WASHINGTON
President Barack Obama’s pick to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday that Russia is the biggest threat to U.S. security.
“Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security,” Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford told lawmakers during his confirmation hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee. “If you look at their behavior, it's nothing short of alarming.”
The comments come amid one of the worst periods in Russian-U.S. relations since the Cold War concluded in 1991, prompted in large part by Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Asked by committee chairman Sen. John McCain if the U.S. should supply Ukrainian forces with anti-tank and anti-artillery weaponry, Dunford said it would be “reasonable” to do so.
“Frankly without that support then they’re not going to be able to protect themselves from Russian aggression,” he said.
Although not exactly agreeing with the general’s assessment, the State Department acknowledged Dunford’s comments and said Russia poses “significant security challenges” to not only the U.S. but also to its European allies.
At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest said that while the U.S. has spoken to Russia’s “saber rattling”, there has also been areas where Washington and Moscow have “been able to effectively coordinate with the Russians to advance the interests of the United States.”
If confirmed by the Senate, Dunford will replace Army Gen. Martin Dempsey who has held the post since 2011.
The current commandant of the Marine Corps, Dunford, 59, was the senior commander in Afghanistan during 2013 and 2014 as the U.S. pulled troops back.
