WASHINGTON – There seems to be no end to this secretary's secrecy.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted this month's meeting of the multinational Ukraine Contact Group at his home on Tuesday, omitting pre-prepared remarks acknowledging the recent health scare, but scandalously denying his Pentagon colleagues and He hid his remarks from his White House superiors for days.
“As you know, I will be joining you today from home.” Austin was supposed to say this. He began his speech by opening a meeting with the UCG, a group of more than 50 countries that meets monthly to discuss ways to support Ukraine's defense needs. “I feel well and look forward to returning to the Department of Defense soon. And I appreciate everyone's warm wishes.”
Instead, for the first time, he will confess live about his troubling decision not to tell President Biden and his Pentagon colleagues that he was hospitalized on January 1st due to complications from a December 22nd prostate removal surgery. The content was completely ignored.
“We want to start the new year with renewed energy,” Austin said, reading from a prepared script. “We are all here to reaffirm our support for a free, secure and sovereign Ukraine, and to ensure we continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities it needs through the winter and beyond.”
Austin shocked Washington this month when it was revealed that he had not even informed his aide Kathleen Hicks that he had been admitted to the hospital, as he transferred the role of secretary from the hospital to her.
It wasn't until January 4, three days after she took over, that Hicks, the White House, and the rest of the Pentagon learned why she had done what she did. Ta.
Mr. Austin returned to work virtually from Walter Reed on January 5, and throughout most of his two-week hospital stay, he worked on important national defense issues, including the January 11 U.S.-UK-led airstrikes against Houthi terrorists in Yemen. advised the president on
He was released last Monday and has been working from home ever since until he is well enough to return to the Pentagon.
Before the Austin health crisis, Tuesday's UCG meeting was scheduled to be held in-person. Since its inception in May 2022, the group has alternated between in-person and virtual meetings each month, and last time it was held virtually.
Given Austin's inability to travel, arrangements were made to hold the meeting online.
But Tuesday's virtual session was different. Because his secretary appeared from his house. Homes in Virginia over $3.5 million.
Austin looks uncomfortable as his colleagues, Gen. C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs are summoned from their usual official venue, surrounded by giant Ukrainian and U.S. flags in the Pentagon briefing room. appeared from the venue. A pure white room that looks more like a closet than an office.
The secretary apparently tried to make the makeshift set seem more official, but the effort was unsuccessful.he sat in front What looked like a large sticker of the Pentagon seal And above the copy machine in the corner were two miniature American and Ukrainian flags.
Another thing Austin didn't mention is whether Congress will pass a supplemental funding bill that would provide tens of billions of dollars in additional weapons to Ukraine as Russia's war with Ukraine marks its second anniversary next month. This is the current conflict surrounding this.
Instead, he called on other countries to provide further support to Ukraine, as the future of U.S. funding for the effort remains uncertain.
“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin hopes the missiles and drones will demoralize the Ukrainian people and destroy their will to fight. of the Ukrainian military,” Austin said. “Therefore, I urge this organization to dig deep to provide Ukraine with ground-based air defense systems and interceptors that will save more lives.”
But if Austin wants to win legislative support for additional U.S. funding, his recent scandals have done little to help that effort.
Both Republicans and Democrats have called for his resignation over the ordeal.
He has been invited to testify on this issue before the House Armed Services Committee on February 14th.
The Pentagon has not yet said whether the secretary plans to appear at the hearing upon request.
