NATO is stepping up intelligence sharing in response to a wave of sabotage and other incidents linked to Russia.
At the same time, the Alliance must remain calm and confident in its own capabilities, said the commander of NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command in Europe, US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, Reuters reports Reuters.
Grynkewich’s remarks come amid warnings from Danish intelligence that Russia could intensify its hybrid war against the West. Danish experts also note that there is a low but growing risk of a limited military attack by Moscow on NATO countries that border it.
The general assured that the Alliance has all the necessary tools and mechanisms to manage the risks. Russia, for its part, has traditionally denied involvement in sabotage or preparations for conflict.
Commenting on the likelihood of a direct Russian attack on NATO territory, Grynkewich assessed such a scenario as unlikely, while stressing that it cannot be ruled out entirely. He dismissed suggestions that Putin could exploit a possible reduction in US stocks of precision-guided weapons to strike the Alliance, emphasising that NATO is ready to defend every inch of its territory.
The Alliance is currently undergoing a reshuffle in which European countries are taking on more responsibility for security. In particular, NATO’s Joint Force Command in Norfolk, which is responsible for the Arctic, Northern Europe and Atlantic routes, is now led by a British general instead of a US vice admiral.
The US side is assuring European allies that the United States will continue to provide key support, although some functions will be transferred to Europeans. At present, around 80,000 US service personnel are stationed in Europe, and there is still no final decision on changing their numbers or redeploying them.