WE KNOW YOU ARE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES BEFORE THE GROUP
MEETS TOMORROW IN GERMANY. THAT IS BEING LED BY LLOYD
AUSTIN. YOU ARE HERE TO DISCUSS WEAPONS.
WHAT IS THE U.S. WILLING TO FURTHER GIVE UKRAINE?
I KNOW F-16S ARE ON THE TOP OF YOUR AGENDA?
>> THANKS A LOT FOR HAVING ME. I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING
THANK YOU TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT FOR THE
SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED SO FAR AND JUST YESTERDAY, A
PACKAGE WAS ANNOUNCED FOR 325 MILLION.
THAT WILL BE HELPFUL ON THE FRONT LINES BECAUSE AS YOU
KNOW, WE ARE PREPARING FOR OUR COUNTEROFFENSIVE.
AND OF COURSE, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS ON OUR WISH
LIST, IF YOU LIKE, WHICH WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED AND WE HOPE
TO RECEIVE. THEY INCLUDE FOR EXAMPLE
LONG-RANGE MISSILES.
THEY INCLUDE FIGHTER JETS, F-16S, AND OF COURSE WE NEED
MORE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS. AND ACTUALLY, YOU WERE JUST SHOWING
STOLTENBERG IN KYIV. OUR ALLIES KEEP SAYING WE WILL
GIVE UKRAINE EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO WIN.
SO WHAT IS STOPPING YOU GUYS FROM GIVING EVERYTHING WE NEED
TO WIN? WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO WIN,
F-16S, BECAUSE THEY ARE AN INSEPARABLE INSTRUMENTAL PART
OF ANY COUNTRY'S AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM. FIGHTER JETS.
SECOND OF ALL, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN FOR
EXAMPLE IN THE MILITARY DOCTRINE OF THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA, IF YOU READ CAREFULLY, THERE IS A PARAGRAPH
WHICH ARTICULATES THAT AIR SUPREMACY AND AIR DOMINANCE ARE
CRITICAL FOR ANY SUCCESSFUL MILITARY OPERATIONS.
WITHOUT IT, THERE IS A RADICAL RISK TO THE SUCCESS OF THESE
OPERATIONS. AND THERE IS A RISK OF LOSS OF
LIFE. FOR US, FOR THE UKRAINIAN ARMY,
WE VALUE THE LIFE OF OUR SOLDIERS.
WE DO NOT TREAT THEM AS CANNON FODDER.
WE WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIBERATING OUR LANDS AND WE
KNOW THAT FIGHTER JETS, F-16S, THERE ARE MORE THAN 4000 AROUND
THE WORLD AND WE JUST NEED 40. SO THAT IS LESS THAN 1%.
JUST TO UNDERSTAND, COUNTRIES SUCH AS PAKISTAN HAVE MORE THAN
80. WE ARE ASKING HALF OF THE FLEET
OF PAKISTAN. WERE NOT SAYING THEY SHOULD
GIVE THEM TO US BUT THERE ARE SO MANY AROUND THE WORLD AND
THIS IS WHY THEY ARE SO APPEALING.
THEY ARE UNIVERSAL, VERSATILE PLATFORMS. THEY ARE WIDELY
AVAILABLE.
>> IT HAS BEEN A DEBATE FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND I KNOW A
BIPARTISAN GROUP OF LAWMAKERS, A GROUP OF SENATORS IN
WASHINGTON WROTE A LETTER TO THE ADMINISTRATION URGING THAT
THESE F-16S BE GIVEN TO UKRAINE AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH.
HERE WE ARE IN APRIL STILL TALKING ABOUT IT.
EARLIER IN THE PROCESS IT WAS MADE 29'S BEING DISCUSSED,
MOVING THROUGH POLAND INTO UKRAINE.
YOU'VE MADE THE POINT THAT F-16S ARE MORE EFFECTIVE AND
WOULD HELP YOU IN THE EFFORT. WHY?
>> IF YOU SPEAK TO OUR PILOTS, YOU WOULD OFTEN HEAR THEY SAY
THAT GOING AGAINST EVEN RUSSIAN CONTEMPORARY MIGS, WHICH HAVE
AN ADVANTAGE IS LIKE GOING ON A SUICIDE MISSION.
THE LENGTH OF THE RADAR THAT THEY ARE A CLIP WITH --
EQUIPPED WITH IS SHORTER. SO THERE ARE UNDISPUTED
ADVANTAGES ON THE BATTLEFIELD OF F-16S AND THIS IS WHY WE ARE
ASKING FOR THEM. ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING WHICH
HAS BEGUN TO HAPPEN JUST RECENTLY, RUSSIANS HAVE BEGUN
USING THE SO-CALLED GLIDING BOMBS.
THESE ARE BOMBS THAT THEY CAN LAUNCH WITHOUT ENTERING
UKRAINIAN AIRSPACE FROM THE DISTANCE OF 40 TO 50 KILOMETERS.
THEY CARRY 500 KILOGRAMS AND THEY ARE NOW WORKING ON 10 AND
A HALF KILOGRAM BOMBS. THIS CAN DESTROY A WHOLE LOCK.
THESE ARE BOMBS THAT WE HAVE NOTHING TO COUNTER WITH AT THE
MOMENT. WE HAVE RECEIVED AND FULLY AND
THANKS TO THE U.S. AGAIN FOR THE FIRST PATRIOT AIR
DEFENSE SYSTEM WHICH HAS ARRIVED IN UKRAINE.
UKRAINE IS A LARGE COUNTRY, SO WE NEED MORE PATRIOTS AND OF
COURSE WE NEED F-16S BECAUSE IF WE HAD THEM THE MOMENT THE
RUSSIAN BOMBERS CARRYING GLIDING BOMBS TAKE OFF IN
RUSSIA 58 FROM OUR AIRSPACE, THEY WILL SEE THE F-16S.
>> JUST TO CLOSE THE LOOP ON THIS, THE CONTACT GROUP IS
MEETING TOMORROW. WILL F-16S BE ON THE AGENDA,
WILL THEY BE DECIDED?
>> MINISTER OF DEFENSE WILL BE RAISING THIS ISSUE AND WE HOPE
THAT TOMORROW'S MEETING WILL BRING US CLOSER TO THIS
OBJECTIVE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEEN IN THE
PAST SO MANY THINGS WERE IMPOSSIBLE AND THEN THEY BECOME
POSSIBLE.
M TRIPLE SEVENS, PATRIOT SYSTEMS, TANKS MOST RECENTLY.
EVERYTHING THAT WAS POSSIBLE, WHY WASTE TIME?
WHY GIVE RUSSIA THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD UP THEIR CAPABILITIES?
WHY NOT AND IT SOON? OUR THINKING IS WE NEED TO
CHANGE OUR APPROACH FROM WE WILL STAND WITH UKRAINE FOR AS
LONG AS IT TAKES TO LET'S FINISH IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,
BECAUSE EVERY DAY RESULTS IN THE DEATH OF OUR PEOPLE, THE
DEATH OF SOLDIERS ON THE BATTLEFIELD. WHY PROCRASTINATE?
>> WITH THAT SAID, WE'VE BEEN TALKING FOR WEEKS AND MONTHS
ABOUT A STRING -- SPRING OFFENSIVE.
IS IT ABOUT TO BEGIN OR HAS IT BEGUN?
>> ARE DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENSE MADE A STATEMENT TODAY
THAT COUNTEROFFENSIVE'S, CONTRARY TO THE POPULAR BELIEF,
ARE NOT MILITARY OPERATIONS THAT BEGIN AT THE BLOW OF A
WHISTLE AND THEN IT HAS BEGUN. IN SOME PARTS OF THE FRONT
LINE, CERTAIN ACTIONS ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO HAPPEN AND
HAVE BEEN HAPPENING FOR EXAMPLE. THESE ARE PREPARED.
WE WILL NEVER DISCLOSE OUR PLANS SO THAT THE ENEMY KNOWS.
WE WILL NEVER EXPOSE OUR ARMED TO THESE VULNERABILITIES.
SO IN ESSENCE, WE ARE ACCUMULATING WEAPONS THAT WE
ARE RECEIVING FROM ALLIES. WEATHER CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN A
FACTOR. NOW THEY ARE CHANGING.
WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL LIBERATE OUR LAND SOONER OR
LATER, BUT WE HAVE TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS.
THIS IS NOT AN OLYMPIC GAMES TOURNAMENT.
THIS IS A DIFFICULT WAR AGAINST AN ENEMY WHO IS BECOMING
SMARTER. THEY HAVE CHANGED OVER THE LAST
14 MONTHS. THIS MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO
RESPOND QUICKLY TO THE DYNAMIC SITUATION ON THE FRONT LINES.
AND VERY OFTEN, PLANS CHANGE EVEN ONE DAY BEFORE THE ACTUAL
OPERATIONS ARE CARRIED OUT.
>> THIS IS IN IMPORTANT