Thread by @jseldin

#Europe "an increasingly complex & competitive security environment," SACEUR/@US_EUCOM Commander Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti tells #SASC in opening statement

"Our adaptation to the environment has made significant progress...particularly under the European Deterrence Initiative" per Gen Scaparrotti, calling it "the largest reinforcement of Euro-Atlantic Defense in a generation"

Gen Scaparrotti also says @NATO alliance "is strong" and that "European allies & #Canada have turned a corner on defense spending with increases in each of the past 3 years" adding $46 billion to defense spending

"We have much work to do as we execute our national defense strategy" per @US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti, citinf #Russia and terrorists

"#Russia is carrying out a campaign of destabilization to change the international order, fracture @NATO & undermine US leadership around the world" says @US_EUCOM's Gen. Scaparrotti, hammering on a familiar @DeptofDefense theme

"#Russia is carrying out a campaign of destabilization to change the international order, fracture @NATO & undermine US leadership around the world" says @US_EUCOM's Gen. Scaparrotti, hammering on a familiar @DeptofDefense theme

"Throughout #Europe, along its periphery, in the #MiddleEast & beyond, #Russia has demonstrated a capability and willingness to exert influence, spread disinformation and undermine confidence in @NATO" per Gen Scaparrotti at #SASC

"#Russia's increasingly modernized military is operating at levels not seen since the #ColdWar," warns @US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti

CORRECTION: #SASC's @JimInhofe: US forces in #Europe "outranged, outgunned & outmatched" by #Russia?
@US_EUCOM Gen. Scaparrotti: "If you look at it it in a concentrated way on the border of Eastern Europe & only on the ground force, I would agree with that statement"

"We're trying to map that out" says @US_EUCOM Gen Scaparrotti of #Russia's #cyber ops infrastructure "We're getting a better understanding of it. I would not characterize it as a good picture at this point"

Cyber ops center for @US_EUCOM "has been reinforced substantially" per Gen. Scaparrotti at #SASC "I also, upon my request, have the authorities I've asked for in regards to #Russia

US "whole of government" response to #Russa cyber not enough, per @US_EUCOM's Gen. Scaparrotti - "I don't believe there's an effective unification across the interagency"

"Given their modernization and the pace that it's on, & what we are aware of they're doing, we have to maintain our modernization," warns @US_EUCOM Gen Scaparrotti "...so we can remain dominant in the areas that we are dominant today"

If US fails to modernize, #Russia will be able to challenge US military in just about every domain by 2025, warns Gen. Scaparrotti

#Russia's #ZAPAD exercise in late 2017 "reinforced what we believed was their direction in terms of their doctrine," per Gen Scaparrotti "They incorporated what I would call a whole of society approach" developed over past 10 years

#Russia-"They're involved in just about every aspect of #Europe in on way or the other," per @US_EUCOM's Gen. Scaparrotti "The area that I'm concerned about today is the #Balkans"

"#Russia's at work in the Balkans & I think we've kind of taken our eye off of the area," per Gen Scaparrotti "It's an area where in terms of diplomacy we have to put some focus in my opinion" & continue w/ security reform

"That's one way they determine whether the #West is serious about their desire to be a part of the West" says Gen. Scaparrotti of need to engage #Balkans population w/diplomacy

#Serbia is a particular area of concern in the #Balkans w/#Russia interference/activity, says @US_EUCOM's Gen. Scaparrotti "I've seen an increase in the year and a half I've been on the job"

#Turkey also active in the #Balkans, per @US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti: "Turkey primarily enters most of these countries in the Balkans w/a humanitarian approach...There are some who have said this influence isn't helpful"

"I haven't personally seen that myself" Gen Scaparrotti says of #Turkey being not helpful in the #Balkans

#Turkey deal w/#Russia to buy S400 air defense system topic of multiple conversations w/Turkish chief of defense, per @US_EUCOM's Scaparrotti
"We're in close discussion w/Turkey in respect to air defense measures"

"I don't that's a finished deal yet" adds Gen Scaparotti "I think we have some time & my intent is to continue to work that aspect to convince them that the better system is in fact one of the @NATO interoperable systems"

If had more money, @US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti would look to #C4ISR - "Our intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance is so important to me, particularly when you don't have the posture you want" he says

Political warfare? "It would be the attacks or efforts to spoil policy or politics within a government...it's policies & its values" per @US_EUCOM Cmdr Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti

W/#Russia, "Their disinformation, their social media, it is generally targeted at the undermining of Western values, confidence in that government" says @US_EUCOM's Gen. Scaparrotti "They can use multiple platforms & generate great volume"

"It can really undermine a nation because all they have to do is sow some confusion" per Gen Scaparrotti "It's subtle but it's constant" w/more of it in #EasternEurope

"We have to continue to focus on the values that democracies profess, democratic institutions, int'l rule of law" per @US_EUCOM Gen Scaparrotti "That's a very high level general statement but we've kind of left that..."
re #Russia interference

"Western democracies have kind of assumed that our people understood what was important about a democracy & the way that we live" per Scaparrotti "We've got to reinforce that. It needs to be done...that takes focus and that takes volume"

"In conjunction w/@NATO & the other nations, we're actually employing our capabilities to get our messages out at volume" per @US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti
re: countering #Russia messaging

Worried about lack of ambassador to #Belarus #Belgium #Iceland #Ireland #Sweden #Turkey - "It does concern me," says @US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti, saying other organizations also waiting for US ambassadors

Worried about lack of ambassador to #Belarus #Belgium #Iceland #Ireland #Sweden #Turkey - "It does concern me," says @US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti, saying other organizations also waiting for US ambassadors

"#Putin loves it. When Americans hate Americans and we fight with each other, #Russia wins" @SenSasse tells @US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti "We're nuts if we don't understand that the next round of this is going to include lots of specific economic warfare"

"We need to wrestle with it because we need to get a better definition...what's acceptable" @US_EUCOM's Gen. Scaparrotti says of long ongoing policy debate of defining int'l standard of what is #cyberwar "We've got to begin to move forward"

US seeing some #Russia #China cooperation in specific areas - naval training ops in #European theater, maybe in port in #Djibouti, per @US_EUCOM's Gen. Scaparrotti-but "I think they still have issues that wouldn't make them natural partners"

Seeing "at a minimum deconfliction if not support" between #Russia and #Turkey in #Syria per Gen Scaparrotti... says #Russia-#Iran ties "one of convenience"

Balancing US-#Turkey & US-#Kurd relationships - "It's a very difficult & complex situation" per @US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti "I'm hopeful we can walk this path & attain both interests"

#Russia in the #Arctic - "they would have the capability in some time, perhaps 2-3 years, to control the northern sea route" says @US_EUCOM Cmdr Gen Scaparrotti, based on what #Moscow is putting in place

"It strikes me that what they're doing is sort of geopolitical jiu jitsu," @SenAngusKing re #Russia interference "You use their opponents strength against them, and our strength is our freedom"

@US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti: "I agree with your thoughts"

US sending #Javelins to #Ukraine - "I wouldn't say I have zero concern, but it's not a lot of concern" per @US_EUCOM Gen Scaparrotti, pointing to #Russia equipment being given to their proxies

"It's a hot war" @US_EUCOM's Gen Scaparrotti "They take casualties on both sides but particularly #Ukraine" with rising casualties

"It's actually #Russia that doesn't want to move forward [with #Minsk Agreement]...they certainly could do more"

Gen. Scaparrotti's military advice? "That we continue to develop the capabilities we have. I think we have excellent capabilities" says @US_EUCOM's commander "We need to consider what type of deterrent effect we want to have"
re: #Russia cyber threat

"We're not progressing because our interest there is to resolve this conflict" says @US_EUCOM Commander Gen Curtis Scaparrotti when asked if US w/#Ukraine is winning or losing vs #Russia in Ukraine "We're more or less at a stalemate"

It's not just #nukes - #Russia's remade military will challenge US in all domains if #Washington fails to keep pace, warns @US_EUCOM Commander
voanews.com/a/russia-poise…