AND AS WEAPONS MAKE THEIR
WAY INTO KYIV TWO QUESTIONS.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR THE
WEAPONRY AND THE AID TO GET INTO
THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WHO CAN USE
IT AND, YOU KNOW, HOW LARGE AN
AMOUNT IS HEADED IN RIGHT NOW TO
GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED?
BUT THEN THE SECOND QUESTION IS
WHAT IF UKRAINIANS ARE
SUCCESSFUL?
WHAT STOPS PUTIN?
WHAT STOPS A WORLD WAR?
>> WELL, THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE
SITUATION SO COMPLEX.
IN THE FIRST QUESTION, YOU KNOW,
WE'VE DRILLED DOWN IN THE
COMMITTEE AGAIN TO TRY TO GET
THE SPECIFICS.
HOW MANY JAVELINS ARE GOING IN.
YOU KNOW, HOW MANY STINGERS ARE
GOING IN.
HOW QUICKLY DOES IT GET THERE?
FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T
SHARE A LOT OF THAT DATA BECAUSE
IT IS HIGHLY CLASSIFIED.
WE DON'T WANT THE SUPPLY LINE TO
BE DISRUPTED.
WE DON'T WANT THE RUSSIANS TO
KNOW ANY MORE ABOUT HOW IT IS
WORKING.
SECONDS OF ALL, IT IS REALLY
COMPLICATED.
BUT, YEAH, I MEAN IT IS A VERY
FRUSTRATING SITUATION WHEN YOU
SEE THAT CONVOY LINE THERE AND
YOU KNOW THE FIRE POWER THAT THE
U.S. AND NATO HAS.
YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY THAT WE
WOULD HAVE TO SIMPLY DESTROY
THAT, BUT THE LARGER WAR IS
SOMETHING TO REALLY WORRY ABOUT.
WHAT'S THE OFF RAMP?
I WILL TELL YOU I HAVE ASKED
TAKE
THAT QUESTION OF A LOT OF
LEADERS.
RIGHT NOW THE ANSWER COMES DOWN
TO THERE IS SIMPLY NO OFF RAMP.
WE ARE TRYING TO BLUNT PUTIN'S
INVASION, BUT THEN WHAT DOES HE
DO?
NOBODY CAN PICTURE PUTIN GIVING
UP SO WE HAVE TO WORK ON THE