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© REUTERS/ Jonathan Ernst
Hagel said that in the United States "we fundamentally make a mistake when we try to block great nations' roles in the world."

"I have fundamentally believed a nation like Russia, which is one of the most significant nations in the world, one of the most powerful nations in the world...wants to have a role in the world," Hagel said at an Atlantic Council conference.

Russia as well as the US and Iran must be involved in resolving crises throughout the Middle East, Chuck Hagel said.

"I think you have to have Russia, Iran, the United States involved in helping bring some stability [to the Middle East]," Hagel said.

The security, political and cultural challenges in the Middle East make it a region where "there will never be a resolution" without some degree of stability, Hagel argued.

"You can only get stability if you bring the most powerful nations together," he added.