General Mattis: Putin is trying to “break” the NATO

The president of Russia Vladimir Putin is “trying to divide” the atlantic alliance, concluded today before the us Senate James Mattis, the general.a. …
Marines selected by the elected president of the united states Donald Trump to be the next Defence minister of the country.
The future head of the Pentagon, during the Senate hearing for the approval of the nomination, also claimed that China is “destroying confidence” in its relations with its neighbours.
With regard to Russia in general.a. Mattis highlighted the need for the same to adopt a firm stance, trying to reassure the Republicans, who are concerned about how the elected president will face the occupant of the Kremlin.
The ex-military “supports the will” of Donald Trump to resume dialogue, but at the same time stressed that Russia “has chosen to be a strategic adversary of the united states”.
The U.S. should “be able to cope with” Moscow in any case, and to “defend themselves if their interests are threatened,” explained Mattis, reading from the written replies to the questions put up by the senators.
Besides the general eh.a. he praised warmly the american intelligence services, unlike the president-elect, who expressed once again yesterday his wrath for the way they act after the leaks to the Russian intervention in the american presidential elections and the possible existence of aggravating factors for the same in the possession of the Russian authorities.
“All the years that I served in the army I had a close relationship with the intelligence services, explained James Mattis before the senate, adding that “I would be able to assess their effectiveness, sometimes daily.”
“I have absolute confidence in the intelligence community” of the united states, insisted the general.
Referring to China and the movements in the South China Sea, the Mattis said, to seek “cooperation with China wherever possible” but also that the USA are ready “to oppose improper conduct” of Beijing, especially in the case that the chinese leadership “chooses to act in a manner contrary to our interests”.
Rex Τίλερσον, which mr. Trump has chosen to take charge of the State Department, appeared even tougher than the Mattis yesterday, asked during his own hearing in the Senate on the same subject, when he seemed to suggest the united states and their allies seek to force China to abandon the artificial islands in areas of the sovereignty over which is in dispute.
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