Austin: ‘Ukraine’s Going to Decide What Victory’ Is and We’ll Focus ‘on What’s in Front of Us’

On Wednesday’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin responded to questions on what would constitute a victory in the Ukraine-Russia war and whether the U.S. would urge Ukraine to end the war, even if the borders were restored to where they were before the start of the war by stating that “Ukraine’s going to decide what victory’s going to look like,” and “we’re going to focus on what’s in front of us right now and put them in the best possible position to continue to be successful.”

Host Ari Shapiro asked, [relevant exchange begins around 5:30] “This all builds up to what may be the most important question, how does this end?”

Austin responded, “I think, again, we’re going to focus on what’s in front of us right now and put them in the best possible position to continue to be successful. And I think that will lead us to Ukraine being in a — again, a good place, whether or not the fighting continues or whether or not they decide to go to the negotiating table.”

Shapiro then asked, “Well, to be specific, back in November, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley said Ukraine cannot achieve the goal of kicking all the Russians out of the country, including Crimea. Do you think he’s right about that?”

Austin answered, “I don’t want to speculate at this point. I think my goal is to provide them the capabilities required to achieve their objectives. And that’s what [I] and the Chairman are going to continue to stay focused on.”

Shapiro then cut in to ask, “Well, their objective specifically is to drive all the Russians out. Is the U.S. goal to help Ukraine drive all the Russians out, or is the U.S. goal to help Ukraine get to a strong negotiating position?”

Austin responded, “Well, they can be driven out, or Putin can decide to take his forces back out of Ukraine because he’s in such a bad position, and that could happen as well. He could end this today, Ari. And we all know that this is — this war is happening because of one man, one man’s desire to erase his neighbor’s boundaries and occupy his neighbor’s territory, and this is, again, unjustified, unprovoked, and Putin could end this at any point in time in the future.”

Shapiro concluded by asking, “If Russia were to retreat to where it was before the full-scale invasion a year ago — meaning it hangs onto Crimea, it remains in parts of eastern Ukraine — would the U.S. consider that a Ukrainian victory and urge Ukraine to end the war at that?”

Austin responded, “Ukraine’s going to decide what victory’s going to look like, Ari, and so I don’t want to speak for President Zelensky or the Ukrainian people. I think that’s for them to decide.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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