'We will defend our allies:' Russia warned against interfering with Western politics

U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter on Wednesday warned Russia against interfering with Western "democratic processes" and accused Moscow of aggressive behaviour aimed at eroding the international order.

He did not elaborate on what Russia might be attempting to do or whether he was referring to hacking attacks on Democratic Party organizations in the run-up to the U.S. election on Nov. 8, some of which officials and cybersecurity experts have blamed on hackers working for Russia's government.

The Kremlin has denied involvement in the hacks.

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"Let me be clear, the United States does not seek a cold, let alone a hot war with Russia. We don't seek an enemy in Russia. But make no mistake — we will defend our allies, the principled international order, and the positive future it affords all of us," Carter said in an address to students at Oxford University.

"We will counter attempts to undermine our collective security. And we will not ignore attempts to interfere with our democratic processes." 

Skepticism about Russia's intentions in Syria

Carter accused Russia on Wednesday of sowing seeds of global instability and questioned whether Moscow genuinely wants a viable ceasefire in Syria, emphasizing deep skepticism about Russian intentions in the country. He sounded a pessimistic tone on diplomatic efforts between Russia and the U.S. as they try to agree to a ceasefire and nudge the Syrian government towards a political transition to end the conflict.

Russia is a firm supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and their joint military operation has sometimes targeted the anti-Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) rebels, who are backed by the Obama administration.

"Unfortunately so far, Russia, with its support for the Assad regime, has made the situation in Syria more dangerous, more prolonged and more violent. That has contributed to what President Obama this weekend called the 'gaps of trust' that exist between our two countries," Carter said.

Carter urged the Russians to work with the U.S. toward a political transition in Syria, though he sounded less than optimistic.

"Today's news out of Syria is not encouraging," he said. "The choice is Russia's to make and the consequences will be its responsibility."

Managing the relationship with Russia diplomatically is also critical as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry tries to work with Moscow to put an end to the Syrian civil war.

Intense fighting between Syrian government troops and insurgents in Syria's central Hama province displaced some 100,000 people over eight days between late August and early September, the UN's humanitarian agency reported Wednesday.

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"Despite the progress that we made together in the aftermath of the Cold War, Russia's actions in recent years — with its violations of Ukrainian and Georgian territorial integrity, its unprofessional behaviour in the air, in space, and in cyberspace, as well as its nuclear saber rattling — all have demonstrated that Russia has clear ambition to erode the principled international order," Carter said.

Carter accused Russia of being driven by "misguided ambition and misplaced fear." He said Moscow understandably wants to be seen as an important world power, but is undercutting its case by undercutting the work of others.

"It lashes out, alleging that it fears for its own viability and future," even though it should know that no country, including the U.S., is trying to constrain its potential.

British defence secretary meeting

Carter meets British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon in London later on Wednesday and is expected to stress the importance of keeping pressure on Russia following its annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The European Union is divided over whether to extend sanctions on Russia that have taken an economic toll on both sides. Ukraine fears it is losing Western support in its standoff with Russia, even though its troops and pro-Russian separatists are still fighting in the Donbass region.

Citing Russia's violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity, along with "unprofessional behaviour" in the air, space and cyberspace, Carter said: "Russia appears driven by misguided ambitions and misplaced fears." "It lashes out, alleging that it fears for its own viability and future, even though no nation — not the United States, not the United Kingdom— seeks to defeat it or constrain its potential."