Ash Carter accuses Russia of 'nuclear saber-rattling'

Defense Secretary Ash Carter used a US military changing-of-the-guard ceremony Tuesday to blast Russian aggression in Europe, saying Moscow is "going backward in time" with warlike actions that compel a US military buildup on NATO's eastern flank.

"We do not seek a cold let alone a hot war with Russia," Carter said. "We do not seek to make Russia an enemy. But make no mistake, we will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us."

Carter presided at a ceremony installing Army Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti as head of US European Command and the top NATO commander in Europe.

Scaparrotti most recently commanded US and allied troops in South Korea and has commanded troops in Afghanistan. He succeeds Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, who has pointedly and repeatedly warned that NATO must better prepare for an adversarial relationship with Russia.

Carter's remarks reflect US aggravation with Moscow on multiple fronts, including its intervention in eastern Ukraine, its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and what Carter called Russian efforts to intimidate its Baltic neighbors which the United States is treaty-bound to defend because they are NATO members. "Most disturbing," Carter said, is loose talk by Russia about using nuclear weapons.

"Moscow's nuclear saber-rattling raises troubling questions about Russia's leaders' commitment to strategic stability, their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons, and whether they respect the profound caution that nuclear-age leaders showed with regard to brandishing nuclear weapons," he said.

The end of the Cold War, with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, was thought to have virtually ended the prospect of nuclear conflict with Moscow.

But the speeches at today's change-of-command ceremony emphasized the possibility of history repeating itself, or at least ending a period of warmer US-Russian relations.

Breedlove, who will retire after serving three years as NATO's top commander in Europe, recalled that he began his Air Force career in Europe more than 30 years ago.

"My career started here in a cold war trying to keep the peace. I think my career is now ending here trying to prevent a cold war and continue to keep the peace," he said. Carter said he regretted the deterioration in relations with Moscow.