Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin believes that if Ukraine loses a full-scale war against Russia, the entire North Atlantic Alliance will have to fight with Moscow.
He stated this speaking at a Republican-led House Armed Services Committee hearing to discuss his recent absence while brought to hospital for complications from prostate cancer surgery. The Pentagon chief predicted that Russian president Putin would not “stop” if Russia wins its war in Ukraine.
Although the hearing primarily focused on the incident with Austin’s hospitalization earlier this year, which he did not inform either the White House or Congress about in advance, congressmen asked several questions about the extent to which Ukraine needs US military assistance.
The head of the U.S. Defense Department emphasized that approving additional funding for Kyiv was important to prevent a situation in the world “where one country can redraw the borders of its neighbors and illegally seize their sovereign territories.”
“We know that if Putin is successful here, he will not stop. He will continue to take more aggressive action in the region. And other leaders around the world, other autocrats, will look at this and they’ll be encouraged by the fact that this happened and we failed to support a democracy.”
Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin
Later, Austin clarified that if Ukraine loses on the battlefield, the Baltic states could be at risk, first and foremost.
“If you are from a Baltic country, you are extremely worried about being next. They know Putin. They know what he is capable of. And, frankly, if Ukraine falls, I really believe that NATO will fight Russia,” Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin said.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a press conference last week that Ukraine had notified the United States and Congress in particular of the need to approve a multibillion-dollar aid package within a month. Ukraine’s Armed Forces urgently need ammunition, first of all artillery shells to repel Russian troops’ attacks.
Tensions between Russia and NATO have been escalating during Putin’s war against Ukraine. Officials from Russia and NATO member states have expressed concerns about Russia-Ukraine war growing to involve the Western states.
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