Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Tuesday warned of “protracted conflict” in Ukraine that could take years to end.
“I think that NATO, the United States, Ukraine and all of the allies and partners that are supporting Ukraine are going to be involved in this for quite some time,” Milley, the top U.S. military officer, testified before the House Armed Services Committee.
Milley was joined by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in their first congressional testimony since Russia attacked Ukraine in February. The hearing was meant to focus on the 2023 defense budget request, but the latest developments in Ukraine took center stage.
Russia’s invasion, which has forced over 4 million people to flee their country, is threatening peace in Europe and the world, said Milley, pointing to shifting global power dynamics.
“We are now facing two global powers: China and Russia, each with significant military capabilities, both who intend to fundamentally change the rules-based current global order,” he said. “We are entering a world that is becoming more unstable and the potential for significant international conflict is increasing, not decreasing.”
Milley dismissed suggestions that the U.S. could have done more to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from going through with the invasion in the first place.
“Candidly, short of the commitment of U.S. military forces into Ukraine proper, I’m not sure he was deterrable,” Milley said. “This has been a long-term objective of his that goes back years.”
As countries in Eastern Europe grow increasingly worried that they might be next on Putin’s target list, Milley supported the idea of establishing permanent U.S. military bases in the region. But he said forces should rotate to limit the costs associated with permanent troop deployment, including moving family and schools. He added that U.S. allies in the region, like Poland, would be willing to help pay.
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