NATO’s top military commander is expected to deliver a public warning to Russia on Monday over the alliance’s ability to counter any attack. US General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, will elaborate his “theory of victory” over any potential attack at a security conference in Warsaw, NATO officials said.
The move is aimed at halting what Western officials describe as a Russian “hybrid” campaign of sabotage and interference against Ukraine’s backers, which they say has grown more reckless as the Kremlin’s forces stall in Ukraine. Fears sharpened after high-profile incidents including the discovery of an explosive-laden drone at a German airport. “The Supreme Allied Commander Europe’s theory of victory is simple: maintain NATO’s advantage, which is consistent with and grounded upon the alliance’s deterrence and defense plans,” spokesman Col. Martin O’Donnell said last week, adding that the alliance must “set conditions now to deter aggression and, if necessary, win if attacked.”
The intervention is intended both as a signal to Moscow and as reassurance to members on the alliance’s eastern flank, and is unlikely to divulge new details of closely guarded defense plans. It comes as allies brace for possible cuts to US forces in Europe while the Pentagon reviews its continental deployments, with results expected toward the end of the year, and as European countries rush to bolster their militaries amid doubts over US reliability under President Donald Trump. NATO civilian head Mark Rutte has urged members to keep “calm, carry on and support Ukraine,” saying Russia knows the alliance is stronger.