United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said the world is witnessing "the greatest threat to peace and security of Europe and perhaps the world” in decades due to the invasion of Ukraine, CNN reported.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is threatening to undermine not only European peace and stability, but global peace and stability that my parents and generations of Americans fought so hard to defend,” Milley said.

Milley said the US is “at a very critical and historic geo-strategic inflection point,” where the US military must “maintain readiness and modernize for the future” at the same time.

“If we do not do that, then we are risking security of future generations,” Milley added.

He told lawmakers the world is becoming “more unstable” during his opening statement at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the Defense Budget on Tuesday.

“The potential for significant international conflict between great powers is increasing, not decreasing,” Milley said.