The potential for a major conflict between great powers, including Russia and China, is growing as the world becomes more unstable, General Mark Milley, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair, warned on Tuesday addressing US House Armed Services Committee.
Milley, as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin defended 2023 at a grueling House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday the record-breaking $773 billion budget the US Department of Defense has requested.
US adversaries Russia and China, both of whom are perceived in Washington as a threat to US global power, were mentioned several times during the meeting.
Milley noted that we are entering a world that is becoming more unstable, noting that the world is now facing two global powers with significant military capabilities, China and Russia, both striving to fundamentally change rules based on the global order.
Milley also said that the United States should take more measures to strengthen bases in Eastern Europe he believes should be permanent but not with permanently stationed forces, but according to Austin, NATO is still discussing how it should bolster its permanent presence in Eastern Europe.
Milley believes that most of their European allies – the Baltics or Poland and Romania above all – are very willing to establish permanent bases they’re ready to build and pay for, especially in light of Russia’s attack on Ukraine Milley dubbed the greatest threat to peace and security of Europe and the world in his 42 years serving in the US military.
He also argued that the presence of US hard power might have even prevented Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, which has been a longstanding objective of Putin.
Both Milley and Austin acknowledged that Washington has no defense against the hypersonic missiles that both Russia and China have successfully tested and pointed to billions allocated to space and cybersecurity as examples of US preparedness.
Austin also admitted that Washington needs to do a lot better in leveraging US allies not merely in the domains of land, sea, and air, but also in space and cyberspace.
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