WASHINGTON, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - The United States and Russia need to work together on air and missile defense strategy as well as the variety of other common issues the two countries are facing today, deputy commanding general of US Army Europe, Maj. Gen. Walter Piatt told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
"There are areas where there are some common levels that we can work, and need to work with Russia, on threats that are threatening both of our countries," Piatt said, adding that the two countries "need to work together on strategy such as air and missile defense."
"We think there is plenty of challenges that are challenging Russia as well US and NATO equally. If we work together on some of these challenges, we'll be able to come up with a better solution," Piatt said. He also stressed that now both nations are threatened by the transnational foreign fighter movement throughout Europe, and moving into Russia. "Both of our nations are threatened by that. So, we need to work together on that," Piatt added.
Relations between Russia and NATO have been strained since the alliance accused Russia of meddling in the Ukrainian conflict, a claim Russia has repeatedly denied.
Following Crimea's reunification with Russia in March, NATO stepped up its military presence near Russia's borders, specifically in Poland and the former Soviet Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Russia has repeatedly expressed concern over NATO's increased military presence in its neighboring states.
