Former US defense secretary warns his country against successor of Russian president

WORLD, Feb. 02 (YPA) – The United States is interested in maintaining Russia’s unity and a strong government in Moscow that will continue to control the country’s nuclear arsenal, Former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said.

“The last thing we need is the disintegration of Russia, where the fate of all these nuclear weapons is uncertain.  We need a unified Russian state, and we need a strong government in Moscow to maintain control over all these weapons,” he told the Washington Post.

Starting out as a Soviet analyst for the CIA, Gates doesn’t share his hopes for a leadership change in Russia, arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s successor will likely be an even bigger hawk.

“If Putin leaves the scene tomorrow, then I think he will be replaced by an even bigger hawk, not someone interested in a deal or negotiations in Ukraine,” said the former minister, who leads the Pentagon under George’s two presidents. W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Gates acknowledged that the Ukrainians can reclaim the territory they have lost since the beginning of Russian special operations, but describes the return of Crimea as a “separate and more difficult issue”, a “true red line” for Putin.

“I think Crimea is a real red line for him because of its role as a naval base. I think it will be a particularly difficult line,” Gates said.

E.M