US troops and their allies in Asia are ready for action after years of joint exercises, the US general says, adding that Russia’s failures in Ukraine should serve as a warning to potential Asian aggressors such as China and North Korea.
U.S. allies like the Philippines, Japan, and Australia, among others, “have shown that they will unite, that they will not tolerate aggression from countries that decide they want to change the world order.” , said Major General Joseph Ryan.
While Asia has no equivalent to NATO, whose members have pledged to protect each other from outside attack, the network of American treaty alliances and defense partnerships that maintain international order provides regional protection, he said.
“Personally, I’m very inspired by the actions of our allies and partners in this region, and how we came together in response to aggression from China, North Korea and said, ‘We won’t let not that like that,” Ryan said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Commander of the US Army’s 25th Infantry Division based in Hawaii, Ryan is stationed in Manila.
Part of his visit is to speak with his Filipino counterparts on the eve of two annual large-scale military exercises that will include offensive fire, land, sea and air maneuvers involving thousands of U.S. and Filipino military personnel.
The exercises will take place in March and April.
