NATO Will Be Drawn Into Conflict With Russia if Ukraine Loses: Lloyd Austin

U.S. Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin warned on Thursday that NATO will likely be drawn into struggle if Ukraine is defeated by invading Russian forces.

Talking at a Republican-led Home Armed Companies Committee listening to to debate his current absence whereas hospitalized for issues from prostate most cancers surgical procedure, Austin predicted that Russian President Vladimir Putin wouldn’t “cease” if Moscow wins the struggle in Ukraine.

Austin made the remarks after being requested about Congress failing to approve a $60 billion army assist bundle for Ukraine, as requested by President Joe Biden. Regardless of vital bipartisan help for Ukraine assist, the measure has stalled amid a collection of partisan disputes over border safety and different points.

“We all know that if Putin is profitable right here, he is not going to cease,” Austin mentioned. “He’ll proceed to take extra aggressive motion within the area. And different leaders around the globe, different autocrats, will take a look at this they usually’ll be inspired by the truth that this occurred and we didn’t help a democracy.”

Austin later mentioned that the Baltic nations—Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia—had been particularly weak to the longer term expansionist ambitions of Putin. All three international locations are NATO members, which means that Russia would basically be declaring struggle on your entire strategic alliance by attacking any single nation.

“Should you’re a Baltic state, you are actually nervous about whether or not or not you are subsequent,” he mentioned. “They know Putin, they know what he is able to … And fairly frankly, if Ukraine falls, I actually imagine that NATO will likely be in a battle with Russia.”

Newsweek reached out for remark to the Russian Ministry of Overseas Affairs by way of e-mail on Thursday night time.

Tensions between Russia and NATO have been escalating in current months, with a army buildup occurring alongside the alliance’s borders with Russia. Officers from Russia and NATO member states have more and more expressed considerations concerning the Ukraine struggle rising to contain the alliance.

Putin cited considerations about NATO increasing as one in every of his preliminary causes for invading Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Regardless, the alliance has continued to develop over the course of the struggle. Finland joined in April 2023, whereas its neighbor Sweden appears to be like prone to comply with swimsuit later this yr.

Sweden’s entry into the alliance would full the transformation of the Baltic Sea into what some have dubbed “NATO lake,” as the opposite nations on the physique of water are all members. The one exception is the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which is on the Baltic between Lithuania and Poland.

Ukraine has been struggling on the battlefield in current weeks whereas coping with a scarcity of ammunition and gear that might doubtlessly be remedied with extra assist. Russian victories over the previous two weeks embody taking the Dontesk metropolis of Avdiivka on February 17 and three extra settlements near the town earlier this week.

Earlier throughout the Home listening to on Thursday, Austin mentioned that the U.S. failure to safe extra Ukraine assist has despatched an unfavorable sign to the world and hindered the Ukrainian army’s confidence and sense of function.

“Our allies are troubled by the message that we’re sending,” Austin mentioned. “Definitely, it has impacted the morale of the Ukrainian troops. If we proceed down this path, will probably be a present to Putin, and we actually don’t need that to occur.”

“As others take a look at this, they’ll query whether or not or not we’re a reliable ally or reliable companion,” he added. “And that is very troubling for us as effectively.”