Story highlights "They definitely have the ability to do both should they need to," Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges said

Hodges said Russia still maintains a force of approximately 25,000 troops in Crimea

Washington (CNN) Russian military involvement in Syria has not significantly decreased its capabilities in eastern Ukraine, a top U.S. general said Wednesday.

"They definitely have the ability to do both, should they need to," Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe, told reporters at the Pentagon.

Hodges did say that the Russian military's slow pace of modernization might mean some soldiers in possession of advanced gear are "getting extra work" on both fronts.

His comments came the same day that Secretary of State John Kerry said that he would be traveling to Moscow in the coming days to discuss the situation in Syria and Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Following Russia's annexation of Crimea last year, Hodges said Russia maintains a force of approximately 25,000 troops there, and said that while he did not see any imminent offensive on eastern Ukraine by the Russian military, they still maintain a capability in the region to mount an offensive on "short notice."

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