2 minutes agoUS Secretary of Defense: Friends are our secret weapon
Periskopi(6 years ago)
(6 years ago)This appears to be the design of the new US strategy in a world where the rivalry of great powers has increased. In a word held during an event organised by the Atlantic Council, US Defence Secretary Mark Esper has pointed to the Allies' role in this confrontation and expansion [...]
According to him, despite their strength and increased military modernisation capacities, the main US rivals Russia and China, according to Esper, have no more than 10 real allies. So these are states that have authority because of power, but not influence, because they lack partnership. In this context he has announced the new initiative, dubbed Guidance for the Development of Alliances and Partnerships, consisting of a comprehensive and strategic approach to building partnerships.
While in the past our international commitment was guided by regional priorities and interests, today the US faces a era of the rivalry of great powers that is global in its nature...”, Esper has declared.
He has added that the initiative in question will provide a solution to unifying US political voices in relation to partners who have often not understood Washington's messages. Esper has reiterated that the US expects its allies to add the defence budget to over 2%, but as he stressed: “to be ready, capable and willing to dictate when there are problems. And we ask them to be side by side with the U.S. in dealing with the evil Chinese behavior and Russian aggression”.
In exchange, the US Defence Secretary has promised that the US will provide tools and weapons to counter Russian and Chinese threats, but also greater involvement in US military education of foreign students.
Four will be the Pentagon's priorities in what he called “export reform”: Quick exporter “for critical weapons systems; formalisation of a flexible technology use framework; prioritisation of countries or capacity for capture and maintaining key markets; and improving the predictability of international demand in informing commercial investments and increasing industrial capacity”.
The Pentagon will also undertake an initiative to create a panel for sale abroad in the function of meeting the military needs of partners. In this context, Esper has explained that the US will consider its strategic commitment to any country regardless of its size. He has mentioned, for example, that the US is reconsidering the delocation of Russian-resistant forces in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland or Baltic.
