On Saturday, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley addressed West Point graduates about the growing potential of conflict with North Korea, China, and Russia.

“At this very moment, a fundamental change is happening in the very character of war. We are facing, right now, two global powers: China and Russia. Each with significant military capabilities and both who fully intend to change the current rules-based order,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Milley told the graduating class of 2022 cadets.

As Ukraine fights itself against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, Milley argues that the greatest way to remember the Ukrainian people’s sacrifice is to “support their battle for independence and to stand against tyranny.”

Milley warned graduates that the world is “getting more unstable,” and that “the possibility for substantial international warfare between large countries” is rising.

He also mentioned that military technology is evolving.

“We are also on the cusp of a change in the fundamental character of war,” Milley observed. “The nature of war is not going to change. It’s still a political act. It’s a decision by humans to impose their political will on their opponent by the use of violence.”

“You’re entering a different world,” the general said. “The United States is under significant challenges in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. We see revanchist Russia, as we have just witnessed another invasion in Ukraine. In Asia, we are in the third decade of the largest global economic shift in 500 years, resulting in a rapidly rising China as a great power with a revisionist foreign policy backed up with an increasing capable military.”

According to Milley, another major concern in Asia is “a renegade North Korea that is quickly expanding its missiles and deliverable nuclear weapons.”

He emphasised that the future of war will be quite different.

“In summary, the next 20 or 25 years will not be like the past 20 or 25,” Milley said. “The compounding problems we confront, as well as the changing nature of conflict, are unlike anything our nation has ever encountered.”

His remark comes as Russia looks to be bolstering its military in Europe in preparation for an invasion of Ukraine.