US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he made a "series of grave miscalculations" when he invaded Ukraine over a year ago. Speaking after a meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group, Austin stated that Putin believed Ukraine would not fight back, but instead the country stood strong with the support of its partners.

Austin also mentioned that Russia's "cruel war of choice" has brought NATO members closer together, including Finland, who was present at the meeting as a new NATO ally, and predicted that Sweden would soon follow. He added that Putin's war in Ukraine is not the result of NATO enlargement, but rather the cause of it.

The meeting was held to discuss the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed separatists, and included representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and separatist groups. The group is focused on finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives since it began in 2014.

The comments by Austin are the latest in a series of criticisms directed towards Putin and Russia by Western leaders, who have accused the country of aggression towards its neighbors and interference in elections abroad.