Washington. May 24. INTERFAX - As the United States reduces its military presence in the Middle East, Russia and China will seek to expand their influence in the region, according to the commander of the US Central Command, General Frank McKenzie.
"The Middle East in a broad sense is an area of intense competition between the great powers. I think that as we adjust our position in the region, Russia and China will be watching very closely to see if there is a vacuum that they can fill, " McKenzie told the Associated Press (AP) and ABC News.
According to him, one of the areas that Russia and China could use in the absence of the United States could be the sale of weapons: Russia is ready to sell air defense systems to Middle Eastern countries, and China has long-term plans to create military bases in this area.
The AP notes that the administration of President Joe Biden is seeking to expand the US presence in the Indo-Pacific region to counter China, which it has identified as a major threat to US national security.
McKenzie said he "fully agrees that China should be the main threat we are targeting." At the same time, the general noted, "we are a global power, and we need to have a global worldview, which means that there is an opportunity to consider the globe as a whole."