NATO chief warns Europe of new Russian hybrid wave featuring arson and sabotage
Photo: Mark Rutte (Getty Images)
Europe must be prepared for systematic Russian sabotage, arson, and hybrid attacks. At the same time, allies should remain calm and continue supporting Ukraine, states NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
According to him, the Kremlin is currently testing the security of all of Europe, so allies need to remain vigilant and be prepared for a prolonged campaign of hostile actions.
"We see Russia testing us across Europe. We must be prepared for Russia’s campaign of hostile actions against allies to continue. We must all remain vigilant, we must all remain alert," Rutte emphasized.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten supported this position. They stressed that Europe will not succumb to intimidation and that their countries are already enhancing intelligence cooperation to an unprecedented level.
Goal of provocations and nuclear blackmail
Moscow is conducting a hybrid war campaign against the backdrop of the fifth year of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Resorting to arson, sabotage at industrial facilities, and assassination attempts, the Kremlin is trying to undermine support for Kyiv from Western partners.
The leaders' statements came amid renewed nuclear threats from Russia regarding Kaliningrad. Moscow declared its readiness to use its entire arsenal of weapons to protect this exclave if the Alliance attempts to cut it off from the rest of Russian territory.
At the same time, Rutte called on Europeans not to panic over the latest statements from the Kremlin, emphasizing NATO's full readiness to protect its borders.
“Keep calm, carry on and continue the support for Ukraine. Keep calm because we have what it takes. We have what it takes to defend every inch of allied territory," he stressed.
Lithuania reported receiving information about Russia's possible preparation of "false flag" operations. According to Lithuanian intelligence, Moscow may be testing NATO's readiness to respond in this way.
Danish intelligence has warned of a likely increase in Russia's hybrid attacks against NATO countries in the coming months. The possibility of a limited military operation is also not excluded.
