US warns of Russia's "persistent pattern of interference"

The British and U-S defence ministers are warning of a "persistent pattern of interference" in other nations by Russia, saying it's acting as a "strategic competitor" to the West.

US Defense Minister James "Jim" Mattis Source: Getty Images

U-S Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the United States is concerned about Russia's presence in Afghanistan and its interactions with Taliban fighters.

Mr Mattis says this makes co-operating with Russia difficult, "I would just say that we look to engaging with Russia on a political or diolomatic level, but right now Russia is choosing to be a strategic competitor and we are finding that we can only have very modest expectations at these points in ways that we can co-operate with Russia."