Austin: Russian steps don’t show they are ‘ready to pack up and go home’

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that a series of steps Russia has taken near the Ukrainian border do not suggest that Moscow is “ready to pack up and go home” despite its claims of drawing down troops.

Speaking to reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Austin said Moscow has added troops along the border and flown in more combat and support aircraft, sharpened readiness in the Black Sea and stocked up on blood supplies.

“You know, I was a soldier myself not that long ago. And I know firsthand that you don’t do these sorts of things for no reason,” Austin said. “And you certainly don’t do them if you’re getting ready to pack up and go home.”

Over the past couple of days, Russia has said it would draw down some of the more than 150,000 troops it has massed near Ukraine’s border, and that it was willing to engage in diplomacy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also indicated on Tuesday that he was ready to talk with the U.S. and NATO about missile deployment limits and transparency.

But the U.S. and NATO have directly challenged those statements, saying they’ve seen no signs of de-escalation. To the contrary, a senior administration official told reporters on Wednesday that Russia had actually added as many as 7,000 troops to the Ukrainian border. 

In a separate press conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated that the alliance had seen “no sign of withdrawal or de-escalation so far,” despite Moscow’s claims.

Austin also said the U.S. would watch for a “false flag” operation by Russia it might use as justification to attack Ukraine.

Austin said the administration was ready for further dialogue with Putin, saying a peaceful solution that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty is the best outcome for all sides.

“If Mr. Putin is serious about achieving that sort of outcome, he will find in the United States and in this audience, no better or more serious interlocutor,” Austin said.

“And if he’s not — as his deeds thus far tend to indicate — it will be clear to the entire world that he started a war with diplomatic options left on the table,” he continued. “It will be Mr. Putin who will bear the responsibility for the suffering and the immense sacrifice that ensues.”