ABOARD A US AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT ABOVE THE ATLANTIC OCEAN – America's top military official warned Friday that that Russian President [president] Vladimir Putin's pursuit of an "adversarial" relationship with the west is putting his nation's economic future at risk.

US Secretary of Defense Secretary Ash Carter also indicated there is no end in sight to tensions between Russia and western-aligned NATO countries, and that the alliance must adjust accordingly.

Carter hit Putin in comments to reporters Friday, hours after ending a major summit focused on Russia that drew more than three dozen top US military and political leaders to Stuttgart, Germany.

"We retain for Russia the hopes that we have had for a quarter century now, which we think is in the best Russian interest -- namely, don't be an adversary of the west," Carter said. "But that's not our choice. Russia is positioning itself in its rhetoric, in its actions – and it's not like they're hiding this – to be adversarial."

Carter said the meeting, a rare summit that included high-level representatives from both the Pentagon and the Department of State, reinforced his belief that economic sanctions remain a vital part of the US toolkit in trying to alter the actions of Russia following last year's invasion of Ukrainian territory.

But he acknowledged that the sanctions have yet to force Russia to halt its activities, nor its aggressiveness towards its neighbors.

"I would say what is clear is sanctions are working on the Russian economy. What is not apparent is that that effect on his economy is deterring Putin from following the course that was evidenced in Crimea last year," Carter said. "Obviously we don't view him as acting in the best interest of his own people, in the long run, by allowing their economic future to be compromised, as it so clearly is by sanctions."

"It's a sign of how heedless the Russian government seems to be about the long term welfare of its own people, that it has not yet resulted in a reversal, at least, of course, which is what we want out of Russia."

Part of the Stuttgart meeting revolved around how to keep allies in the region supportive of the sanctions, a senior defense official said, who added that indications from US representatives to those countries were positive.

"I don't think we anticipate there is any one country we are particularly worried about" ending it support of sanctions, the official said.

Even if sanctions prove eventually successful, Carter said NATO cannot assume Europe will ever return to the post-Cold War status quo.

"There are other things we need to be doing in recognition of the fact that, in the moment at least, Vladimir Putin does not seem to be reversing course, nor does he give any sign in what he says of an intention to do so," Carter said. "Therefore, we need to adapt, in a long-term sense, to that reality."

Part of that new reality facing NATO is that the traditional military combat that defined the actions of the Soviet Union are no longer the challenge. The secretary highlighted the asymmetrical mix of tactics being used by Russia, including a blend of misinformation, propaganda and "sophisticated threat making," as a challenge that requires new thinking.

The senior defense official, briefing reporters after the Stuttgart summit, said Russia's continued use of non-kinetic capabilities requires the Pentagon to take a look at its own investments.

"We did speak about the importance of making sure some of the capabilities that are particularly associated with the hybrid threat – cyber issues, propaganda, all these things being used by the Russians, we want to make sure we're prepared and investing in the right capabilities to counter those things," the official said.

"This is not the Cold War," the official continued. "This is not just about divisions and divisions of troops in Europe. This is about specific capabilities, and countering those capabilities. Sometimes that means investments in things we haven't heavily invested in in the past that we need to reorient. It doesn't mean a rethinking of the strategy. It just means making sure we're spending our dollars in the most efficient and useful way possible."

The official said there were no direct talks about increasing arms sales to specific nations in Eastern Europe, but did say there is an ongoing focus on "weaning" those nations off a reliance on Russian military equipment.

"That's something that those countries want, that we want, so that was raised and I think something that we're generally working on with those countries," the official said.

Email: amehta@defensenews.com

Twitter: @AaronMehta

About Aaron Mehta

Aaron Mehta was deputy editor and senior Pentagon correspondent for Defense News, covering policy, strategy and acquisition at the highest levels of the Defense Department and its international partners.

Share:
More In Home