U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will miss a trip to Brussels to recover from treatment under general anesthesia for bladder problems sustained while battling prostate cancer, doctors announced Monday.
The 70-year-old’s latest health scare comes weeks after it was revealed that he kept his recent hospitalization a secret and did not promptly report his cancer diagnosis to President Joe Biden, sparking widespread criticism. woke up.
On Sunday, Austin was admitted to the critical care unit due to bladder issues and was officially transferred to his deputy.
Doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington said in a statement Monday that he “underwent a non-surgical procedure under general anesthesia.”
“Long-term hospitalization is not expected. The Secretary anticipates being able to return to normal duties tomorrow.”
Doctors added that his cancer prognosis remains good.
～Meeting regarding support for Ukraine～
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said Austin would no longer visit Brussels, the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), this week.
Mr. Austin is a central figure in the U.S. attempt to maintain Western support for Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, as Republican lawmakers in Washington refuse to fund new military aid to Kiev.
He was scheduled to attend a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Liaison Group, which coordinates military assistance, the Pentagon added.
Austin’s health problems also come as the United States faces a deepening crisis in the Middle East due to the Israel-Hamas war.
After suffering complications from treatment for prostate cancer in December, he virtually disappeared from public life again in January.
He has publicly apologized after coming under intense political fire for not disclosing his hospitalization status, and has issued several questions about how the U.S. chain of command works when a senior official is incapacitated. An investigation has begun.
Some Republicans have called for Austin to be fired, but Biden said he maintains confidence in the defense secretary.
On Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was asked by reporters whether Mr. Biden was concerned about Mr. Austin’s ability to continue his work, and he said, “Absolutely not.”
The Pentagon initially said Sunday that the secretary of defense had put in place a classified communications system and would maintain “job functions and duties.”
But hours later, officials announced that Vice President Kathleen Hicks would take over.
Mr. Austin has a reputation as an apolitical official who shies away from the spotlight, which he said influenced his decision to keep his cancer diagnosis private.
He said he apologized directly to Biden at a press conference on February 1.
“Frankly, my first instinct was to keep my things private. I don’t think it’s news that I’m a pretty private person. I keep my issues private. “I didn’t like to burden others,” he said.
The Pentagon said his “emergency bladder issue” was not related to cancer treatment.
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