Secretary Leon Panetta calls on U.S. to be tough on Putin

PEBBLE BEACH, California (KION) Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was the keynote speaker for the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce annual luncheon on Wednesday at the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach.

Panetta cautioned people to brace themselves for turbulent times ahead as an imminent threat looms over Ukraine.

He called this time a test for not only the United States but also America's allies and democracies around the World. Panetta says it's very important for the U.S. to be strong, to stand up to Russia and make them pay a price for invading a sovereign country.

"There's no question that this war in Ukraine is going to have consequences not just in the Ukraine, it's going to have consequences in Europe and it will have consequences in our country as well. The likelihood is we'll see an impact on inflation, we'll see an impact in terms of the supply of goods that we get. So all of us in this country are going to have to brace for perhaps some difficult times as engaging in this effort to stop (Valdimir) Putin," said Panetta.