U.S. Defense Secretary Confirms Military's Neutrality in the Coming Phase
The Pentagon appears to be seeking to reassure domestic and foreign entities about military institution stability, despite potential political challenges in the upcoming phase
November 7, 2024, 7:26 pm

U.S. Defense Secretary Confirms Military's Neutrality in the Coming Phase

لويد أوستن وزير الدفاع الأمريكي \ تعبيرية \ متداولة

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declared to the armed forces that the Department of Defense is determined to ensure an orderly transfer of power to Donald Trump's incoming administration, emphasizing that the military institution will remain politically neutral and ready to implement "all legal orders".

Austin wrote in a message to the armed forces sent Wednesday night: "The U.S. military will also continue to stand apart from the political arena, standing guard over our republic with principle and professionalism; and standing with valuable allies and partners who enhance our security."

Trump managed to achieve a historic victory to become the second president in U.S. history to win presidential elections for two non-consecutive terms, following in the footsteps of Grover Cleveland.

The Republican candidate accomplished an unprecedented feat in winning the presidential race, becoming the forty-seventh president of the United States, after surpassing the 270-vote threshold in the Electoral College.

It's worth noting that Trump's previous term, at age 78, witnessed the first double parliamentary trial of a sitting president, and he is also the first former president to face criminal charges.

The race to the White House was marked by exceptional events, as Trump survived two assassination attempts, while President Biden unexpectedly withdrew allowing his Vice President Harris to enter the fray, while billions of dollars were pumped during months of heated election campaigns.

Trump had previously claimed - without evidence - victory in the 2020 presidential election against Biden, and his supporters stormed the Capitol building on January 6, 2021.

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.