Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized but is now on the road to recovery, according to a statement reported by RIA Novosti.
The US Secretary of Defense stated that he expects to return to the Pentagon soon.
Furthermore, Austin acknowledged that he could have been more transparent about his health issues and promised to improve in this regard.
“I also understand the media’s concerns regarding transparency and admit that I could have done more to properly inform the public,” said the Defense Secretary.
Prior to this, Politico had reported, citing two officials, that the Pentagon had kept the White House uninformed about Austin’s hospitalization for three days.
It has been revealed that Austin was hospitalized on January 1st due to complications arising from a routine medical procedure.
At the same time, the Pentagon stated that the head of the defense department is recovering quite quickly and is ready to return to work in full capacity by January 6th. The department also mentioned that the Deputy Secretary of Defense is always prepared to stand in for Austin if necessary. However, the US Department of Defense declined to disclose whether Austin was unconscious during his hospitalization or in critical condition.
Earlier, Austin had stated that the US would not allow Russia to achieve victory in Ukraine.
