Sunday, June 7, 2015

U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey Comments On Today’s Russia

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Martin Dempsey (Reuters / James Lawler Duggan)

Wall Street Journal: Putin and the Doctrinal Definition of Threat

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey looks at today’s Russia

President Barack Obama and other leaders of the Group of Seven leading nations are meeting beginning Sunday in Germany, a gathering that will be dominated by concern over Russia and its actions in stoking the civil war in Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal spoke recently with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the rekindled strategic challenge of Russia. An edited excerpt of his remarks follow.

Q. Talk a little about how you see Russia. Is it a big strategic problem, is it a declining power? Where is it on the hierarchy of challenges?

A. When I give my advice to our elected officials, I talk in terms of threat, what could threaten our interests. Threat is the combination of capability and intent. That is the doctrinal definition. I can’t tell you, as we sit here today, precisely what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Russia intend to do. They have demonstrated some behaviors outside the international order that clearly indicate that they are willing to push beyond what most of the nations with whom we deal consider to be international norms.

Update #1: Russia Has Capabilities, Tactics to Threaten European Security – US General -- Sputnik
Update #2: Putin intends to undermine NATO - Jt. Chiefs Chairman Dempsey -- RT

WNU Editor: It appears that the White House is positioning itself to adopt a more aggressive stance towards Russia. This Wall Street Journal report sums it up accurately .... U.S. Considers Harder Line on Russia (Julian E. Barnes, WSJ).

No comments: