WASHINGTON, September 30 (RIA Novosti) - The United States must stay engaged with Russia and China as both countries define their regional interests, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work said at the Council on Foreign Relations on Tuesday.
"[Russia and China] clearly are staking out their position in their near abroad. This is one of the things we're going to have to work out over the course of the next several years, on what they consider to be areas of their vital interest," the official said.
He noted that all sides should continue to talk and engage diplomatically, however underscoring that Washington is "always hedging against the fact that we might have to respond militarily to... certainly any engagement against our allies."
Work explained that the United States has to find a way for Moscow and Beijing to feel secure.
Asked about the possibility of territorial conflicts erupting into a world war scenario, Work said, "I don't worry about World War Three," though, mentioning that the "pressing in the near abroad … could lead to miscalculation or accidents."
Following Russia's reunification with Crimea and the outburst of the Ukrainian conflict, the West has been building up militarily near the Russian border. In particular, NATO strengthened its naval presence in the Black Sea and reinforced air patrolling missions in the Baltic countries. The bloc claims the measures are designed to reaffirm the security of Eastern Europe amid allegedly aggressive foreign policy of Moscow.
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