The statement came on the sidelines of the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ 19th Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major annual defense and security forum in the Indo-Pacific region, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
Austin stressed that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could have ramifications on global security, and therefore the international community must stay tightly engaged to support Ukraine and maintain a rules-based international order.
Read also: General Staff shows US howitzers being loaded for UkraineAlso, the Pentagon chief underscored that international rules-based order must not be weakened.
“Russia's invasion of Ukraine is what happens when oppressors trample the rules that protect us all, is what happens when big powers decide that their imperial appetites matter more than the rights of their peaceful neighbors," he said. "It's a preview of a possible world of chaos and turmoil that none of us would want to live in."
"These challenges demand shared responsibility and common action, and we must all reaffirm our common commitment to uphold international law, defend global norms and oppose unilateral changes to the status quo," the secretary said.
