Pentagon Chief: U.S. Won't Let Russia 'Drag Us Back To The Past'
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has said that the United States and its allies won't let Russia "drag us back to the past," as he accused Moscow of trying to re-create a Soviet-era sphere of influence.
Carter, speaking in Berlin on June 22 at the start of a European tour, said, "We do not seek a cold, let alone a hot, war with Russia. We do not seek to make Russia an enemy. But make no mistake: We will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us all."
Russia's involvement in Ukraine has triggered a series of military moves by the NATO alliance, including the creation of a NATO rapid-response force.
Carter said the alliance would keep the door open to an improved relationship with Russia. But he said, "The United States will not let Russia drag us back to the past."
Carter is due to hold talks with the defense ministers of Germany, Netherlands, and Norway.
On June 23, he travels to Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, where he is scheduled to meet with the defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Military: Two Ukrainian Servicemen Killed In Past 24 Hours
The Ukrainian military says two of its servicemen have been killed and three wounded in fresh separatist attacks in the east.
Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told a news conference, "Around Donetsk, particularly near the airport, there is military action practically round-the-clock ... The enemy has pulled banned weapons into Donetsk -- tanks and high-caliber guns -- and is actively using them."
The situation near the strategic Kyiv-controlled port city of Mariupol in southeast Ukraine was also "extremely tense" on June 21, with rebels using artillery and sniper fire to attack government positions, Lysenko said.
Meanwhile, separatist officials said there had been no significant attacks on rebel-held territory by Ukrainian forces over the weekend.
Both sides accuse the other of regularly violating a cease-fire deal signed in Minsk in February, but a surge in fighting in the past few weeks has caused international monitors to warn of a threat of a wider escalation.
Based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax
Stoltenberg: NATO To More Than Double Size Of Elite Force
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said June 22 the alliance will approve plans this week to more than double the size of its rapid-response force.
Speaking ahead of a June 24-26 meeting in Brussels, Stoltenberg said, "NATO defense ministers ... [will] make a decision to further increase the strength and capacity of the 13,000-strong NATO Response Force (NRF) to 30,000 or 40,000 troops."
Stoltenberg said the alliance was also making steady progress on beefing up an NRF spearhead unit known as the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force with a full complement of resources.
The 5,000-strong unit able to deploy within days, not months, was set up by NATO leaders at a summit in September.
Stoltenberg also said NATO would "speed up" its decision-making process to meet the new challenges, including setting up a new logistics headquarters unit within the overall command structure.