Putin's Overall Strategy Regarding Ukraine Remains Unknown: Pentagon Chief

The U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin believes that the overall strategy of Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Ukraine is unknown.

In response to a question from a CNN correspondent about which lever Putin would pull—food, energy, or migration—Austin stated that the world has seen the Russian leader 'employ a range of different levers from the very beginning.'

Austin noted that at the start of the war, Putin expected overwhelming force, speed, and power to quickly capture Kyiv and remove the government, but that did not succeed. 'We have seen how they have actually moved very slowly and unsuccessfully on the battlefield, and one can expect that he will try to use other power levers or force tools, and he is doing that. But his strategy is unknown,' Austin said.