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Pentagon urges US military to be ready ‘to deal with modern and capable’ Russian army

We must deal with a revisionist Russia with its modern and capable army on NATO’s doorstep, US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel said

US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel EPA/SHAWN THEW

US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel

© EPA/SHAWN THEW

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Resetting Russia-US relations impossible as long as sanctions are in effect — Medvedev

WASHINGTON, October 16. /TASS/. US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel urged the American military on Wednesday to be ready “to deal with” the Russian army.

“Demands on the Army will only grow more diverse and complicated going forward. Threats from terrorists and insurgents will remain with us for a long time. But we also must deal with a revisionist Russia with its modern and capable army on NATO’s doorstep,” he told the audience at an Association of the United States Army conference in Washington.

He said 80,000 US troops are deployed in the Pacific zone of the US Army Command and another 40,000 troops — in the Central Command zone. Another 28,000 military are deployed in Europe, as well as thousands in Africa and South America, Hagel said.

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