MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. The Russian armed forces will analyze the US decision to establish a new military command in Japan, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing.
Earlier, the American Wall Street Journal and the Japanese Nikkei newspaper reported citing American and Japanese officials about such a decision of Washington. At the same time, the purpose of strengthening the US presence should be to counter China and Russia, the Wall Street Journal said.
"This is not really an issue for the Kremlin, but rather an issue for analysis on the part of our military. I have no doubt that the necessary analysis will be carried out," Peskov told reporters.
According to the Nikkei newspaper, the new structure will be transferred the functions of operational command of 55,000 US servicemen. Now they are entrusted to the US Indo-Pacific Command stationed in Hawaii. The time difference between Tokyo and Honolulu is 19 hours.
Tokyo expects that the creation of such a command structure - a similar one will appear in the Japanese armed forces by April 2025 - will improve the conduct of joint exercises and operations in peacetime and wartime.