US Secretary of Defense Admits the Real Strategic Goal in Ukraine: Quagmire for Russia

John Burroughs, LCNP Senior Analyst

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the Pentagon, January 23, 2021. DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando.

On April 25, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin provided a revealing and disturbing glimpse into a darker element of US policy when he stated: "We want to see Russia weakened to the degree it cannot do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine."

It cannot be said too strongly: The US government must not be guided by any notion that a quagmire in Ukraine would drain Russian resources, diminish Russian influence and power globally, and possibly lead to regime change. The United States instead should do all within its power to help bring the war to a close rapidly in order to limit suffering; to eliminate risks that the conflict will widen and escalate, possibly to nuclear war; and to limit the negative global economic and food security repercussions.