Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin postponed his trip to Brussels this week for NATO meetings on Ukraine as he remains hospitalized due to complications arising from prostate cancer, handing off his duties to deputy secretary Kathleen Hicks instead.
Officials announced that NATO’s Ukraine contact group meeting will now take place virtually, officials confirmed. Ministers from NATO member nations will discuss various topics including support for Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is in the hospital
Pentagon Chief Military Official Lloyd Austin was hospitalized again after having to cancel a trip to Brussels for a meeting of more than 50 countries that supply Ukraine with arms, according to Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder. Austin had been taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center due to an “urgent bladder issue.”
Ryder noted that both the Joint Chiefs chairman and White House were informed, while Austin transferred all functions and duties of his office to deputy secretary of defense Kathleen Hicks before going to hospital. Ryder stated that Austin traveled with all necessary unclassified and classified communications systems required to perform his job duties at hand.
Austin had planned to travel to Brussels this week for meetings of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group that he established after Russia invaded Kyiv in 2022, as well as regular NATO defense minister meetings; these will now take place virtually, according to US defense official.
Austin was hospitalized shortly before Congress attempted to approve additional funding for Ukraine to continue fighting Russian-backed rebels, prompting bipartisan members of the Armed Services Committee overseeing this issue to demand more information from his department regarding why his hospitalization wasn’t publicly announced and how he plans on communicating with his superiors in future.
This failure of communication is especially troubling because this marks the second time this year that Austin’s hospitalizations have been kept confidential by his department. His initial admission on New Year’s Day for complications from prostate cancer surgery sparked outrage from legislators demanding answers. Austin apologized for being less open during that initial hospitalization but promised greater transparency going forward.
Austin’s hospitalization raises questions about U.S. support for Ukraine
One of the Biden administration’s chief goals has been leading America’s efforts to assist Ukraine against Russian invaders. Austin has been at the forefront of that effort and at the core of communications between Israeli soldiers fighting Hamas in Gaza and his administration – as such, American people deserve an update from their top defense leader.
The Pentagon has provided few details as to the reason behind Austin’s hospitalization, except to say it is necessary for him to receive additional treatments and close monitoring by department doctors. A spokeswoman, Pat Ryder, only stated this while adding that Austin continues his duties with secure communications from Walter Reed; therefore he cannot conduct in-person briefings as is typical.
Due to Austin’s departure, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks has assumed his duties, although she only began this post on October 1. Additionally, Hicks lacks counterinsurgency leadership experience and may face some difficulties fulfilling them effectively.
Austin made his first public statement since being hospitalized, encouraging members of the NATO-Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting to “dig deep” to assist Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s military offensive against Russia. Austin also applauded a historic coalition of 50 allies and partners who have come together in support of Ukraine.
But Trump’s speech came a week before the two-year anniversary of Russia’s violent invasion and amid congressional gridlock over reviving aid payments for Ukraine. Progress on that bill has been hindered due to Republican demands that any such allocation be linked with new border security measures.
Republicans have sharply criticized the Biden administration for keeping both White House and Congress informed about Austin’s hospitalization without seeking hearings on it, suggesting this incident as proof of imbalanced administration handling in Ukraine and Middle East, where conflict between Israel and Hamas remains fierce.
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