Austin Condemns Kremlin ‘Apologists’ in Pledging Support for Ukraine

“Austin Condemns Kremlin ‘Apologists’ in Pledging Support for Ukraine,” Eric Schmitt (New York Times 10/21/2024)

I thank Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for his full-throated support for the Ukrainian people who are fighting for their lives against the evil, imperialistic Russian Mafia. My prayers are with the Ukrainian people and all people under attack by the Russian Mafia.

Mr. Austin said:

“We fully understand the moral chasm between aggressor and defender.” “We will not be gulled by the frauds and the falsehoods of the Kremlin’s apologists.” “We refuse to blame Ukraine for the Kremlin’s aggression.” “We refuse to offer excuses for Putin’s atrocities. And we refuse to pretend that appeasement will stop an invasion.”

Mr. Austin is outstanding. He also said the war’s outcome affected not only Ukraine’s future, but also the long-term security interests of the United States and its allies in Europe. And while Ukrainian forces have steadily lost ground to Russian troops in recent days, he argued that the Kremlin has been the big loser in the two and a half year old conflict. “Russia has paid a staggering price for Putin’s imperial war,” Mr. Austin said to an audience of Ukrainian diplomats and military officials in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, noting that Russia has failed to achieve a single one of its strategic goals after it launched it’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. ...according to U.S. assessments, Russian casualties it the war so far number as many as 615,000: 115,000 Russians killed and 500,000 wounded. “U.S. and British military analysts put Russian causalities in September at an average of more than 1,200 a day…”

Mr. Austin announced that the Pentagon would send Ukraine a new $400 million shipment of arms, including ammunition for HIMARS rocket systems, additional munitions, armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons…”

In his speech Mr. Austin said: “”there was “no silver bullet” to turn the tide of the war in Ukraine’s favor.” What matters is the way that Ukraine fights back,” he said. “What matters is the combined effects of your military capabilities. And what matters is staying focused on what works.”