NATO Chief Vows Full Response to Any Alliance Attack — SkimNews
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- NATO commander Gen. Alexus Grynkewich told the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday that alliance forces would block the initial attack, blunt it, and break the enemy's warfighting system if an attack persisted.
- Grynkewich expanded the scope of NATO's response beyond frontline troops to include 'anything and everything that supports, sustains and controls' an attacking force, signaling the alliance would target logistics and command nodes as well.
- Grynkewich stressed NATO is a defensive alliance and said he does not believe conflict is 'imminent or inevitable,' but argued 'the most effective way to preserve peace is to prepare for war.'
- European governments have accused Moscow of stepping up sabotage, drone incursions, and cyberattacks, while Russia warned last month it could use nuclear weapons if NATO tried to cut off its Kaliningrad exclave.
- Vladimir Putin said this month Russia has no plans to attack any European country — a claim European leaders distrust, noting Russia issued similar assurances before its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
- Grynkewich downplayed concerns about US commitment under President Trump, recalling Trump's reception at a July NATO summit in Ankara: 'I was in the room and I felt the love.'
Why it matters: Grynkewich's decision to publicly articulate NATO's break-the-enemy doctrine, rather than keep it classified, comes as European publics face suspected Russian sabotage and drone incursions and is explicitly aimed at reassuring the alliance's one billion citizens. By invoking Trump's warm July summit reception, the commander is also working to neutralize doubts about Washington reliability — a critical variable given Russia's explicit nuclear threat over Kaliningrad.
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