Since Russia seized Crimea and began using proxies to destabilize the Ukrainian government in 2014 and menace its neighbors with actions short of war, the senior American officer in Europe told the House Armed Services Committee. “We’ve returned to our historic role as a warfighting command,” Army Gen. Curtis Scaparotti told the panel on Tuesday. He testified European Command has made a “shift to deterrence and defense” in response to Russian aggression and the increased threat from terrorist groups operating on the continent. The Kremlin is modernizing its hybrid, convention and nuclear forces to re-establish itself as a great power. … Continue reading Scaparotti: Russia Pushing U.S. European Command Back to a Warfighting Focus