US Defense Secretary: "Putin Likely Does Not Want Confrontation with NATO... Will Respond Firmly if Member States Are Attacked"

"NATO Troops 1.9 Million, Most Advanced Military"
Russian Foreign Minister "Does Not Want War with Europe"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not want a direct confrontation with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) member countries, and if any member country is attacked, there will be a definite response under the NATO defense treaty.

According to CNN on the 11th (local time), Secretary Austin appeared at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee and stated, "A direct clash between Russia and NATO is not in Putin's calculation," emphasizing, "NATO has 1.9 million troops and the most advanced military capabilities, so Putin does not want to fight NATO."

He continued, "However, if Russia attacks a NATO member country, NATO will definitely respond in some way under Article 5 of the NATO treaty," warning strongly, "If a NATO member country is attacked, it will be a 'game changer' that completely changes the situation." The Article 5 of the NATO treaty mentioned by Secretary Austin is a defense clause where all member countries automatically engage militarily to defend collectively if a member is attacked by a third country.

This is interpreted as a direct response to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's threat on the 25th that "the possibility of World War III is very high." Russia has used the hypersonic missile Kinzhal on the Ukrainian front and hinted at the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons near NATO border areas, warning of the possibility of escalation to NATO member countries following Ukraine.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, who attended with Secretary Austin, downplayed the hypersonic missiles used by the Russian military in Ukraine, saying, "The hypersonic missiles used by Russia in Ukraine are not game-changing weapons." Earlier, the U.S. Department of Defense revealed that Russia had used more than 12 hypersonic missiles on the Ukrainian front.

Meanwhile, Russia emphasized that it does not want escalation beyond Ukraine. According to TASS news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed at a press conference that "there are people worried about war in Europe, but we do not want it at all."

Earlier, on Victory Day on the 9th, Russian President Vladimir Putin attracted attention by emphasizing only the justification for war without suggesting the possibility of a full-scale war declaration or escalation expected by the West. As the stalemate on the Ukrainian front deepens and the scale of Russian military casualties increases, there is an assessment that the tone of statements toward the West or Ukraine has somewhat softened compared to the early stages of the war.