U.S. Defence Secretary Ashton Carter has reportedly urged the NATO allies to stand united in the face of Russian aggression and other security threats in the region but asserted that they were not looking for another 'cold war or hot conflict' with Moscow.
Carter, who is currently in Berlin, said that Russia should not be allowed to unwind the progress made by Europe since the end of the Cold War. He added that they did not intend to make Russia an enemy but warned, "Make no mistake: we will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us," reported The Washington Post.
He added that the NATO will stand up to Russia's actions and its attempts to re-establish a Soviet-era sphere of influence.
Carter however, admitted that the NATO will now resort to a new playbook in dealing with Russian aggression, keeping in mind the important role played by Moscow in the nuclear talks with Iran and the fight against the Islamic State (IS).
The US Defence Secretary's stop in Berlin is the first of several in his Europe trip, which focuses on how the U.S., NATO and other partners can best tackle the Kremlin in the wake of Moscow's annexation of Crimea region and its military backing of separatists in East Ukraine.