The Minister of Defense of USA Lloyd Austin today made his first public appearance, online and from home, since being hospitalized in early January without alerting the country's senior authorities, as he spoke via video conference at a meeting of the contact group on Ukraine, skipping, however, to read the comments he had prepared on his health.
Lloyd Austin, 70, was hospitalized on Jan. 1 for two weeks due to complications from surgery related to prostate cancer, which he was diagnosed with in early December.
This diagnosis and the two subsequent hospitalizations were not communicated to the country's higher authorities, starting with Joe Biden, only after four dayswhich caused a backlash in the press and among his Republican opponents, in the middle of the election season.
Austin appeared on the live stream for a few minutes as he made his opening remarks. He was sitting in front of a white wall, having what looked like a security system keypad behind him to his left and the Ministry of Defense logo to his right, with two small flags of the USA and Ukraine on a printer.
“The security of the entire international community is at stake in the fighting in Ukraine. I am more determined than ever to work with our allies and partners to support Ukraine and make sure the job gets done,” Austin said.
He pointed to $250 million in military aid to Ukrainewhich Washington announced last month, but did not refer to a new US aid, as the necessary resources do not exist.
The Republican opposition in Congress is refusing to give the green light to a new economic aid package as long as President Joe Biden does not live up to its demands to reduce immigration at the border with Mexico.
The Pentagon chief's hospitalization without notifying the White House came at a time when American forces are under fire in Iraq and Syria and Yemen's Houthi rebels are launching attacks against global maritime traffic in the Red Sea.
The White House assured, however, that the Pentagon chief oversaw the Jan. 12 US-British strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen “from his hospital bed.”
Lloyd Austin is not expected to attend the joint press conference with US generals after the meeting, which is routine after such meetings.
Source: News Beast
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