American lives at stake if conflict breaks out in Ukraine: Panetta
US Democratic Party politician Leon Panetta has admitted that American lives are “going to be at stake” if the conflict breaks out between Russia and Ukraine amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
"[R]ight now there are military advisers -- US military advisers -- in Ukraine working with the Ukrainians to try to develop their capabilities. And so if something happens, there's no question that US lives are also going to be at stake here,” Panetta said on Saturday.
The 83-year-old has served in several high government positions, including Secretary of Defense, CIA Director, White House Chief of Staff, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and as a US Representative from California.
The former Obama-era Pentagon chief insisted that the Ukraine crisis needed to be resolved with military leverage, saying the US boycott slapped on Russia was not “the issue that is going to turn this around”.
Panetta called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "bully" who did not want to take a beating in the global arena.
"I think this comes down still to a military issue because I think what will persuade Putin is whether or not, if he engages in war, he could get a black eye. And one thing bullies don't like to do is to get a black eye,” Panetta said. “And I think that's where our strongest leverage is."
"So I think supply to the Ukrainians, moving our forces up into NATO, deploying our aircraft and our ships ... I think that's the most important deterrent we have right now with regards to Russia," he said.
Panetta said Putin could choose one of three strategies, i.e, to invade Ukraine; or to negotiate an agreement with regards to Russian security; and finally, to keep troops amassed at the border.
"I think that Putin within the next few weeks has to make a decision what path he's going to take,” Panetta concluded.
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