President Biden, during his first visit to the Pentagon as commander in chief, called for a “responsible end” to America’s lingering wars and took a jab at his predecessor by vowing “never to politicize” the military.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin provided a major clue about the new administration’s planned defense policy, suggesting it will propose Pentagon spending reductions.

“I will work with Secretary Austin and leaders around the world to bring a responsible end to wars that have dragged on for far too long while continuing to ensure that terrorist threats cannot endanger the security of the American people,” Biden said from the Defense Department press room, standing behind a lectern with the seal of the Office of the President and before the logo of the Pentagon.

The president’s message had direct implications for U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan, which currently stands at 2,500 after a rapid drawdown in former President Donald Trump’s final weeks in office.

The United States faces a May 1 deadline to fully withdraw from Afghanistan if the Biden administration opts to adhere to a peace deal signed with the Taliban last year.

A report released last week by the congressionally mandated Afghanistan Study Group, which counts as one of its members former Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford, called for an extension of the deadline amid continued violence and apparent disregard by the Taliban to meet the conditions of the peace deal.

Biden spent approximately an hour meeting in the third-floor Nunn-Lugar Room with Austin and the Joint Chiefs of Staff discussing his national security priorities but gave little hint in public remarks as to the direction he might take – other than signaling an intent to treat his relationship with the military differently than how Democrats thought Trump did.

“I will never ever dishonor you. I will never disrespect you. I will never politicize the work you do,” he said, calling his family a “military family.”

Biden’s deceased son, Beau Biden, deployed to Iraq for a year as a member of the Delaware National Guard under the command of then-Army Gen. Austin.

In introducing the president, Austin heaped praise on Biden, with whom he built a relationship with as chief of U.S. Central Command when Biden was vice president. Austin also said Biden is the right person to oversee the likely proposed cuts to the department’s budget.

“He knows well the necessity of making tough choices with regard to our scarce resources and the importance of revitalizing our alliances and our partnerships,” Austin said.

But any budget reductions would have to pass muster with Congress – even some Democrats have job-creating military weapons programs in their districts and states, making Pentagon cuts often tricky politically to secure.

The secretary himself will have the opportunity to engage virtually with partners next week during Feb. 17-18 NATO defense ministerial meetings. Austin is expected to face tough questions from allies on how quickly 5,000 NATO troops will draw down from Afghanistan alongside U.S. troops – or if they will drawdown at all.

Original Location: Biden calls for ‘responsible end’ to post-9/11 wars as Austin hints at DOD budget cuts