U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday there is neither a desire for a return to a Cold War nor for a new conflict with Russia.

He spoke at a forum in Berlin where he was also meeting with German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen.  Both were due to travel later Monday to Muenster to meet with their counterparts from Norway and the Netherlands.

Carter said that while the West is not looking to be enemies with Russia, it will defend itself if necessary.

“We will defend our allies, the rules-based international order, and the positive future it affords us all,” he said.

Carter will travel Tuesday to Estonia for meetings with the defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – all countries that were once under the influence of Moscow and the Soviet Union.

The talks all come ahead of a NATO meeting Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels to discuss plans for dealing with Russia following its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and its military support Ukrainian separatists.

Carter intends to cover a U.S. proposal to send enough tanks and other military equipment to outfit a brigade for exercises and other training programs in Eastern Europe.  The defense chief has not officially approved the idea, and officials have not said exactly where the equipment would go, but there are indications that Poland, which borders Russia, could be one location.

The defense ministers will also discuss increasing the alliance’s involvement in the fight against Islamic State militants.  NATO leaders are expected to consider providing ministry-level advice and other training assistance in Iraq.
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