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Pentagon Asks NATO Allies to Avoid “Poking” Russia, Reuters Reports
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Pentagon officials have asked several NATO allies, including Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, to tone down public rhetoric about the threat posed by Russia, Reuters reported on October 30.
The requests were delivered during bilateral meetings in recent weeks, according to four people familiar with the discussions. US officials argued that some statements by European leaders risked undermining security in Europe.
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Russia has been ramping up its hybrid campaign across Europe, including sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation, drone incursions, and attacks on critical infrastructure. In October, Ukraine’s military intelligence warned that Russian services were preparing further operations across EU and NATO states.
The messages come as the US President Donald Trump’s administration renews efforts to negotiate an end to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Reuters noted that the latest push has combined possible incentives for Moscow, including sanctions relief, with pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
A Pentagon official declined Reuters’ request to comment on the substance of the discussions.
“Private conversations among allies are just that, so we will not comment on these allegations,” the official told Reuters.
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby was among the officials delivering the message, according to the report. Colby is also involved in an ongoing review of US troop levels in Europe.
One person familiar with the discussions told Reuters that Colby recently urged a Baltic official to avoid “poking” Russia. He cited public descriptions of Moscow as being “cornered like a rat” as an example of rhetoric the Pentagon considered unhelpful.
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Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal referred to the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, as a “rat in a corner” in late September, arguing that Russia was increasingly resorting to sabotage as its invasion of Ukraine stalled.
“We are helping you. The Americans are there,” a separate European official told Reuters, describing the Pentagon’s private message. “Just don’t be loud. Don’t make noise.”
In another recent meeting, Pentagon officials urged an Estonian delegation to remain “measured” in its public communications, according to a person briefed on the encounter.
The defense ministries of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia did not respond to Reuters requests for comment, while NATO declined to comment.
Some European officials expressed surprise at the advice. Reuters reported that intelligence agencies in the Baltic states have recently played down the likelihood of Russia directly testing NATO’s collective-defense commitments.
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Other NATO intelligence services, however, have publicly warned that Russia could sharply intensify sabotage operations across Europe.
German prosecutors announced this week that two Belarusians had been arrested over an alleged plan to set fire to a building or critical infrastructure site in the Nuremberg area.
Germany also blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, where investigators later identified a suspected organizer with alleged ties to Russian military intelligence.
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