The Pentagon is of the opinion that at the moment Russia and China are throwing the main challenge to the U.S. in the world, said the head of the U.S. Department of Defense, Mark Esper.
“The Defense Department identifies China and then Russia as our main strategic rivals,” Esper said Wednesday in a speech at Rand Corporation's U.S. center.
At the same time, he accused Moscow of redefining its international borders and disrespect for international law — “the invasion of Georgia in 2008, the annexation of the Crimea in 2014, and sustained aggression in Ukraine.
He noted that both Russia and China are engaged in the modernization and expansion of their armed forces, including in space and cyberspace.
Meanwhile, Esper pointed out that for the last twenty years the USA fought against extremists in the course of “low-intensity conflicts”, which distracted the attention of Washington from more powerful opponents.
However, Esper reminded that in 2018 the Pentagon has developed the national security strategy, which states the beginning of the period of “rivalry of great powers”, in this connection the USA has to respond to corresponding challenges and adapt to a more complex security environment.
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