By Andrew Gray and Justyna Pawlak
BRUSSELS/WARSAW, Oct 12 (Reuters) – NATO’s top commander warned Russia on Monday that his forces would destroy “anything and everything” involved in any attack if Moscow was “foolish enough” to launch an assault on alliance territory.
Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich stressed NATO was a defensive alliance. But he outlined a three-pronged approach of blocking, blunting and breaking enemy forces to make any attack “utterly futile”.
His remarks come amid heightened tensions between Europe and Russia and lingering concerns among European allies over US President Donald Trump’s commitment to NATO’s mutual defence pact.
In recent days, Trump has announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin allowing Russia to supply diesel to global markets and renewed his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
European governments accuse Moscow of stepping up a campaign of sabotage, drone incursions and cyberattacks against them, while Russia warned last month it could use nuclear weapons if NATO attempted to cut off its Kaliningrad exclave.
Grynkewich did not mention Russia by name but much of his message was clearly directed at Moscow. NATO’s 2022 Strategic Concept describes Russia as the alliance’s most significant security threat.
“If someone is foolish enough to attack us, we will fight,” he said. “We will, in short, ensure any attack, against any ally, proves utterly futile.”
NATO WOULD STRIKE BEYOND FRONT LINES
Grynkewich said NATO’s response would not be limited to forces involved in an initial attack.
“Should the adversary choose to press the attack or commit his reserves, we will break the warfighting system engaged against us,” he said.
“This includes not just the attacking force itself, but anything and everything that supports, sustains, and controls that force.”
Putin said this month Russia had no plans to attack any European country and wanted to coexist peacefully. Such declarations have not reassured European leaders, given Russia made similar statements before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has also repeatedly denied involvement in sabotage and other hybrid operations.
COMMANDER SEEKS TO REASSURE ALLIES
Grynkewich said he had decided to talk publicly about NATO’s plans because recent acts of sabotage and arson had made people around the alliance nervous.
“What I want to do is assure the one billion citizens of our alliance that we’ve got this. We know what we need to do. We know how we would do it,” he said.
He said he also wanted to send a message to anyone considering harming NATO members.
Grynkewich sought to downplay concerns about Washington’s commitment to the alliance, recalling that Trump spoke of “love” at a NATO summit in Ankara in July.
“I was in the room and I felt the love,” he said.
(Reporting Andrew Gray in Brussels and Justyna Pawlak in Warsaw; Writing by Andrew Gray; Editing by Makini Brice and Ros Russell)
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