Pentagon officials have in recent weeks asked several NATO countries to tone down their public language about the threat posed by Russia, Reuters reported on October 30, citing four people familiar with the matter. The report said the officials argued that some statements by European leaders had undermined continental security. The account puts NATO rhetoric at the center of a private disagreement between Washington and its European allies, one that has played out in bilateral meetings rather than in public statements.
Among the nations that received messages about NATO rhetoric urging them to keep public statements in check are Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity. Reuters reported that it was not clear whether the messages, delivered in bilateral meetings, were also conveyed to other European governments. None of the people suggested the advice was communicated in a confrontational manner, according to the report.
Asked for comment, a Pentagon official said: “Private conversations among allies are just that, so we will not comment on these allegations.” The defense ministries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia did not respond to requests for comment, Reuters reported, while NATO declined to comment.
NATO rhetoric and the Baltic states
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby was one of the United States officials delivering the NATO rhetoric message, the people said. Colby is a central figure in an ongoing review of United States troop levels in Europe. Reuters reported that it could not determine what other officials were involved in delivering the messages.
One of the people familiar with the matter told Reuters that Colby told a Baltic official recently that there should be no “poking” directed at the Russians. The person said Colby pointed to Europeans publicly suggesting that Russia was “cornered like a rat” as an example of unhelpful language. It was not clear what specific statement Colby was referring to, Reuters reported.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal referred to President Vladimir Putin as a “rat in a corner” in late September, suggesting the Russian leader was resorting to sabotage efforts in Europe as Russia had become increasingly bogged down in Ukraine.
Why the NATO rhetoric debate has surfaced now
The United States requests about NATO rhetoric come as the Trump administration restarts an effort to press for a negotiated end to the full-scale war in Ukraine, now well into its fifth year. Reuters reported that the latest push has blended incentives for Russia, including sanctions relief, with pressure on Ukraine to halt its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
The messages reflect a debate within NATO regarding how to publicly address the threat of an increasingly assertive Russia, and the NATO rhetoric dispute sits inside that wider argument. Some Western officials have argued that emphasizing the threat posed by Moscow could play into the hands of the Kremlin, which they say seeks to sow fear and undermine support for Ukraine. Others argue European governments must be transparent to show their electorates that sacrifice and resources are needed to keep Moscow at bay.
That second argument carries added weight as Russia appears to accelerate a covert campaign of sabotage throughout the continent, according to Western officials cited by Reuters. Russia has denied that it is pursuing such a campaign. On Wednesday, German prosecutors said two Belarusians were arrested for allegedly planning to set fire to a building or critical infrastructure facility in the Nuremberg area. In September, the German government blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, allegations Moscow has denied.
One of the European officials said the Pentagon’s NATO rhetoric advice, while cordial, was baffling, given that intelligence services in the Baltic states have in recent months consistently played down the probability of Russia testing NATO’s mutual defense provisions. Other NATO intelligence services, by contrast, have publicly warned that Russia could sharply ramp up its sabotage campaign in the near future.
NATO rhetoric and United States troop levels in Europe
Pentagon planners are reviewing Washington’s force posture in Europe, a process that could see a sharp drawdown in America’s troop presence on the continent, Reuters reported. United States officials have said European NATO members need to assume more responsibility for their own defense, particularly as the United States focuses on threats in the Middle East, Latin America and East Asia. The troop review gives the NATO rhetoric debate a practical edge, since allies are being asked to moderate public warnings at the same time as Washington weighs how many troops to keep in Europe.
Reuters reported the messages through four anonymous sources, the Pentagon declined to comment on the allegations, and the three Baltic defense ministries named in the report did not respond.