rferl.org: https://www.rferl.org/a/don-bacon-nato-russia-iran-china-us-alliances/33760960.html

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Subject: B001298
Source: GDELT news · original
Published: Wednesday, May 20, 2026

'Ambiguity Is Dangerous': Don Bacon Warns Strains In Western Alliance Could Benefit Russia, Iran, And China Accessibility links Skip to main content Skip to main Navigation Skip to Search Next Close Previous Next This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing.

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'Ambiguity Is Dangerous': Don Bacon Warns Strains In Western Alliance Could Benefit Russia, Iran, And China Accessibility links Skip to main content Skip to main Navigation Skip to Search Next Close Previous Next This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing. Click to reveal Print Options: Images Multimedia Embedded Content Comments Cancel Print Link has been copied to clipboard MORE To Readers In Russia Russia Russia Tatar-Bashkir North Caucasus Iran Central Asia Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan South Asia Afghanistan Pakistan Caucasus Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia Central/SE Europe Bosnia Bulgaria Kosovo Moldova Montenegro North Macedonia Romania Serbia East Europe Belarus Ukraine Visuals Investigations RFE/RL Investigates Schemes Systema Newsletters Wider Europe by Rikard Jozwiak The Farda Briefing China In Eurasia by Reid Standish Podcasts Majlis Current Time Share Tips Securely Bypass Blocking About RFE/RL Contact Us Subscribe Follow Us All RFE/RL sites Search All RFE/RL websites Follow RFE/RL on Google Search Previous Next Breaking News Features 'Ambiguity Is Dangerous': Don Bacon Warns Strains In Western Alliance Could Benefit Russia, Iran, And China By Alex Raufoglu May 20, 2026 13:12 CET 'Ambiguity Is Dangerous': Don Bacon Warns Strains In Western Alliance Could Benefit Russia, Iran, And China Share Share Copy link Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Email Share Share Copy link Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Email Print US President Donald Trump (center), US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (left), and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend a press conference during a NATO summit in The Hague last summer. WASHINGTON -- US Congressman Don Bacon, a senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, has warned in a wide-ranging interview that uncertainty from Washington risks emboldening adversaries, including Russia, Iran, and China, amid growing strains within the NATO alliance. The former Air Force general spoke to RFE/RL as the Pentagon announced plans to reduce the number of US Brigade Combat Teams assigned to Europe from four to three, delaying a planned deployment to Poland. Bacon said the troop review reflected a broader debate about how the United States confronts simultaneous challenges from Russia, China, Iran, and extremist groups. Arguing that ‘ambiguity is dangerous in this world,’ he said that Washington and its allies could not afford any lack of strategic clarity as those threats become increasingly interconnected. 'Three Problem Areas' Bacon described Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s pressure on Taiwan, and Iran’s regional activities as Washington’s main strategic challenges. “We've clearly got three problem areas,” he said. “We have the issue with China and Taiwan... It’s clear we have a problem with Russia invading Ukraine... Well, we've always had this problem with Iran. Iran's been the leading exporter of terror.” He added that terrorism linked to extremist

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