Austin says he's determined to continue security assistance to Ukraine, saying the country's 'survival is in danger'

After meeting in Ramstein Air Base, Germany, with allies who are supporting Ukraine against Russia's invasion, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he is determined to keep military aid flowing to the country, saying it's "a matter of survival and sovereignty for Ukraine and it's a matter of honor and security for America."

Video Transcript

LLOYD AUSTIN: The United States stands by Ukraine because it's the right thing to do and because America cares when freedom is at risk. But we also stand by Ukraine because it's crucial to our own security. United States would face grave new perils in a world where aggression and autocracy are on the march, and where tyrants are emboldened, and where dictators think that they can wipe out a democracy off the map. So when we invest in Ukraine's security. We invest in our own security. And we strengthen this contact group's shared vision of an open world of rules, and rights, and responsibilities.

Today, Ukraine's survival is in danger. And America's security is at risk. And they don't have a day to waste. And we don't have a day to spare either.

So I leave here today fully determined to keep US security assistance and ammunition flowing. And that's a matter of survival and sovereignty for Ukraine. And it's a matter of honor and security for America. And make no mistake-- Putin is watching. The world is watching. And history is watching.