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.
“If someone is foolish enough to attack us, we will fight,” he said. “We will stop the attack and deny them the ability to achieve their objectives, whatever those might be.”
“We will, in short, ensure any attack, against any ally, proves 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.
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.
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.
Donald Trump only on Friday announced a deal with Russian president Vladimir Putin allowing Moscow to supply diesel to global markets and renewed his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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.
The Warsaw Security Forum saw addresses from Polish prime minister Donald Tusk and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky as well as Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store and Lithuania’s prime minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius.
Grynkewich’s conversation, titled Theory of Victory: How do we achieve military success against Russia in deterrence and defence?, focused on how Nato would react to a potential invasion of any of the group’s territory.
He told Bloomberg that the aim of publicising the plan is to deter Russia from attempting a seizure or invasion of any Nato member.
It is expected to involve drones and AI technology, as well as supplementing advantages that Nato already has over Russia, including F-35 fighter jets, he said.
Several experts have previously told The Independent that Russia intends to test the alliance’s will and its Article 5 mutual defence clause by potentially launching a limited incursion.
Speaking about a reluctance on the part of affected nations to attribute hybrid attacks to Russia, Grynkewich said he is “certainly not afraid to attribute it”.
“If a nation wants me to, I’m happy to talk about it,” he said.
Grynkewich added that he believes that the “centrality” of Ukraine to European security will become evident to countries that are currently reluctant to do so in the face of domestic elections.
“I think it will become very obvious to them very quickly what the right thing to do is, and why it’s necessary for their own national security,” he said.
It comes after US president Donald Trump temporarily lifted sanctions on Russia to allow Putin to sell diesel amid rising fuel prices.
The American general was asked whether this decision would impact his plan to unequivocally pinpoint Russia as a threat and said he would stay focused on military matters.
Experts likened the policy to “shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic”.
“Windows of opportunity come and go. We have to look for those windows of opportunity and seize them when they’re available,” he said about talks to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
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