AI Image
Pentagon tells Europeans to cool their rhetoric on Russia, sources say
Reuters • • general
Key Points:
- Pentagon officials have privately urged NATO countries, including Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, to moderate their public rhetoric about the Russian threat, warning that some statements undermine European security.
- This request coincides with the Trump administration's renewed push for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine, involving incentives for Russia and pressure on Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
- Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby advised against inflammatory language, such as referring to Russia as "cornered like a rat," cautioning that such rhetoric could provoke Moscow unnecessarily.
- The Pentagon's messaging reflects a broader NATO debate on balancing transparency about the Russian threat with avoiding rhetoric that could escalate tensions or play into Kremlin narratives.
- Meanwhile, Russia has intensified covert sabotage campaigns in Europe, prompting concern among Western intelligence, even as the US considers reducing its troop presence in Europe and encouraging NATO allies to take greater defense responsibility.
