The war in Ukraine could escalate into a direct confrontation between the U.S. and Russia, according to the Pentagon.
General Gregory Guillot, the head of the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) issued the warning to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.
In a written statement to U.S. lawmakers, Guillot said that more than three years on from the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion there are “several plausible pathways” in the which the war could escalate into a direct military conflict with the United States.
Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment.
Why It Matters
The specter of escalation has hung over the war in Ukraine since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022, especially given the repeated nuclear threats issued by Moscow.
Guillot also referred to other adversaries such as Iran and North Korea, highlighting the security and defense issues for the Trump administration as it seeks to end the war in Ukraine and combat countries seeking to challenge the U.S. military in the future.
What To Know
Guillot addressed lawmakers from the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. In a written statement presented to the committee, Guillot said the probability of a direct conflict between the U.S. and one of its key rivals is increasing.
The statement said that while China, Russia, North Korea and Iran seek to avoid armed conflict with the U.S., they might try to capitalize on the perception of a Western decline to challenge American power, which could risk miscalculation.
Guillot then said that in the fourth year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine there are several ways that the war could escalate into a direct military conflict with the United States.
The U.S. general also referred to other conflicts that threaten to involve the U.S. such as the war in the Middle East sparked by Hamas‘ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that threatens to embroil the U.S. in a direct conflict with Iran and its proxies.
Guillot said tensions in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea carry a constant risk of escalation into armed conflict between China and the United States, with “consequences that could span a generation.”
He said strategic cooperation between and among the U.S.’s four main adversaries had grown substantially since the beginning of the Ukraine War, increasing the risk that war with one could quickly expand into war with an enemy coalition.
What People Are Saying
General Gregory Guillot: “As Russia’s brutal and misguided invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year, there remain several plausible pathways by which the war could escalate into a direct military conflict with the United States.”
What Happens Next
Russian media outlets reported Guillot’s comments, which come amid anticipation over negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, whose president Volodymr Zelensky has said he would be in Turkey on Thursday ready for direct talks with Putin, who has not committed to attending.
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