The Pentagon believes that a direct confrontation between the US and Russia is possible in the event of an escalation of the Ukrainian crisis. This is stated in a written statement by the head of the US Northern Command, General Gregory Guillot, prepared for hearings in the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
According to the general, who also holds the post of head of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, “the probability of a direct conflict between the US and one of its key rivals is increasing“. According to what he presented, despite the fact that China, Russia, North Korea and Iran “are seeking to avoid armed conflict“ with the US, these countries' belief in “the decline of the West creates a growing desire to challenge the US on the international stage and increases the risk of misjudgments“.
As Guillot argues, in the Ukrainian crisis “possible paths remain along which the conflict could escalate into a direct military confrontation with the US“. According to him, the situation in the Middle East threatens with “direct military conflict with Iran and its puppet forces“.
The tensions around Taiwan and in the South China Sea also carry “a constant threat of escalation into a military conflict between China and the US“, says Guillot. In his assessment, the situation on the Korean Peninsula threatens with “a renewed conflict“.