The Pentagon ranked Russia among the main threats to the US

US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter promised to take measures to "contain" Russia and its President Vladimir Putin, who, from his point of view, "leads Russia in the wrong direction" and poses a threat comparable to that coming from the Islamic State.

Speaking at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base in California, Carter named the two largest US security threats. According to the head of the Pentagon, they are a more aggressive deployment of Russian forces and means of ensuring security and the emergence of an "Islamic state".

At the same time, the Minister of Defense did not offer any concrete plans to counter them.

Carter called the "sad" development of events in Russia, but noted that the US administration should respond to the actions of the Russian government under Vladimir Putin, who, in his opinion, "lead Russia in the wrong direction for his own people."

“But apparently, this is exactly the direction in which he wants to lead them - to another confrontation,” the minister continued. - We just have to hold it. Both in the interests of our own security, and because we have important allies and friends in this region of the world, and we have important NATO treaty obligations. ”

Referring to the theme of the “Islamic State”, which is steadily increasing the territories it controls, Carter said that the US “must win and will win” this group. In this case, the Marines will participate in the infliction of this defeat, he told the crowd.

According to Carter, the challenges that represent the Islamic State and Russia did not exist 18 months ago.

“Over the past year, they have become more rampant,” he noted. “We need to confront both of them.”

This week, the United States announced that in the very near future F-22 fighters would be deployed in Europe, as part of a broader effort to support Eastern European NATO members concerned about Russian intervention in Ukraine.

US Secretary of the Air Force Deborah James did not disclose details about the specific number of aircraft, the timing or location, but noted that this is consistent with Ashton Carter’s recent calls for an effective and balanced approach to Russia.

The first deployment of F-22 fighters in Europe, apart from an air show, is seen as one of the steps to alleviate the growing anxiety of NATO allies about Russian military aggression. The US Air Force also uses F-22 fighter jets, capable of avoiding radar detection, in attacks against the Islamic State, which were the first real combat operations for this type of aircraft.