2024-03-01 21:18 Compiled by United Daily News Zhou Chenyang/Reporting in real time
U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin warned at a hearing held by the House Armed Services Committee on February 29 that if the Ukrainian army is defeated by the invading Russian army, NATO will be involved in the war.
Newsweek and POLITICO reported that Austin faced Republican congressmen in turn over the scandal over his secret hospitalization, while Democratic congressmen shifted the focus and spent most of the questioning time attacking Republicans for blocking the budget for additional military aid to Ukraine. In response to one of the congressmen, Austin predicted that President Putin would not “stop” if Russia won the war in Ukraine.
“We understand that if Putin succeeds, he will not stop and he will continue to take more aggressive actions in the region. Other leaders, other dictators around the world will watch,” Austin said, according to a verbatim transcript. They will be encouraged by the fact that this happened and we failed to support a democracy.”
Austin went on to point out that Baltic countries such as Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are particularly vulnerable to Putin’s future expansionist ambitions. “If you are a Baltic country, you really worry about whether you are next.”
Austin said, “They know Putin and what he is capable of… Quite frankly, if Ukraine fails, I really believe that NATO will go to war with Russia.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin attended a hearing held by the House Armed Services Committee on February 29 to discuss secret absences and hospitalization risks… Ukraine Russia Russia-Ukraine War NATO Putin United States
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2024-03-01 13:18:36
