A Pentagon spokesperson told Newsmax on Wednesday that preparing for retaliation from Russia for supporting Ukraine is nothing new for the Defense Department.
Press secretary John Kirby was asked if Pentagon leaders worried that too much support provided to Ukraine might cause Putin to escalate his war and retaliate against the U.S.
"We never lose our focus on force protection or being able to defend ourselves or our allies," Kirby said in response to a Newsmax question during Wednesday's press briefing.
"I mean, that's why we flew in another 20,000 American troops onto the European continent in just the last six to eight weeks. The risk of escalation beyond Ukraine and in a more deadly way is something we're constantly looking at and constantly talking about."
Kirby went on to say, "escalation management is a big part of leadership here at the Pentagon — not just with respect to Ukraine but all around the world."
"That's what we get paid to do," Kirby said. "So, we're certainly factoring in those concerns as we work with Ukrainians, but the main focus is helping Ukraine defend itself and getting them the kind of systems that they need most."
President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced the U.S. would provide Ukraine $800 million in military aid, which will include helicopters, artillery systems, and armored vehicles.
A White House statement said Biden's announcement came right after he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Logan Ratick is a national correspondent for Newsmax based in Washington, D.C. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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