The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milleyhas estimated that, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the war in the Ukrainian country will last “for years”. Milley has made these statements in an appearance together with the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, in the Armed Services Committee of the Lower House.
In response to a question from the Democratic legislator, Bill Keating, about the possible duration of the contest in Ukraine, Milley has stated that It will be “a very extended conflict over time”.
“I think it can at least be measured in years, I don’t know if a decade, but for years, for sure”mentioned the general, who stressed that this fact will mean that “NATO, the US and all the allies and partners that are supporting Ukraine will be involved for a long time.”
The reason no US troops have been sent
On the other hand, both Milley and Austin have stressed that sending US troops to Ukraine could have dissuaded Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukrainebut who preferred to discard it for the risk of direct confrontation with the Russians.
However, Milley has recalled that the invasion of Ukraine has been “a long-time goal of Putin”. “I am not sure that Putin could be dissuadedsince this has been his long-term goal, for several years, so I think the idea of dissuading him from invading Ukraine by the United States would have needed to engage the US Armed Forces, “said the head of state US Joint Major.
In any case, General Mark Milley has argued that a US military intervention in Ukraine it would have meant “a direct conflict with Russia”, for which he himself advised against it.
Austin has expressed himself along the same lines, indicating that at no time was it an objective of President Biden’s administration to dissuade Vladimir Putin by sending the military to Ukraine. “It was a decision we made early, we are not going to put forces in Ukraine to fight Russia”said the Minister of Defense.