In an interview with Defense One earlier this week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said if Russia invaded Ukraine, it should be concerned about its reputation.
Asked whether the American military had an obligation to engage militarily if Russia invaded Ukraine in order to remain a credible ally or partner, he responded, “I won’t engage in hypotheticals…but when it comes to our reputation and in a case like that, I think if for example, Russia invades Ukraine, I think Russia should be concerned about its reputation because the international community will react very strongly to yet another incursion into Ukraine.”
He added, “So I think the aggressor here is the one that we ought to be focused on in terms of reputation.”
His response was highlighted by the Republican National Committee in a tweet: “Russia doesn’t care about its reputation, just like the Taliban,” the RNC tweeted, referring to the Biden administration’s repeated talking point that the Taliban would not treat Afghan women poorly since it would hurt its reputation in the eyes of the world.
True. This is yet another thing the Democrats don’t understand about America’s enemies.