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NATO: Alliance 'Ready to Fight Tonight'10/13 06:05
NATO's top military commander said the alliance is "ready to fight tonight"
if it is attacked, as European officials warn Russia could test NATO's defenses
with increased covert attacks or a limited military incursion.
WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- NATO's top military commander said the alliance is
"ready to fight tonight" if it is attacked, as European officials warn Russia
could test NATO's defenses with increased covert attacks or a limited military
incursion.
European nations have in recent months faced an escalation of covert Russian
activity, including an arson attack on an Estonian defense company and a failed
attempt to attack a Ukrainian aircraft at a German airport.
If Russia decides to attack NATO, the alliance will respond by using
sensors, autonomous systems and military force to stop any assault, NATO's
Supreme Allied Commander U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich said in Warsaw Monday.
Grynkewich spoke at the Warsaw Security Forum to set out what he called
NATO's "Theory of Victory." The NATO commander said he does not believe that a
conflict is imminent or inevitable and that the most effective way to preserve
peace is to prepare for war and to maintain open lines of communication to
"resolve misunderstandings."
NATO will break the enemy's forces if necessary, Grynkewich says
Grynkewich provided no specific details about what kind of attack NATO is
preparing for, nor where, nor with what kind of forces. But outlining what a
response to a Russian attack could look like, Grynkewich said NATO's combined
land, sea and air forces will move to stop Moscow seizing territory and deny
Russia the ability to hold ground.
"My theory of victory is simple," he told the Warsaw conference.
"We will block the initial attack. If the attack persists, we will blunt it
and prevent any enemy advance. And if required, we will break the enemy's
forces and the operational war-fighting system arrayed against us."
That includes not just the attacking force but anything and everything that
supports, sustains and controls it, he said.
In recent weeks, senior European officials and intelligence services have
warned that Russia may be planning to test the NATO alliance with increased
covert attacks or even an incursion after a spate of sabotage incidents across
the continent. Denmark's defense intelligence service specifically warned
Russia could use such tactics to split the NATO alliance.
But, at the same time, President Donald Trump has also sent shock waves
through Europe by agreeing to a deal to buy diesel from Russia in a bid to try
lower prices in the U.S. ahead of the midterm elections.
Earlier this year, the U.S. president said he was pulling American troops
from Europe and his war with Iran has led to critical shortages of advanced air
defense missiles in Europe.
"Ultimately it's a political decision," as to where troops are deployed but
"no one should question the U.S. commitment to the alliance," Grynkewich said.
It is important, Grynkewich said, that alliance members coordinate a
"coherent" response to Russian activity to make it clear to Moscow "where our
red lines are." The response to increased Russian malign activity and sabotage,
he said, should be to double down on support for Ukraine.
Some NATO countries still lack readiness to respond to threats
While Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Russia is planning to
escalate with drone or rocket strikes on European allies supporting Ukraine,
other countries have called for calm.
Denmark's Defense Intelligence Agency said there is a "low but growing risk"
that Russia will launch a limited military attack against one or several NATO
countries bordering Russia.
NATO does not seek war with anyone but will see a military attack coming and
"is unlikely to be caught by surprise," Grynkewich said.
Although Grynkewich said NATO would defend against any attack by Russia
using a network of sensors and autonomous systems, some NATO nations have
previously struggled to perform in exercises simulating drone warfare. They
have also faced challenges detecting and responding to incursions of drones
which have entered their airspace.
Multiple attack drones have crashed in NATO countries bordering Russia,
Ukraine and Belarus. And in May, residents in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius
were told to seek shelter after a drone strayed into Lithuanian airspace.
When asked if NATO could deter Russia in the way Grynkewich described, his
spokesperson, Col. Martin O'Donnell said NATO nations are increasingly
deploying ground sensors and other technology to detect and counter drones. The
network that connects systems to shoot down drones and sensors is in the
process of being established, although they have not yet taken down any drones,
he said.
Western officials blame Moscow for more than 200 incidents since 2022
In September, Germany accused Russia of being behind a plot at Leipzig
airport to use a drone laden with explosives to attack a Ukrainian aircraft.
British officials also said they thwarted a Russian plot to target a drone
facility outside London while Estonian officials said Russia was behind a fire
at a defense company.
The incidents are among at least 211 blamed on Russia by Western officials
since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and tracked by The Associated Press.
In its assessment released earlier in September, Denmark's defense
intelligence service suggested Russia could try to acquire Ukrainian drones and
use them to attack Europe, in order to obfuscate any Russian involvement. Tusk
suggested Russia will likely pretend any attacks are "accidental" in order to
"paralyze or at least weaken the motivation of NATO countries" to rush to the
defense of a member state coming under attack.
The Danish service said the aim of any such attack would be to divert
European resources away from supporting Ukraine and sow division in NATO. But
both the Danish service and O'Donnell said while Russia is fighting in Ukraine,
it would be difficult to launch an outright attack on NATO.
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