Kremlin says US defense secretary's remarks on conflict with Russia 'irresponsible'

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitr Peskov said on Friday that remarks by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin about NATO's fight with Russia in case of Ukraine's defeat are "extremely irresponsible."

"This is another extremely irresponsible statement that we have been hearing in recent days. We are hearing extremely irresponsible statements coming from a number of European capitals, now also from overseas. These statements lead to further escalation of tension," Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow.

Speaking at a hearing dedicated to his January hospitalization, Austin said if Ukraine falls, Russia and NATO could come into a direct military conflict.

He said Russian leadership "won’t stop there" if Ukraine is defeated. "Quite frankly, if Ukraine falls, I really believe that NATO will be in a fight with Russia," the defense secretary added.

The Russian spokesman emphasized that such statements show Russia was right when it voiced concern over Ukraine's accession to NATO.

"The main thing is that they (statements from the West) de facto demonstrate the worldview of NATO. NATO considers Ukraine its territory. This once again underlines the absolute validity of what the Russian Federation is doing, and the validity of the special military operation," he said.

Russia started its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022, and one of the reason was Kyiv's possible membership to NATO.​​​​​​​

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a bid for fast-track membership of the military alliance in September 2022.