US Defence Secretary makes first public appearance, virtually, since hospitalisation

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FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin looks on during a joint press conference with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at Israel's Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, Israel December 18, 2023. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura/File Photo

The Jan 23 meeting on Ukraine was Mr Lloyd Austin's first public appearance since he was warded.

PHOTO: REUTERS

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United States Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin made his first public appearance, virtually and from home, since his secret hospitalisation, during a meeting on Ukraine's military needs on Jan 23.

Mr Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Maryland on Dec 22 to treat prostate cancer.

He returned to the hospital on Jan 1 due to complications, including a urinary tract infection. His hospitalisation

was not revealed until four days later,

and the Pentagon did not specify why he was being treated until Jan 9.

Mr Austin's failure to tell President Joe Biden he was hospitalised drew criticism from lawmakers and caught the White House by surprise.

Mr Austin appeared on the livestream for a few minutes as he made his opening remarks. He was sitting in front of a white wall, with what appeared to be a security system keypad on his left and a Department of Defence seal on the right.

While there was a slight break in the livestream, Mr Austin did not appear to mention his health, but called for additional air defence systems for Ukraine.

He is not expected to take part in a joint press conference with the top US general after the meeting, something that has become routine after such gatherings. REUTERS

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