The U.S. plans to boost military spending and increase its military presence near Russia in response to Moscow’s operation in Ukraine, while trying to maintain a long-term focus on countering China, The Wall Street Journal quoted current and former officials as saying.
“The Feb. 24 operation has triggered calls from Republicans and Democrats in Congress for tens of billions more in defense spending, while allies in Europe have described the war as a wake-up call requiring military steps unthinkable only months ago. The Biden administration, however, is seeking to balance what it sees as a pivotal moment for Europe with a desire to keep the U.S. focused on Asia.”
“I think it’s a 9/11 event for Europe,” a senior Pentagon official told the paper, adding that while the Pentagon will respond accordingly to what those countries need, the main focus remains on countering Beijing. “I think there is room to enhance our posture alongside our allies in Europe without it being this huge sucking sound that prevents us from being able to focus on China.”
“Despite the heightened focus on Moscow, a new U.S. defense strategy, which was due to be released earlier this year, had been held up as the Russia crisis brewed. Policy makers all but finished the document late last year and tweaked the language slightly after the invasion, officials said. But they didn’t do a wholesale rewrite of the document, and when it is released in the coming months, the strategy will still assign Russia a secondary priority behind China, according to the Pentagon official.”
“China remains in our assessment the only country that can systematically challenge the United States for now and for the rest of this century, that means diplomatically, technologically, economically, militarily, geopolitically,” the official told WSJ. “And Russia is not in that camp, they weren’t a year ago, they’re not today.”
“Moscow’s operation in Ukraine is forcing U.S. officials to grapple anew with countering two major adversaries at once, a problem that has revived long-dormant Cold War debates about quantity versus quality in apportioning scarce forces between Europe and Asia.”
“The White House declined to comment on changes to its military strategy, or on a separate, overarching strategy plan, called the national security strategy, which has also been delayed.”
“The U.S. has already rushed more than 15,000 troops to Europe amid the crisis in Ukraine, raising American force levels in Europe to more than 100,000 personnel for the first time in decades. NATO members have also deployed reinforcements to the Baltics, Poland, Hungary and Romania.”
“U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met at NATO headquarters last week with his counterparts from other alliance members to discuss beefing up forces even further. They directed military planners from all of the NATO members to draft plans that are likely to be discussed when President Biden meets with other alliance heads of government in Europe this week.”
Source: WSJ
