WATCH: Austin holds briefing at G7 meeting of defense ministers in Naples, Italy

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a news briefing as the first-ever G7 defense ministers meeting opened Saturday in Naples to discuss hot-button topics, including Ukraine, the Middle East and cybersecurity.

Watch Austin’s remarks in the player above.

In his opening speech, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto warned that conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with instability in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indo-Pacific, “highlight a deteriorated security framework with forecasts for the near future that cannot be positive.”

“On one side, the countries and the organizations that believe in a world order based on international law; on the other side, those who systematically disrespect democracy to pursue their objectives, including by a deliberate use of military force,” Crosetto added.

Italy holds the 2024 rotating chairmanship of the G7, a group that also includes the United States, Canada, Japan, Britain, Germany and France.

Representatives from the European Union and NATO are also attending the meeting.