(25 Jul 2014) The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Thursday with regards to ongoing tension in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin may light "a fire that he loses control of".
"There's a rising tide of nationalism in Europe right now that has been created by, in many ways, by these Russian activities that I find to be quite dangerous," said General Martin Dempsey at a security forum in Aspen, Colorado.
His comments came shortly after the Obama administration accused Russia of firing artillery from its territory into Ukraine to hit Ukrainian military sites, asserting that Moscow is boosting its supply of weaponry to pro-Russian separatists.
Dempsey also addressed the issue of talks with NATO allies about "increasing their capability and readiness."
"What the military does when faced with these crisis our job is, preparedness, deterrence, and readiness," he said.
His comments come amid an increasingly bitter war of words between Washington and Moscow over the crisis in Ukraine and conflicting claims over the downing of a Malaysian passenger jet over eastern Ukraine last week.
Dempsey, moreover, alerted the conference to "a change in the relationship of the United States and Russia."
The US has repeatedly accused Russia of stoking the Ukraine rebellion and has said it believes separatists shot down the Malaysian plane, killing nearly 300 people, with a Russian-provided surface-to-air missile.
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