Defense Secretary Hints at US Troops in Ukraine if Congress Refuses War Funding
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has reportedly hinted that U.S. military troops could be headed to Ukraine if more funding isn't provided for the war-torn nation.
The concerns were noted in a post on X by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Did the Secretary of Defense Threaten to Send Americans to Ukraine if Congress Refuses to Fund the War? https://t.co/LblwgCLfQ7
— Brad Porcellato (@BradPorcellato) December 8, 2023
"The Biden administration is openly threatening Americans over Ukraine," he wrote.
"In a classified briefing in the House yesterday, defense secretary Lloyd Austin informed members that if they don’t appropriate more money for Zelensky, 'we’ll send your uncles, cousins and sons to fight Russia.' Pay the oligarchs or we’ll kill your kids," he added.
Austin Warns Congress Failing to Pass Ukraine Aid ‘Very Likely’ Leads to US Troops on the Ground In Europe https://t.co/BabZ98u2DD
— Andrei Piontkovsky (@apiontkovsky) December 10, 2023
"If [Vladimir] Putin takes over Ukraine, he'll get Moldova, Georgia, then maybe the Baltics," House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told The Messenger after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and senior Biden administration military and intelligence officials briefed House lawmakers.
"And then the idea that we'll have to put troops on the ground in Secretary Austin's word was very likely," Mr. McCaul stated, adding that he wants Congress to pass a Ukraine funding package. "That's what we're trying to avoid."
The report comes as American support for financing military operations in Ukraine continues to decline.
Democrats have instead attempted to bundle Ukraine aid in a package funding defense in Israel and Taiwan that was stopped by Senate Republicans last week.
The Biden administration is now looking for more options to expand funding as conservatives push back and vote against Ukraine military packages.
The claims of reports from the military's top leader shows that the issue is becoming increasingly political as the nation heads into a presidential election year.
