WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, US Air Force Secretary Deborah Jones also called Russia the biggest threat to the US national security.
“The Secretary [John Kerry] does not agree with the assessment that Russia is an existential thereat to the United States, nor China, quite frankly.”
On Thursday, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Nominee Joseph Dunford said in his confirmation hearing that the greatest national security threat to the United States comes from Russia.
“Certainly we have disagreements with Russia and activities along or within the region, but we don’t view this as an existential threat.”
The spokesperson stated Russia and China are major powers with whom Washington engages and cooperates on a number of issues despite any disagreements.
Iran and Syria, Toner noted, have posed issues that the United States and Russia cooperate on.
“What the Secretary does consider an existential threat is the rapid growth of extremist groups like ISIL [Islamic State] particularly in ungoverned spaces.”
The United States and its NATO allies have been accusing Russia of violating the sovereignty of Ukraine and acting aggressively toward neighbors in the Baltics and Eastern Europe.
Russia has denied the accusations of its alleged military involvement in Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly warned against the increased US and NATO military build-up and exercises along Russia’s borders.
