Putin Thought He Could Conquer Kyiv, "He Was Wrong", Says Pentagon Chief
NDTV
Russia-Ukraine War: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, "Putin thought that he could very rapidly take over the country of Ukraine, very rapidly capture this capital city. He was wrong."
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has given up on conquering Kyiv after his forces were soundly beaten back by the Ukrainian military.
"Putin thought that he could very rapidly take over the country of Ukraine, very rapidly capture this capital city. He was wrong," Austin told a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee in Congress.
"I think Putin has given up on his efforts to capture the capital city and is now focused on the south and east of the country," said Austin.
But the path of the overall war, six weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, remains uncertain, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, told the same hearing.
