[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text
version below transcribed directly from audio]
Well, colleagues, Secretary General Rutte,
Ministers of Defense -- might I suggest "Ministers of War" -- from around the
world:
We gather for a very important moment. Over the past few months, European
investment in defense for Ukraine has increased significantly. Now, of course,
the United States will do our part, but Europeans must continue to take primary
responsibility for the conventional defense of the continent.
Now, as we have before, we're going to continue to constructively remind our
allies of all of our
Article 3 obligations. Article 3 of NATO states, "by means
of continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid, allies will maintain and
develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack." Today,
and thanks to President Trump's efforts since the first term, we are seeing in
real time allies taking this obligation seriously, including in Ukraine.
A key mechanism to forge peace in Ukraine, as has been mentioned, is NATO's
Priority Ukraine Requirements List, or
PURL, funding initiative. For those
watching and not familiar, PURL is how we supply weapons to Ukraine. Basically,
Europe pays; the U.S. provides; NATO fields: the best equipment in the world
from the United States to Ukraine paid for by European allies.
General Grynkewich, our
Supreme Allied Commander, the right guy at the right
time, validates the assistance Ukraine requests through the PURL Initiative. And
then our team within the War Department assesses those requests. It's a rigorous
process and so far has been effective. As a result, NATO allies have committed
more than $2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine through the NATO PURL
Initiative since August.
Now, allies often say that Ukraine's security is synonymous with European
security. Well, now, then, therefore, is the time for all NATO countries to turn
words into action in the form of PURL investments; all countries around this
table, no free riders. And I certainly appreciate Secretary Rutte's leadership
in this important effort, and all the nations today that we've heard step up.
Many more commitments just today to that PURL Initiative, which sends an
incredible signal to the world about the commitment. I want to commend allies
such as Germany and Poland for their efforts in meeting their 5% commitment,
which is being invested in fielding combat credible forces. I could name a lot
of other countries as well -- the Baltics and Nordics -- that have done
likewise, and we are grateful. All countries need to translate goals into guns,
commitments into capabilities, and pledges into power. That's all that matters,
hard power. It's the only thing belligerents actually respect. Your continued
investment and leadership are vital to helping Ukraine defend itself and to
bring an end to this conflict: peace through strength.
Now, Europe's political leaders have also endorsed military planning for the
coalition of the willing by establishing an operational headquarters and
committing personnel to that multinational force. Should a peace arrangement be
reached, European leaders are sending a clear message to Russia: Now is the time
to end this tragic war, stop the needless bloodshed, and come to the peace
table.
Now, if this war does not end, if there is no path to peace in the short term,
then the United States, along with our allies, will take the steps necessary to
impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression. If we must take this step,
the U.S. War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United
States can do.
We remain clear-eyed about the fact that the most effective deterrence to
Russian aggression are, number one, a lethal, capable, and European-led NATO;
and number two, a combat-credible Ukrainian military able to defend itself and
thereby continue to defer -- deter Russian aggression along NATO's border.
Again, peace through strength.
Under President Trump's steadfast leadership, and in particular with our
European allies, we're going to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. The war must
end. Like we saw him do in Gaza and in the Middle East, President Trump knows
how to forge peace, to create opportunities in situations, in scenarios where
peace seems far off. He and he alone has the ability to do that. This is not a
war that started on President Trump's watch, but it will end on his watch.
So let us seize this moment, strongly forge peace in Ukraine, and let's bring
peace through strength.
