Lloyd Austin

When you're the president of the United States, you have got a lot of things on your plate.

As we continue to sail the international seas and fly the international skies, we want to make sure that everyone is doing things in a safe manner. We certainly are doing things in a safe and authorized manner.

We don't seek a contentious relationship with China. Our relationship is one of competition.

We can expect that the Ukrainians will continue to move forward and attempt to take back all of the territory within their - within their sovereign borders here. We will continue to support them in their efforts.

There are no checks on Mr. Putin. Just as he made the irresponsible decision to invade Ukraine, you know, he could make another decision.

Russia's invasion has taken a terrible toll on Ukrainian lives, including brave soldiers and far too many innocent civilians.

Putin's war of choice against Ukraine has been tragic.

What we want to make sure happens going forward is that I am not the last African-American secretary of defense, that we create those opportunities in our ranks for African-Americans and Hispanics to rise to the very highest ranks in our military.

The safety and security of our democracy demands competent civilian control of our armed forces, the subordination of military power to the civil. I spent my entire life committed to that principle.

I can remember going to a bus station with my mother and looking at the restrooms that were male, female, and colored. That's, kind of, how we started - how I started as a child. And to rise to - to be able to rise to a position of secretary of defense in my lifetime is quite incredible.

The American military is always prepared to protect our interests, and live up to our commitments.

In accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act, you know, we're committed to helping Taiwan develop the capability to defend itself.

I think the Ukrainians have amazed the world in terms of their ability to fight back, their ability to exercise initiative, their commitment to the defense of their democracy, and that willingness to fight has rallied the international community in an effort to help provide them the security assistance so that they can continue to fight.

I intend to surround myself with and empower experienced, capable civilian leaders who will enable healthy civil-military relations, grounded in meaningful oversight.

As long as Ukraine continues to conduct operations and continues to work to take back its sovereign territory, we'll be there with them.

Our greatest asset as a nation is the extraordinary men and women who have volunteered to keep us all safe and their families.

Operation New Dawn marks the next phase of an enduring relationship between Iraq and the United States of America.

Iraq's enemies will continue to seek opportunities to pursue their objectives, but make no mistake: Our military forces here, and those of the Iraqi nation, remain committed to ensuring that our friends in Iraq succeed.

We remain committed to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

I'm enormously proud of what we've accomplished together, and I'm very grateful for the Republic of Korea's partnership.

You know, for decades, U.S. and R.O.K. service members have fought side-by-side to defend the ideals of freedom. This alliance is founded on that shared sacrifice.

The United States remains fully committed to the defense of the R.O.K.

One of the things that we learned is that you have to really think through next steps.

I think any time you construct, you know, plan an operation, you have to account for civilians that are part of that landscape.

I would just say that any threat of the use of a nuclear weapon, any rhetoric concerning a use of a nuclear weapon is very dangerous.

I learned a thing or two about urban warfare from my time fighting in Iraq.

Attacks by extremist settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop. And those committing the violence must be held accountable.

Protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral duty and a strategic imperative.

The Ukranians are very determined people.

We certainly will help defend Israel.

I don't think war is inevitable. I maintain that.

I've been in that 'can't fail' position a lot. The first African American to be the vice chief of the Army; the first African American to command a division in combat; the first African American to command an entire theater of war.

I was a very thin, kind of wiry young man.

It's my personality. I don't make excuses for that. But I don't think being a private person is necessarily a bad thing.

When I first came to West Point, I had never been north of Georgia.

We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can't do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine.

The lesson is not that you can win in urban warfare by protecting civilians. The lesson is that you can only win in urban warfare by protecting civilians.

Like Hamas, ISIS was deeply embedded in urban areas. And the international coalition against ISIS worked hard to protect civilians and create humanitarian corridors.

Every grenade that we take out of our inventory, that's got to be replaced by something else. Either that type of munition or something better. Now, every time that we draw capability of our inventory and we replace it with something, and those munitions, those weapons are made in the United States of America.

I have personally pushed Israeli leaders to avoid civilian casualties, and to shun irresponsible rhetoric, and to prevent violence by settlers in the West Bank.

We are committed to the denuclearization of North Korea, reducing the broader threat the D.P.R.K. poses to the United States and our allies, and improving the lives of all Koreans, including the people of North Korea who continue to suffer widespread and systematic abuses at the hands of their repressive government.

We can never forget to be grateful for those who have gone before us and sacrificed so much.

We plan for all contingencies, and we'll be ready for it, for any contingencies.

The job of the Department of Defense is to keep America safe from our enemies. But we can't do that if some of those enemies lie within our own ranks.

I will uphold the principle of civilian control of the military as intended.

I was a general and a soldier, and I am proud of that.

I recognize that being a member of the president's cabinet requires a different perspective and unique responsibilities from a career in uniform.

You know, I spent much of my military career tackling tough issues and formidable adversaries in challenging parts of the world.

Sergeant First Class 'Fox' Ballard took me in and taught me the way of the world. So I owe him and many others a great deal.

Throughout my career, I've also been incredibly fortunate to benefit from the support and mentorship of exceptional leaders, like General Colin Powell, Admiral Mike Mullen, and General Johnnie Wilson.