US Enhances Defense Posture to Deter Russian Actions, But Not Seeking War

It comes as US Defence Secretary Ash Carter, says Brexit does not change “at all” the UK’s close military alliance with the United States.

“The choice is Russia’s to make”, Carter said, “and the consequences will be its responsibility”.

“Russia appears driven by misguided ambitions and misplaced fears”.

“Let me be clear.

Russian Federation wants to be considered, very understandably, as the important world power it is, of historic importance”, Carter said Wednesday.

Carter said the United States and Russian Federation made progress to cooperate after the Cold War, but he said now Russian Federation “appears driven by misguided ambition and misplaced fear”. But also make no mistake, we will defend our allies, the principle worldwide order and the positive future it affords us.

But he warned: “We will counter attempts to undermine our collective security”. Moscow, however, has repeatedly denied any intent to challenge North Atlantic Treaty Organisation territory and has criticized the US for its growing presence in the Baltics and Poland, saying it threatens Russia’s tiny enclave of Kaliningrad.

Carter noted that the USA hasn’t had to worry about deterrence in Eastern Europe for more than 25 years.

“That will allow us to rotate an armored brigade combat team into Europe on a persistent basis, and to pre-position a brigade’s worth of equipment and war-fighting gear to be used by Amerian troops flown into Europe”.

Carter is in the United Kingdom as part of a visit there and to Norway Sept. 6-9 to meet with top officials, to participate in discussions about U.N. peacekeeping operations and to update counterparts on recent momentum in the military campaign to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

“Meanwhile NATO.has been writing a new playbook for itself”.

“Today’s news out of Syria is not encouraging”, he said. “We’re helping them strengthen their capabilities for national defense, to improve their ability to work with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, to reform their defense institutions, all important in the face of Russian coercion and aggression”. At the same time, he urged Moscow to take a more constructive role in Syria to arrange a lasting ceasefire.

Earlier the U.S. Defense Secretary had said his country would work with both Turkey and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) group to combat the Daesh threat.