Austin makes urgent pitch for Ukraine aid in remarks after latest hospital release

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated his push for more aid to Ukraine in virtual remarks Wednesday, following his release from the hospital a day earlier.

In opening remarks to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group — a group of about 50 member nations that coordinate military support for Ukraine — Austin affirmed that the U.S. will “stand foursquare” with the embattled country as it approaches two years of war with Russia.

Austin, 70, delivered the remarks from his home as he recovers from a bladder issue that forced him into Walter Reed Medical Center’s critical care unit Sunday. The top Defense chief spent two nights at the Bethesda, Md., hospital, which required him to transfer his duties to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks while he underwent treatment.

During his stay at Walter Reed, Austin underwent nonsurgical procedures under general anesthesia, and doctors said he was recovering well, the Pentagon stated.

He was released Tuesday afternoon and resumed his full duties upon being discharged, the Pentagon added. The White House, Congress, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Hicks were all notified Sunday, when he was first admitted to the hospital.

The hospitalization forced Austin to cancel his trip to Brussels, Belgium, where he was expected to meet with the Ukraine defense group in person to work on military aid for Ukraine. He began his Wednesday remarks apologizing for his absence.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December, and doctors noted Monday the current bladder issue is not expected to alter his “anticipated full recovery.”

“I’m in good condition, and my cancer prognosis remains excellent,” he said Wednesday.

“And America will continue to support Ukraine’s principled fight against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s imperial aggression. The Kremlin is sinking deeper into its self-inflicted isolation, but this coalition of some 50 countries worldwide is here to roll up our sleeves and get to work,” he added later.

Austin said he expects the meeting to focus on Ukraine’s “near-term requirements,” which includes its “urgent need” for more artillery ammunition and air-defense missiles.

Increasing division among lawmakers has left Ukraine aid in limbo for nearly a year. Congress has not passed a bill with funding for the Eastern European country since the end of 2022, when a Democratic majority passed its fourth package for Ukraine.

The Pentagon first sounded the alarm it had run out of funds and ammunition for Ukraine in December and has repeatedly called on Congress to pass legislation to provide further aid to the embattled nation.

The Senate passed a $95.3 billion emergency defense spending legislation early Tuesday morning, which would provide $60 billion in aid to Ukraine. The remaining funds would go to Israel for its war against Hamas, U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific and provide humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in Gaza.

The bill’s fate remains uncertain, however, as it heads to the lower chamber, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has indicated he would not put it up for a vote as it lacks the border security measures demanded by House GOP members months earlier.