NEW: #Russia military build-up along #Ukraine-"There is a very large ground domain force...There's also a sizable air force & there's a notable maritime force" per @US_EUCOM Commander Gen Tod Wolters tells House Armed Services Comm. "It's of great concern. Our vigilance is high"
NEW: Likelihood of #Russia invasion of #Ukraine in next couple of weeks "Low to medium" per @US_EUCOM Commander Gen Tod Wolters
#Russia supply line activity to forces building up along borders w/#Ukraine "has plateaued" per @US_EUCOM's Wolters
But he also says, "With the trend that I see right now, the likelihood of an occurrence will start to wane" after a couple of weeks
.@US_EUCOM working w/@USSOCOM to set up programs "that start at the very top, at the strategic level, to go after malign influence & misinformation to active duty members, reservists, Guardsmen & their dependents" per Gen Wolters
"The operation influence platform is specifically designed to target misinformation at the strategic & operational levels from #Russia" per @US_EUCOM's Wolters
Says a follow-on program, Web Ops, "takes it even further to make sure there's a heightened awareness"
Combatting #Russia|n #disinformation "been a little bit challenging as a result of #COVID19 conditions" per Gen Wolters "We have worked very hard to conduct town hall meetings..." to get word out
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HAPPENING NOW: @POTUS talks #Russia after slapping #Moscow with what US officials described as sweeping sanctions for a variety of malign activities
"Earlier this week, I spoke w/President Putin of #Russia about the nature of our relationship" per @POTUS "I was candid & respectful. The conversation was candid & respectful - 2 great powers w/significant responsibility..."
"#Russia|ns & Americans are both proud & patriotic people" per @POTUS "And I believe the Russian ppl, like the American ppl, are invested in the peaceful & secure future of our world"
NEW: "We believe we have the means to keep an eye on any terrorist threats or any sign of #alQaida's resurgence w/out having a persistent footprint on the ground" per @PressSec Jen Psaki
"The threat against the homeland now emanating from #Afghanistan can be kept to a level that can be addressed w/out that persistent footprint" per @PressSec, adding US "will retain significant assets in the region"
CT capabilities also being repositioned to counter any threat
Stable & predictable relationship w/#Russia "has to be our objective" per @PressSec "Obviously, this continues to be a difficult relationship. There are adversarial components..."
"We will start the withdrawal ... by May 1" @NATO's @jensstoltenberg says of the abt 10,000 mostly non-US troops currently in #Afghanistan
Says withdrawal will be completed "within a few months"
"This is not an easy decision & it entails risks" per @jensstoltenberg, saying the departure of troops is not the end of @NATO's relationship w/#Afghanistan
HAPPENING NOW: Senate Intelligence Committee's Hearing on Worldwide Threats
"We look to our intelligence agencies to provide their best & most objective analytic judgments" per Chairman @MarkWarner "...free of bias, & not “shaded” in any way to fit a particular policy or agenda"
"It's the one time a year where the American public & the members of Congress here in the Senate get an unvarnished presentation by an apolitical intelligence community of the real national security threats" per Vice Chair @marcorubio
BREAKING: @ODNIgov issues assessment on Worldwide Threats a day before intel chiefs testify before lawmakers
"#Beijing, #Moscow, #Tehran, & #Pyongyang have demonstrated the capability & intent to advance their interests at the expense of the UnitedStates...despite the pandemic"
"#China increasingly is a near-peer competitor, challenging the United States in multiple arenas...#Russia is pushing back against #Washington where it can globally, employing techniques up to and including the use of force" per Annual Threat Assessment dni.gov/files/ODNI/doc…
"#Iran will remain a regional menace w/broader malign influence activities" per @ODNIgov report "#NorthKorea will be a disruptive player on the regional & world stages"
"@NATO remains the strategic center of gravity" @US_EUCOM Commander Gen Tod Wolters tells Senate Armed Services Committee
"That will improve our capabilities in all domains" @US_EUCOM's Gen Wolters tells lawmakers when asked about the announcement 500 more troops are headed to #Germany
.@US_EUCOM commander making the case for the F-35 joint strike fighter jet
"The F-35 is very important" Gen Wolters tells @JimInhofe "We in the US need F-35s in #Europe ... to make sure we have the competitive advantage necessary" vs #Russia