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Former US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday and called Russia’s attack on Ukraine “stupid and a sign of incompetence”.
In a speech in Seoul, Mr. Mattis compared President Putin to a type of paranoid character mentioned in the books of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
“Putin is a creature straight out of Dostoevsky’s books. He goes to bed every night angry, scared, he sees a Russia surrounded by nightmaresMr. Mattis said.
The former US defense secretary has made relatively few public comments since resigning as Pentagon chief in 2018 over a dispute over foreign policy with former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Mattis did not speak directly about these disputes, but said that Mr. Trump pursued an unconventional foreign policy that challenged the United States’ relationship with its allies.
Mr. Mattis’ comments focused on Mr. Putin. He portrayed him as an unbalanced man unable to make smart decisions due to the lack of people to give him sound advice.
Asked what was the most important lesson to be learned from Russia’s war in Ukraine, Mr. Mattis replied: “You shouldn’t put incompetent generals in charge of operations.”
He also said that Russia’s attack was “tactically unprofessional and strategically thoughtless”.
The former US defense secretary also criticized China’s strengthening of relations with Russia, as well as Beijing’s unwillingness to challenge Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
A country “cannot be great if it supports Russia’s criminal attack on Ukraine,” he said.
Referring to the period he served as Pentagon chief during President Trump’s administration, Mr. Mattis spoke of a “tumultuous time” and called the former president an “unusual leader,” but without directly criticizing him.
“Democracies can sometimes be populist and sometimes break with tradition“, he said. “It is in the nature of democracies sometimes to test ideas and everything“.
Americans, Mr. Mattis said, must respond by maintaining trust in “institutions” as well as “those with whom they disagree.”
Mr. Mattis spoke in South Korea, a US ally that has dramatically felt the effects of Mr. Trump’s unconventional foreign policy.
Asked what he thought of Mr. Trump’s meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Mr. Mattis said that while he had never been optimistic about the outcome of the talks, the diplomatic effort, he said, was “the right thing to do.” done”.
Mr. Mattis also praised the approach being taken by South Korea’s new president, Yoon Suk Yeol, who aims for his country to play a greater role in the international arena.
Mr. Yoon, with conservative views, has clearly embraced the policies of the United States. He attended the NATO meeting held in Madrid, marking the first time a South Korean leader has attended such a meeting.
Mr. Mattis praised Mr. Yoon’s presence at the meeting, saying it is in the West’s best interest.
But he criticized those voices in Seoul who have recently called for South Korea to have its own nuclear weapons.
“You don’t need nuclear weapons on the peninsula to ensure their large-scale deterrence, and as long as there is trust between South Korea and the United StatesMr. Mattis said.
Public opinion polls consistently show that most South Koreans support the idea of equipping the country with nuclear weapons, as North Korea continues to build up its nuclear arsenal.
During his run for president, Mr. Yoon said he would urge the United States to reach an agreement on the sharing of nuclear weapons, or the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons, that Washington withdrew from South Korea earlier this year. 1990. This was immediately rejected by the US State Department.
The United States and South Korea must continue to build trust between themselves by showing determination against Pyongyang’s approach to increasing its nuclear capabilities, Mr. Mattis said.
“You should do whatever it takes not to equip yourself with these weapons, as they are terrible“, he said./ Voice of America
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