The United States plans to increase the number of intermediate and short-range missiles to Russian and Chinese levels. This was announced by the head of the Pentagon, Mark Esper, speaking at a videoconference. He stressed that the United States intends to require its allies to contribute 2% of GDP to defense in order to contain Russia and China, and to strengthen the military presence in Eastern Europe. Esper also called on the allies to compete aggressively with Russia and China.
«China has deployed a large number of missiles, well over one thousand medium and short-range missiles, in the India-Pacific region. And Russia did so too, and they did it in violation of the INF Treaty (Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles) … So we are committed to deploying the same force in both theaters of war.»Esper said.
The head of the Pentagon called on US allies to compete aggressively with Russia and China, expecting the worst-case scenario. According to him, the United States has more allies than both countries.
“Since this is a competition of world powers, it has a global character. We see how Russia and China operate in the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, the Arctic and Antarctica. We must compete, we must compete aggressively. We are all together. And if containment does not work, then we must be prepared for the worst. - said Esper, speaking at the videoconference.
“We want to reduce the military presence only in Germany, and not in Europe as a whole. We need to redeploy forces because we are aware of the Russian-related threats our allies face. - added the head of the US Department of Defense.
However, he stressed that the United States does not intend to enter into conflict with these countries, but wants "a peaceful rise in norms within the framework of international rules."
“We do not seek to enter into conflict with any of these countries. We do not seek to restrict China. We want it to be a peaceful upsurge, within the framework of the international order, norms that have benefited us for decades. And now both countries are violating them on an ongoing basis. And we must come forward and defend this systemEsper said. - Where we can, we must compete and, if necessary, resist. It's just the world we live in and we must be prepared for the worst. "
The defense secretary added that Washington should "prevent Russia and China from gaining market shares in third countries" in defense industry matters.
"As Beijing and Moscow work to expand their arms market share, they are drawing other countries into their safety nets, challenging US efforts to develop their own relationship, and complicating future US operational capabilities."- said the head of the Pentagon.
Earlier on October 20, Russia agreed to a US proposal to freeze its nuclear arsenals if the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) was extended for one year. The diplomatic service expressed the hope that the gained time will be used for bilateral negotiations on control over nuclear missile weapons.
"Russia proposes to extend the START Treaty by one year, and at the same time is ready, together with the United States, to make a political commitment to" freeze "the number of nuclear warheads held by the parties for this period", - said in the message of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. The diplomatic service clarified that the condition can be implemented "only on the understanding that the" freezing "of warheads will not be accompanied by additional requirements from the United States."
On October 13, the US President's Special Representative for Arms Control Marshall Billingsley said that the United States is ready to extend START "even tomorrow", but Russia must show "political will" for this. According to him, if the Russian Federation agrees, both countries "freeze" or limit their nuclear arsenals. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, in turn, called Washington's proposal on a nuclear deal nonsense and rigging, recalling that it sounds on the eve of the US presidential election.
