Joint Chiefs chairman warns Russia will not stop with Ukraine

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan "Razin" Caine on Wednesday warned senators that he does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin will stop with Ukraine if he wins the years-long war.

Caine appeared in front of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Armed Services alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, where they fielded questions related to foreign conflicts and the United States' defense budget.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham asked both defense leaders whether they believed Putin would stop with Ukraine if Russia wins in the near future, to which Caine responded that he does not.

“I don’t believe he is,” Caine said, according to The Hill, while Hegseth responded that it "remains to be seen."

Graham countered that it did not "remain to be seen" and that the answer was clear given the heavy build-up of Russian equipment, which goes beyond what is needed for Ukraine. Russia has also built up its bases near Finland recently.

“I like what you’re doing,” Graham said to Hegseth. “I just think we gotta get this stuff right.”

Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell also asked Hegseth which side of the war he was on, but the defense chief said the Trump administration was not choosing sides and wanted an end to the war.

The Trump administration has been pushing the two sides to reach a peace deal, but President Donald Trump has grown frustrated with Russia over the lack of progress. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.