Russia’s Actions, Spending Send Chill Through Europe, Dunford Says

By Jim Garamone, DoD News, Defense Media Activity/ Published Jan. 15, 2018

It takes only a look at Russia’s recent history and military investments to understand that the nation is a threat to Europe and beyond, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.

Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford is participating in the NATO Military Committee meeting at the alliance headquarters here tomorrow.

A resurgent Russia is the greatest threat on the continent, and the alliance is putting in place capabilities to deter the Eastern neighbor, Dunford said. Russia has modernized many aspects of its military, including redesigning and modernizing its nuclear capability, modernizing its maritime capabilities, developing new cyber and electronic warfare capabilities and fielding antispace capabilities. The alliance has been on the path to addressing the Russian modernization program, he added.

And Russia will use its capabilities, he noted. “You’ve got to look at behavior, so you’ve got to go back and look at Georgia and look at Ukraine,” the chairman said.

Russian Actions in Georgia and Ukraine

In 2008, about 79,000 Russian soldiers marched into the Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhasia. They faced roughly 10,000 Georgian soldiers, who were forced to retreat. Russia continues to occupy the provinces.

In Ukraine, Russia illegally annexed Crimea from the nation in 2014 and have integrated the province into the Russian Federation. The Russians used unmarked tanks and soldiers without identifying marks on their uniforms to move into the region. Russian troops pushed further west in the Donets region of Ukraine, and fighting continues in that region. The United States and the rest of NATO is helping train Ukrainian troops to defend their sovereignty.