Pentagon officials have privately asked several NATO countries, including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, to tone down public rhetoric about the Russian threat, arguing that it has undermined continental security, four people told Reuters.
According to the people, Pentagon officials in recent weeks asked several NATO countries to tone down their rhetoric on the threat posed by Russia. The messages were delivered in bilateral meetings, and the three Baltic states are among the nations that received them, according to the Straits Times, which also reported the account.
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby was one of the US officials delivering the message, according to the people. Reuters could not determine what other officials were involved. The people did not identify which specific statement Colby was referring to.
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, and NATO declined to comment.
The requests come as the Trump administration restarts an effort to press for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine. The effort blends sanctions relief for Russia with pressure on Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, according to the Straits Times.
The debate over how loudly to talk about Russia is divided. Some Western officials argue that emphasizing the Russian threat could play into the Kremlin’s hands, while others say governments must be transparent to win public support for defense spending. Reuters reports that Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal called Putin a "rat in a corner" in late September, and that Colby cited similar European comments as unhelpful. Russia has denied running a sabotage campaign in Europe.
The intelligence picture is also contested. One European official told Reuters the Pentagon’s advice was baffling because Baltic intelligence services have in recent months consistently played down the probability of Russia testing NATO’s mutual defense provisions. Other NATO intelligence services have publicly warned that Russia could ramp up sabotage in the near future. Reuters does not say whether the Baltic services disputed those warnings.
The Pentagon is reviewing US force posture in Europe, a process that could lead to a sharp drawdown in troop presence. US officials say European NATO members must take more responsibility for their own defense.
Several key points rest on anonymous sources and on a single outlet’s reporting. Russia’s response to the rhetoric issue was not reported, and it remains unclear whether other European governments received the messages.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.