Carter rips Russia moves

Aggression forcing NATO buildup, he says

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter accepts the rank pennant from Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove during a change of command ceremony Tuesday at the United States European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter accepts the rank pennant from Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove during a change of command ceremony Tuesday at the United States European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.

STUTTGART, Germany -- Defense Secretary Ashton Carter used a U.S. military changing-of-the-guard ceremony Tuesday to criticize Russian aggression in Europe, saying Moscow is "going backward in time" with warlike actions that compel a U.S. military buildup on NATO's eastern flank.

"We do not seek a cold -- let alone a hot -- war with Russia," Carter said. "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."

Carter presided at a ceremony installing Army Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti as head of U.S. European Command and the top NATO commander in Europe. Scaparrotti most recently commanded U.S. and allied troops in South Korea and has commanded troops in Afghanistan. He succeeds Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, who has pointedly and repeatedly warned that NATO must better prepare for an adversarial relationship with Russia.

Carter's remarks in Germany reflect U.S. aggravation with Russia on multiple fronts, including Russia's intervention in eastern Ukraine, its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and what Carter called Russian efforts to intimidate its Baltic neighbors -- which the United States is treaty-bound to defend because they are NATO members. "Most disturbing," Carter said, is loose talk by Russia about using nuclear weapons.

"Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling raises troubling questions about Russia's leaders' commitment to strategic stability, their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons, and whether they respect the profound caution that nuclear-age leaders showed with regard to brandishing nuclear weapons," he said.

The end of the Cold War, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, was thought to have virtually ended the prospect of nuclear conflict with Moscow. But the speeches at Tuesday's change-of-command ceremony emphasized the possibility of history repeating itself, or at least the end of a period of warmer U.S.-Russian relations.

Breedlove, who will retire after serving for three years as NATO's top commander in Europe, recalled that he began his Air Force career in Europe more than 30 years ago.

"My career started here in a Cold War trying to keep the peace. I think my career is now ending here trying to prevent a cold war and continue to keep the peace," he said.

Carter said he regretted the deterioration in relations with Moscow.

"We haven't had to prioritize deterrence on NATO's eastern flank for the past 25 years, but while I wish it were otherwise, now we have to," he said at an outdoor ceremony, speaking from a lectern framed by birch trees and drenched in sunshine.

Carter outlined steps that President Barack Obama's administration is taking to increase U.S. and allied combat capabilities in Europe with the threat of Russian aggression in mind. These include plans to add a third U.S. Army combat brigade in Europe in the coming year as part of a $3.4 billion initiative designed to further reassure allies of the U.S. commitment to their security and to deter Russian aggression.

On Monday, Carter said NATO is considering establishing a continuous rotation of up to 4,000 troops in the Baltic states and possibly Poland. That force, which could include some number of U.S. troops, is among options being discussed by NATO officials and is expected to be considered at a NATO defense meeting in June.

A Section on 05/04/2016

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