The Pentagon urges Europeans to tone down rhetoric about the threat from russia - Reuters
Kyiv • UNN
The United States asked Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to soften public statements about the Russian threat. Washington is simultaneously reviewing its forces in Europe.
In recent weeks, Pentagon officials have approached a number of NATO countries asking them to tone down their rhetoric regarding the threat from Russia, arguing that some statements by European leaders and officials have undermined the security of the continent. Reuters reported this, citing four people familiar with the situation, writes UNN.
Details
Among the countries that received messages urging them to restrain their public statements were Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said. It was unclear whether the messages, conveyed during bilateral meetings, had been brought to the attention of other European governments.
The U.S. requests come as the Trump administration renews efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement to the full-scale war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for a fifth year. The latest pressure campaign combines incentives for Russia, including sanctions relief, with pressure on Ukraine to stop attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, the publication writes.
Private conversations between allies are just that—private conversations, so we will not comment on these claims
Among the comments that drew the attention of U.S. officials were suggestions by European leaders that Russia had been backed into a corner and was resorting to increasingly desperate measures as its invasion of Ukraine slowed, one of the sources said.
According to the sources, one of the U.S. officials who conveyed this message was Elbridge Colby, head of the Pentagon's policy office and a key figure in reviewing the size of U.S. forces in Europe. Reuters was unable to establish which other officials were involved in the process.
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None of the sources, which included three European officials and one U.S. official, suggested that the recommendations had been delivered in a confrontational manner.
The U.S. messages reflect a debate within NATO over how to respond publicly to the threat from an assertive Russia, the publication notes.
Some Western officials argue that emphasizing the threat from Moscow could play into the Kremlin's hands, as they say it seeks to sow fear and undermine support for Ukraine.
Others argue that European governments should be transparent in order to show their voters that deterring Moscow requires sacrifices and resources. This is particularly relevant as Russia appears to be accelerating a covert campaign of sabotage across the continent, the publication notes. Russia denies conducting such a campaign.
One source familiar with the situation told Reuters that Colby recently told a Baltic official that Russia should not be "provoked."
According to this person, Colby pointed to public statements by Europeans that Russia was "backed into a corner like a rat" as an example of unhelpful rhetoric.
It was unclear which specific statement Colby was referring to. However, in late September, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal called Putin a "rat in a corner," suggesting that the Russian leader was resorting to sabotage in Europe because Russia was becoming increasingly bogged down in the war in Ukraine.
"We are helping you. The Americans are there," another European official said, describing recent private messages from the Pentagon. "Just don't be loud. Don't make noise."
At a separate recent meeting, the Pentagon urged an Estonian delegation to be "restrained" in its messaging, according to a person briefed on the meeting, although that person did not say that Pentagon representatives had complained about any specific statement.
The defense ministries of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia did not respond to requests for comment, while NATO declined to comment.
One European official said that although the Pentagon's recommendations were well-intentioned, they were surprising given that the intelligence services of the Baltic countries had consistently played down in recent months the likelihood that Russia would test the strength of NATO's mutual defense provisions.
Other NATO intelligence services, by contrast, have publicly warned that Russia may sharply intensify its sabotage campaign in the near future.
The Pentagon's messages to NATO officials come at a tense time for European security.
According to Western intelligence officials, Moscow has recently intensified its campaign of deniable attacks against NATO countries.
On Wednesday, German prosecutors announced the arrest of two Belarusians on suspicion of planning to set fire to a building or critical infrastructure facility in the Nuremberg area. In September, the German government accused Russia of attempting a drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, which Moscow denies.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials are discussing potential business deals with Russia as part of the Trump administration's efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine. These efforts have drawn a mixed reaction from European officials, many of whom insist on the Kremlin's continued economic isolation.
Meanwhile, Pentagon planners are reviewing Washington's military presence in Europe, which could lead to a sharp reduction in America's military presence on the continent.
U.S. officials said that European NATO members should take on more responsibility for their own defense, particularly as the United States focuses on threats in the Middle East, Latin America, and East Asia.