Russia failed in its goal to destroy Ukraine, and in the event of putin's victory, russia would continue attempts at aggression or destabilization in other countries. Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, a Pentagon representative, stated this during a briefing on December 12, as reported by Voice of America.
"Past experiences are often indicators of future actions. We have seen how russia conducts operations in gray zones. We know their failed objective was to destroy Ukraine as a country. If allowed, putin won't stop at Ukraine. They will move on to attempts of invasion or destabilization in other countries", - said Pat Ryder.
According to him, in such a scenario, the U.S. would find itself in a situation where NATO could be under threat, and the U.S. would have commitments under NATO's Article 5 on collective defense.
"That's why Ukraine matters. It's not just about Ukraine. It's about international security, not only in Europe but worldwide", - added Ryder.
The Pentagon representative also quoted U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the day before, emphasized that Ukraine is crucial for shaping the trajectory of global security in the 21st century. He noted that this is the reason why the United States has allocated over $44 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.