US defense secretary blames Putin’s war for Poland explosion
By ROB GILLIES
Associated Press
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the deadly missile explosion in Poland this week is a consequence of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “war of choice” against Ukraine. And he says international stability and prosperity are at stake in the conflict. Austin made the remarks Saturday at the annual Halifax International Security Forum in Canada. The source of the missie that hit Poland is under investigation, though NATO officials suspect it was fired by Ukraine. They have blamed Russia for the deaths in any case, saying a Ukrainian missile would not have misfired had the country not been forced to defend itself against heavy Russian attacks that day.