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US ready to use military force in Western hemisphere — Pentagon chief

According to Pete Hegseth, "after years of neglect, the United States will restore US military dominance in the Western hemisphere"

WASHINGTON, April 29. /TASS/. The United States is ready for military operations in the Western hemisphere, if it is necessary to advance American interests, said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

"In all instances, we stand ready to work in good faith with our neighbors—but they must do their part to defend shared interests. Where they do not, the War Department stands ready to take focused and decisive action that advances US interests," reads the opening statement prepared for hearings in the Committee on Armed Services of the US House of Representatives.

According to the Pentagon chief, "after years of neglect, the United States will restore US military dominance in the Western hemisphere." The minister named the Panama Canal, the Gulf of Mexico and Greenland as examples of key territories in the Western hemisphere, to which the United States should have unhindered military and commercial access.

Hegseth also added that Washington would not allow its opponents to deploy armed forces "or other threatening capabilities" in the Western hemisphere.

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