Austin: Milley sought 'clarification' from Russian counterpart on offer for assistance

Austin: Milley sought ‘clarification’ from Russian counterpart on offer for assistance

1 00:00:01,010 –> 00:00:06,560 >> Secretary Austin it’s being reported right now that the Biden administration reached 2 00:00:06,560 –> 00:00:12,260 out to Russia about using Russian bases in the Central Asian nations 3 00:00:12,260 –> 00:00:17,870 bordering Afghanistan to the north or strike assets to fly out 4 00:00:17,870 –> 00:00:24,020 of for the over the horizon counterterrorism missions. 5 00:00:24,020 –> 00:00:25,120 Is that true. 6 00:00:27,630 –> 00:00:33,570 >> Senator. This is an issue that I believe came up. During 7 00:00:33,570 –> 00:00:39,580 a conversation that the president had with President Putin where President Putin offered to 8 00:00:39,580 –> 00:00:44,320 offer to provide assistance but have. 9 00:00:44,460 –> 00:00:49,200 >> But have you reached out to the Russians asking specifically to use bases. 10 00:00:49,200 –> 00:00:54,690 >> General Milley just recently had a conversation with his Russian kind of the reports. So the reports are 11 00:00:54,690 –> 00:00:57,610 true that have been coming out today. 12 00:00:57,660 –> 00:01:02,730 >> I can assure you that that you know we are not seeking Russia’s permission to do anything. 13 00:01:02,730 –> 00:01:08,010 But I believe in general we can speak for himself and I believe that 14 00:01:08,010 –> 00:01:11,220 he asked for clarification on what that what that offer was. 15 00:01:11,250 –> 00:01:17,250 >> I have a number of questions which I’ll need to get to with General Mackenzie about 16 00:01:17,250 –> 00:01:22,770 over the horizon and the capabilities as we look to the future and what’s available there 17 00:01:22,770 –> 00:01:28,200 . But I think it’s what we’re seeing in the reports today about 18 00:01:28,200 –> 00:01:33,420 asking to use Russian bases. That’s just another example that we see of 19 00:01:33,420 –> 00:01:38,880 the Biden administration. They’ve they’ve really left us in a terrible position that we have 20 00:01:38,880 –> 00:01:44,490 to ask the Russians to be able to protect the United States 21 00:01:44,490 –> 00:01:45,660 from terrorists. 22 00:01:45,660 –> 00:01:51,240 >> And we have to ask them to use their installations. And I would just simply re-emphasize Senator 23 00:01:51,240 –> 00:01:56,890 that we’re not asking the Russians for anything but you’re negotiating trying to get these bases to 24 00:01:56,890 –> 00:02:02,800 be able to use their installations because Afghanistan is a landlocked country. 25 00:02:02,800 –> 00:02:08,140 And when we have explanations from the military and they give examples for 26 00:02:08,140 –> 00:02:14,080 over the horizon and use countries like Yemen and Libya and Somalia 27 00:02:14,080 –> 00:02:19,360 that does not take into consideration that Afghanistan is landlocked and we 28 00:02:19,360 –> 00:02:23,320 have to depend on Pakistan to give us air space to get there. 29 00:02:23,320 –> 00:02:24,370 >> Thank you Mr. Chairman.

Read Entire Article