MAKING SOME TIME FOR US.
>> THANK YOU, MY FRIEND.
>>> JOINING OUR COVERAGE,
PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY JOHN
KIRBY IS HERE.
SO, JOHN, I WATCHED YOUR
BRIEFING, AND I KNOW A LOT OF
PEOPLE TRY TO GET YOU TO SAY
WHAT YOU THINK RUSSIA IS DOING.
I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
I WANT TO ASK YOU, WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT MORE SANCTIONS, HOW MUCH
MORE GAS IS IN THE TANK?
WHAT HAVE WE HELD BACK?
WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?
>> WELL, I DON'T WANT TO GET
AHEAD OF THE PRESIDENT HERE, BUT
I THINK CLEARLY THERE ARE
ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC LEVERS THAT
CAN BE PULLED, NOT JUST BY THE
UNITED STATES, BUT BY THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, AND
AGAIN, I WON'T GET AHEAD OF
DECISIONS HERE.
WE HAVE ALREADY VISITED UPON
MR. PUTIN VERY EXTREME ECONOMIC
CONSEQUENCES.
HIS ECONOMY IS IN TATTERS.
THE RUBLE IS WORTH ALMOST
NOTHING.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO TAKE
A WHILE FOR THAT TO AFFECT HIS
WAR MACHINE, TO BE SURE, BUT IT
HASN'T TAKEN THAT LONG TO AFFECT
HIS ECONOMIC STRENGTH, AND HE
KNOWS THAT.
AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT
THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S ABOUT WHAT OTHER NATIONS
ARE WILLING TO DO, ECONOMICALLY.
>> JOHN, LET ME PLAY FOR YOU
SOMETHING THAT THE UKRAINIAN
FOREIGN MINISTER SAID ABOUT WHAT
THE WORLD, I GUESS, WOKE UP TO
SATURDAY MORNING IN BUCHA.
>> WITHOUT AN EXAGGERATION, BY
WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN BUCHA AND
VICINITY, WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT
RUSSIA IS WORSE THAN ISIS.
IN THE SCALE AND THE
RUTHLESSNESS OF THE CRIMES
COMMITTED.
>> I KNOW FROM YOUR BRIEFING
THAT WE'RE STILL DOING SOME OF
OUR OWN INVESTIGATIVE WORK TO
CORROBORATE WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN
BUCHA, BUT IF IT IS INDEED
CONFIRMED THAT THE RUSSIANS
COMMITTED THESE ACTS, WOULD YOU
AGREE WITH THE ASSESSMENT THAT
IT'S WORSE THAN ANYTHING ISIS
HAS CARRIED OUT?
>> CERTAINLY THE REPORTS OF THE
SIZE AND SCALE, I THINK,
CERTAINLY IS WORSE THAN WHAT WE
SAW IN TERMS OF SIZE AND SCALE
OUT OF ISIS.
LOOK, WE HAVE NO REASON TO
REFUTE THE UKRAINIAN ALLEGATIONS
HERE OF ATROCITIES.
WE SEE THE SAME EVIDENCE THAT
YOU SEE, THESE DEVASTATING
PICTURES, WHICH ARE JUST
SICKENING, AND WE HAVE SAID AND
SAID IT FOR NOW MORE THAN A WEEK
THAT WE HAVE EVIDENCE.
WE KNOW THAT RUSSIAN FORCES ARE
COMMITTING WAR CRIMES.
IT, SADLY, LOOKS LIKE THAT'S
EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN BUCHA,
BUT TO, AGAIN, ON A SIZE AND
SCALE AND DEPRAVITY THAT WE
HAVEN'T SEEN TO DATE.
SO WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS
THAT THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY, AND THAT INCLUDES THE
UNITED STATES, WILL CONTINUE TO
COLLECT EVIDENCE, WILL CONTINUE
TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE
INVESTIGATIVE EFFORTS AND TO
MAKE SURE THAT RUSSIA'S HELD
PROPERLY ACCOUNTABLE.
>> SO, U.S. JOURNALISTS HAVE
BEEN TARGETED AND HARMED AND
KILLED.
WE'VE --
>> KILLED, YEAH.
>> WE'VE GOT TACTICS THAT ARE
WORSE THAN ISIS.
TELL ME WHAT ELSE IS ON THE
TABLE FOR US TO DO.
EITHER AS A COUNTRY OR ALONGSIDE
OUR ALLIES.
>> WELL, ASIDE FROM ADDITIONAL
ECONOMIC MEASURES, WHICH I
THINK, YOU KNOW, ARE CERTAINLY
GOING TO BE EXPLORED HERE, FROM
THE UNITED STATES MILITARY
PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE GOING TO,
YOU KNOW, REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS,
AND WE ARE, TO MAKE SURE WE CAN
GET SECURITY ASSISTANCE,
WEAPONS, ARMS, AMMUNITION,
SYSTEMS THAT THE UKRAINIANS CAN
USE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES TO GET
THEM THERE AS MUCH AS WE CAN AS
FAST AS WE CAN AND JUST OVER THE
LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, WE HELPED
COORDINATE THE DELIVERY OF SIX
OTHER NATIONS, SIX DIFFERENT
SHIPMENTS, SIX OTHER NATIONS,
MATERIAL GETTING INTO UKRAINE,
AND THERE'S MORE COMING EVERY
DAY, INCLUDING FROM THE UNITED
STATES.
SECRETARY AUSTIN HAD A CHANCE
TODAY TO SPEAK TO THE UKRAINIAN
MINISTER OF DEFENSE, MINISTER
REZNIKOV.
THE MINISTER THANKED SECRETARY
AUSTIN FOR THE ASSISTANCE THAT
THE UNITED STATES HAS PROVIDED,
NOTED HOW MUCH AND HOW FAST IT'S
GETTING THERE, AND ALSO MADE IT
CLEAR THAT THAT MATERIAL IS
GETTING INTO THE HANDS OF HIS
FIGHTERS AND THEY ARE USING IT
IN THE FIELD EVERY SINGLE DAY,
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO HERE
IS CONTINUE TO HELP UKRAINE
DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST THESE
KINDS OF DEPRAVITIES AND WAR
CRIMES.
>> SO, JOHN, I AM NOT A MILITARY
SYSTEMS EXPERT, AND SO QUESTIONS
LIKE THIS MAY MAKE YOU WINCE,
BUT I HAVE SEEN "CHARLIE
WILSON'S WAR" TOO MANY TIMES TO
ADMIT.
WHY CAN'T WE HELP THE UKRAINIANS
PROTECT CITIES AS WELL AS THEY
SEEM ABLE TO PROTECT KYIV?
WHY CAN'T WE GIVE THEM THE KINDS
OF THINGS THAT COULD PROVE TO BE
MORE PROTECTIVE OF THE SKIES
ABOVE THEM?
MARIUPOL HAS BEEN OBLITERATED,
ANNIHILATED, TURNED TO DUST AND
THAT IS WHERE SOME OF THE MOST
HORRIFIC AND HEINOUS ATROCITIES
AGAINST CIVILIANS AND CHILDREN
ARE TAKING PLACE.
WHY CAN'T WE GIVE THEM WHATEVER
IT IS THAT MAKES KYIV SLIGHTLY
MORE IMPENETRABLE FOR THE
RUSSIANS?
>> WELL, KYIV HASN'T BEEN
COMPLETELY IMPENETRABLE, NICOLE.
THEY HAVE HIT KYIV VERY HARD
FROM THE AIR.
IN FACT, WE STILL ASSESS THAT
EVEN THOUGH THEIR FORCES ARE
WITHDRAWING, AND MOVING AWAY
FROM KYIV, THAT KYIV COULD
STILL -- AND STILL IS UNDER THE
THREAT OF LONG-RANGE AIR STRIKES
AND THE RUSSIANS CONTINUE TO
HAVE THAT CAPABILITY.
THEY'RE ALSO USING IT AGAINST
MARIUPOL, AGAINST KHARKIV,
THEY'VE USED IT IN THAT TOWN IN
THE SOUTH.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING, THOUGH, IS
THAT THE RUSSIANS ARE STARTING
TO LIMIT THEIR AIR STRIKES TO
CITIES MORE TO THE EAST BECAUSE
THAT'S WHERE THEY WANT TO
REPRIORITIZE SO WHAT WE'RE DOING
IS CONTINUING TO FLOW IN SHORT
AND LOOKING AT POTENTIAL
LONG-RANGE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS
THAT THE UKRAINIANS ARE TRAINED
ON, THEY KNOW HOW TO USE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH ALLIES AND
PARTNERS WHO HAVE ADDITIONAL
SYSTEMS LIKE THIS THAT THEY CAN
PROVIDE AND WE'RE WILLING TO
HELP GET THEM INSIDE UKRAINE.
AGAIN, STINGERS.
WE HAVE FLOWN IN THOUSANDS OF --
I'M SORRY, WELL, MULTIPLE
HUNDREDS OF STINGER MISSILES
INTO UKRAINE THAT THEY'RE USING
VERY, VERY EFFECTIVELY.
THEY'RE SHORT-RANGE AIR DEFENSE
BUT THEY KNOW HOW TO USE THEM
AND THEY'RE DOING THAT QUITE
WELL.
THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE GOING
FORWARD, SO THEY ARE ACTUALLY
DOING A GOOD JOB PROTECTING
THEIR SKIES.
IN FACT, THE AIR SPACE OVER
UKRAINE REMAINS CONTESTED, AND
LARGELY THAT'S BECAUSE THE
UKRAINIANS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE
SO NIMBLE AND SO EFFECTIVE IN
PROTECTING THAT AIR SPACE.
>> IGOR NOBIKOV IS A FORMER
ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY,
WHO'S ON MY PROGRAM FREQUENTLY,
AND HE SORT OF DESCRIBED OR
BROUGHT TO LIGHT FOR OUR VIEWERS
THE TRAJECTORY OF WHAT SIX WEEKS
OF LIVING UNDER CONSTANT THREAT
OF RUSSIAN BOMBARDMENT IS LIKE
FOR THEM, AND IT'S HIS BELIEF
THAT IT IS A WAR MEANT TO
TERRORIZE AND EXHAUST THE
UKRAINIANS.
WHAT IS OUR PLAN FOR COMING IN
NOW THAT THEY ARE SUFFICIENTLY
TERRORIZED AND BECOMING
EXHAUSTED?
WHAT IS OUR PLAN TO SORT OF AMP
UP AND FORTIFY THEM?
>> WELL, YOU'VE HEARD US TALK
ABOUT THIS NOW OVER THE LAST FEW
DAYS.
IT'S ABOUT GETTING THEM SECURITY
ASSISTANCE AS MUCH AS WE CAN AS
FAST AS WE CAN, INCLUDING FROM
OTHER NATIONS, SO WE'RE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO DO THAT, AND I THINK
YOU HEARD JAKE SULLIVAN TALK
ABOUT THIS EARLIER TODAY.
JUST FRIDAY, WE ANNOUNCED
ANOTHER 300 MILLION IN SECURITY
ASSISTANCE THAT WE'RE GOING TO
NOW GO OUT AND PROCURE ON AN
EXPEDITED CONTRACTING BASIS TO
GET INSIDE UKRAINE, AND THERE
COULD BE ADDITIONAL SECURITY
ASSISTANCE THAT WE ANNOUNCE IN
COMING DAYS.
WE'RE ALSO, AGAIN, WORKING WITH
OTHER ALLIES.
FOR INSTANCE, COASTAL DEFENSE
MISSILES THAT THE UK HAS NOW
ANNOUNCED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO
DO.
WE WELCOME THAT DECISION.
ALL OF THAT IS A RESULT OF
CONSULTATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING
WITH ALLIES AND PARTNERS ABOUT
TRYING TO FILL THE NEEDS THAT
THE UKRAINIANS HAVE RIGHT NOW,
AND WHEN WE SEND THINGS OVER,
NICOLE, WE ARE PRIORITIZING
THOSE WEAPONS AND THOSE SYSTEMS.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE
GOING ON THE FIRST SHIPMENTS
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S WHAT THEY
NEED THE MOST RIGHT NOW.
>> YOU FIELD QUESTIONS EVERY
DAY.
I KNOW YOU'RE VERY ACCESSIBLE.
YOU'RE VERY GOOD AT YOUR JOB AND
YOU'VE BEEN AT THAT PODIUM
THROUGH A LOT OF REALLY PAINFUL,
REALLY UGLY CHAPTERS IN HUMAN
HISTORY.
I WONDER IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT
WHAT YOU THOUGHT THIS WEEKEND
WHEN YOU SAW THE FIRST PICTURES OUT OF BUCHA.
OUT OF BUCHA.
>> I'M -- I'M A GRANDFATHER, AND
YOU KNOW, I JUST -- I HAD THE
SAME REACTION, I THINK, SO MANY