NATO will continue to beef up the eastern flank in response to Russian actions.
Report informs citing Anadolu that Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said this at a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak, in Warsaw.
"What Putin didn't want, namely, the strengthening of NATO on the flank, that's exactly what he will see," the chief of the US Defense Department said.
Austin noted the valuable contribution of Poland to strengthening the defense capability of Ukraine in the face of tension with Moscow.
The chief of the Pentagon also pointed to the likelihood of an influx of tens of thousands of refugees to the borders of Poland in the event of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"There is still time for diplomacy in resolving the crisis," Lloyd Austin added.