"We Are Here To Assist" — Top U.S. General Pledges Help To Russia's Neighbors To Defend Their Nations

With a brutal war raging in neighboring Ukraine and wary of nearby Russia, many of the regional countries are seeking rapid strengthening of their national defense — some are naturally looking to the U.S. for help.

The top American general in charge of the National Guard says he recently visited some of those countries that the National Guard has state partnerships with.

"When I visit with them, my point is – okay, when we all look at what’s happening in Ukraine as a result of Russia’s invasion of their country, how do we respond?" - Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson told TURAN's Washington correspondent during a press briefing on Thursday, when asked about Washington's ability to support countries such as Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, in defending their nations against potential Russian threat.

Hokanson's message to the partner countries: We are here to assist.

"... Anytime there’s a threat as we see manifested with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, there is concern. We want to reassure our allies and partners in the region that we’re there, that NATO will remain solid and in defense of all of the – as you’ve heard before – every square inch of NATO land. And we’re doing everything we can in coordination with all the other allies and partners that Ukraine has, to provide them the capability and capacity for them to defend their nation," he said.

Gen Hokanson was speaking to reporters during a virtual briefing organized by the State Department's New York Foreign Press Center.

Asked by TURAN's correspondent about the prioritization of the top national security threats currently facing the U.S. and allies, the general reminded that the U.S. National Defense Strategy puts China at the top and Russia very closely there as well.

In the meantime, he emphasized that Russia is currently engaging in the largest military operation "that we have seen since World War II"

"The first time that a nation is really trying to change the borders and boundaries of one country by imposing their will on them and violating the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of that nation," he added.

Gen Hokanson's sentiment was also echoed by top Pentagon officials, such as Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, who on Wednesday urged China to "draw lessons from Russian failures in Ukraine."

"I do not think that China wants to put themselves in a position that Russia finds itself in today, which is invading a democratic neighbor — one that I think would generate an enormous amount of global sympathy," Kahl said during a discussion at the Defense News Conference 2022.  Of greater concern is China's increased aggression in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and other areas in the region, and how that increased aggressive action might lead to unintended consequences that could result from misunderstandings. 

As for Russia, after its invasion of Ukraine in February, the Pentagon identified that nation as an "acute threat," which Kahl has further clarified as meaning "both immediate and sharp." But he's also now identified Russia as being "reckless" as well, considering the actions it's taken after failing to achieve the goals it set for its invasion of Ukraine. 

"I think that Russia is ... a capable military power — perhaps not as capable, frankly, and conventional as some of us may have assessed six or eight months ago ...," he said. "But they've also demonstrated that they're an extraordinarily dangerous and reckless power. And there's a way in which ... a weakened Russia becomes more dangerous on the international stage." 

In desperation, Kahl said, Russia has aligned itself more with and reached out to both North Korea and Iran for assistance. More so, he said, because Russia's conventional forces are so heavily occupied in Ukraine, he suspects they will be forced to rely more now on unconventional capabilities such as nuclear, cyber and space, as well as misinformation and disinformation campaigns. 

"Russia does not pose the challenge to the United States and the rules-based international order over the long term that China does," he said. "But in the immediate term, it's a very dangerous actor." 

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.