"In line with the position of the president": the head of the Pentagon said that Russia and China intend to "upset the international order"

The head of the Pentagon, Mark Esper, said that Moscow and Beijing allegedly intend to "violate the international order."

“It is becoming increasingly apparent that Russia and China want to upset the international order by gaining the ability to veto decisions of other countries on economic, diplomatic and security issues,” he said in a speech in London.

Esper is currently on a European tour - he has already visited Germany, then went to the UK, and his next meetings are scheduled in France.

Speaking in London, Esper also called on his British colleagues to join forces to maintain the world order.

“The United States faces this problem face to face, however, in order to preserve the world that we have created together, overcoming decades of sacrifice, each of us must exert enough effort,” the Pentagon head emphasized.

On the Chinese side, Esper is concerned about Beijing's use of economic power, as well as the "theft of technology" from the PRC. Russia, according to the head of the US defense department, supposedly could invade neighboring countries. The risks also come from Moscow’s actions in Syria, Espert believes.

“Simply put, Russian foreign policy continues to ignore international norms,” Esper said, without explaining what such concerns are based on.

Recall, the new U.S. national security strategy was adopted in December 2017. In this document, Russia and China were named among the main threats to the United States.

“China and Russia are challenging American power, influence and interests, trying to undermine US security and prosperity. They intend ... to increase their military strength and control information and data in order to suppress their citizens to spread influence, ”the authors of the strategy emphasize.

Esper himself considers Russia and China to be one of the main threats to the United States - he spoke about this in an interview with CNBC before his appointment.

“I think the biggest problem (for the US. - RT ) is North Korea. And if we look at the period from 2025 to 2035, then this is Russia. But the biggest challenge for us, of course, is China - from 2035 onwards, ”he said.

• Mark esper
• Reuters
• © Leah Millis

“In line with the position of the president”

Such statements precisely during the European tour are not accidental, the director of the U.S. Franklin Roosevelt Foundation for the Study of the United States at Moscow State University, Yuri Rogulev, is convinced.

“With such kind of statements, he is trying to follow the position of the president and activate European allies so that they actively purchase American weapons,” an RT expert said.

Experts also drew attention to Esper’s words about the “world” that the United States intends to protect. According to political scientist Mikhail Sinelnikov-Orishak, we are talking about Washington's dominance in international politics.

“Leaving it as it is is the best that could be for the United States. Because now they dominate international politics, and as soon as America ceases this dominance, it will be a different state, ”he told RT.

“This is good for world security.”

Earlier, US President Donald Trump repeatedly made statements in a different tone. In particular, he proposed inviting Russia to the G7, which, in his opinion, would be useful for world security.

“I really think it's good for world security, it's good for the global economy,” Trump said.

Moreover, according to The Washington Post, the US will suspend $ 800 million worth of assistance to European partners in confronting Russia. These funds, according to the newspaper, will be redirected to build a wall on the border with Mexico. Earlier it became known that the US Department of Defense suspended 127 programs for $ 3.6 billion to send this money to erect barriers at the border.

It is possible that in this regard, Esper hopes to increase funding for the Pentagon, according to Sinelnikov-Orishak.

“Everything that happens in the USA, all its policies, both internal and external, is all aimed at increasing funding,” the political scientist emphasized.

Esper, who became the head of the Pentagon in July this year, belongs to the hawks of American politics, Rogulev noted.

“And his last statement is due to the fact that for a long time the United States“ waved a hand ”at Russia. That is, they did not believe that Russia posed any threat, that the economy was weak, that it was not capable of creating new types of weapons. And now they are forced to look into the eyes of reality, since the economy has not collapsed, production is getting better, Russia in recent years has demonstrated the ability to create new types of weapons, ”the analyst added.