'Who do we want to win the war, Ukraine or Russia?’: Senator Kennedy grills top Marine official

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]Is Russia our friend? Sir, they're not.

[00:00:02]Now, when Putin went into Ukraine, he thought he was going to roll in and take it over in 2 days like thunder on a summer night, didn't he? They're giving Russia a curb stomping. They have hit uh oil and and gas facilities within Russia. Putin was so scared, he almost had to to to uh cancel their military parade. The world has $300 billion of frozen uh Russian assets. And 2/3 of that, about 200 225 billion, is sitting in in uh Europe, isn't it? The summit between President Xi and uh and President Trump. He's nervous as a pregnant nun about what we're going to do on Taiwan, isn't he? Why don't we just go ahead and sell the weapons to Taiwan that Taiwan wants? I I I'll I'll I'll try to be brief. Mr. Secretary, thank you for being here. We need more ships.

[00:01:02]We're going to give you money to build more ships.

[00:01:05]You need to get those ships built.

[00:01:08]Need to build as many of them as you can in Louisiana.

[00:01:11]But, let's get them built.

[00:01:13]Uh General, uh is Russia our friend?

[00:01:20]Sir, they're not.

[00:01:21]Between Ukraine and Russia, who do we want to win that war?

[00:01:28]Well, we prefer there not be a war. But, obviously >> there is. Who do we want to win?

[00:01:33]Obviously, we want Ukraine to stand independently and not be consumed by Russia.

[00:01:37]>> Okay. Now, when Putin went into Ukraine, he thought he was going to roll in and take it over in 2 days like thunder on a summer night, didn't he?

[00:01:48]I believe he did. But, the Ukrainian people have fought back, haven't they?

[00:01:54]Yes, sir. They have fought back.

[00:01:55]>> And they now have some of the some of the most sophisticated drone technology in the history of the world, don't they? Sir, they do. They're doing very well with drones. And and they're giving with the limited resources they have, they're giving Russia a curb stomping, aren't they? I would say they are. In fact, they have knocked out with their limited resources 40% of Russia's export uh ability of their oil.

[00:02:22]Uh they since January using their drones and limited cruise missiles, they have hit uh oil and and gas facilities within Russia over 100 times. Not on the border, within Russia.

[00:02:38]Right?

[00:02:40]Yes, sir. And Putin was so scared, he almost had to to to uh cancel their military parade.

[00:02:47]It, didn't he?

[00:02:49]Well, I'm not sure of that, sir, but I I will take your word for that, sir. Okay.

[00:02:53]All right. Well, how how much money No, let me just lead you.

[00:02:59]Uh the world has 300 billion dollars of frozen uh Russian assets in escrow, don't we?

[00:03:09]I I don't know, sir.

[00:03:10]>> I do. It's 300 billion.

[00:03:13]And 2/3 of that, about 200 225 billion, is sitting in in uh Europe, isn't it?

[00:03:20]Again, sir, I'm not sure of that. Well, I am.

[00:03:24]And and I'm surprised, no disrespect, that you don't know.

[00:03:28]Um and Europe has asked our permission to take that 200 to 225 billion dollars.

[00:03:37]Well, let me strike that. That 225 billion, humor me. Uh that's sitting there frozen. Isn't not a single penny of American taxpayer money, is it? I don't believe it is. No. It all belongs to Russia, doesn't it?

[00:03:51]I believe that is correct.

[00:03:52]>> And the EU >> has asked our permission to take that money and give it to to Ukraine so they can knock Russia in the next week and let's get this war over. That's a good idea, don't you think?

[00:04:06]Well, I think anything that can be done to stop that war is a good idea, sir.

[00:04:08]>> Would would you support giving that 200 225 billion, no taxpayer money in America, to to Ukraine? Again, sir, that's outside my purview as a service chief. Okay.

[00:04:20]Um Admiral, let me let me ask you a question.

[00:04:24]Um would it be fair to say based on his public and notorious comments both before, during, and after the summit between President Xi and uh and President Trump that President Xi, how can I put this?

[00:04:53]He's nervous as a pregnant nun about what we're going to do on Taiwan, isn't he?

[00:05:00]Sir, I do think he is concerned about our capability against any invasion of Taiwan. I mean, talk about talk about telegraphing your insecurities.

[00:05:10]I mean, he talked about it right out of the shoot. He's practically sending us a a television ad saying, "I'm very worried about Taiwan."

[00:05:20]Now, we don't want a war with China, do we? Absolutely not. No, we want stability though with China, don't we?

[00:05:27]Yes, sir. And China doesn't recognize President Xi doesn't recognize charity, does he?

[00:05:34]Um I can't speak to that, but I would say probably not. Well, he he he he appreciates strength, doesn't he? I would say so, yes.

[00:05:41]>> If you're in a bar fight with President Xi and you start quoting Socrates like we did under President Biden, you're you're going to get your rear end whipped, aren't you?

[00:05:53]That's probably not a good course of action. Yes.

[00:05:56]Okay, so why don't we go ahead? Don't you think it'd be a good idea for us to to to gain leverage to to make weapon sales to Taiwan right now?

[00:06:06]Sir, again, these things are very complex and a full calculus of all the levers of power that are being negotiated and worked. So, it generally >> What but I I'm sorry. What more do we have to know, Admiral? President Xi has tele- telegraphed his anxiety, his insecurity, now that he knows that America has relearned how to fight. We want leverage. We want stability, not a hot war. We want leverage. What's his insecurity? Taiwan.

[00:06:33]Why don't we just go ahead and sell the weapons to Taiwan that Taiwan wants? The president can call President Xi and say, "Hey, President Xi, don't take it personally, don't get excited, don't get your bowels in an uproar, but I'm selling these weapons."

[00:06:50]Why wouldn't we do that?

[00:06:52]We definitely want Taiwan to be as strong as they can be, sir. They'd be stronger with those weapons, though, wouldn't they? Yes, sir.

[00:06:58]Don't you think we ought to sell them?

[00:07:00]Sir, I'm not going to get in front of the administration's overall calculus on that. That's just not a I'm not going to make a statement on that as a service chief. Okay. But I but the the capabilities that we're talking about would make them more effective. I'm sorry to go over. I'm sorry. I just wanted to get my points in.

[00:07:16]Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. I've got to go, gentlemen. I'm really sorry, and I don't mean any disrespect by being so direct. But we're down to it.

[00:07:26]We're down to it.

[00:07:33]The calendar is a conference meeting, which I'm not going to myself. There are a number of our side have to attend, and so I'll go next to Susan, and then to John Hoeven.

[00:08:07]Thank you.

[00:08:10]Thank you very much, um, Mr. Chairman.

[00:08:13]If I may interject, what we're going to do is just skip you all's opening statements and go straight to the questions.

[00:08:19]Thank you. Um, in light of the briefing we have this morning, I want to thank my Democratic colleagues for also being accommodating.

[00:08:30]Um, Secretary Kahl, uh, Secretary Heckathorn just recently has described destroyers as being the backbone of the fleet. Uh, the fiscal year '27 budget request, however, includes funding for only one DDG-51, compared to two in fiscal year '26, and three in fiscal year '25.

[00:09:00]Such a reduction would send a troubling signal to the industrial base at a time when the Navy continues to emphasize the need for greater fleet capability and resiliency.

[00:09:16]Bath Iron Works in Maine, which is one of only two surface combatant uh, shipyards in the country, has made real progress in workforce retention and accelerating production stability due to a steady command at the steady command signal.