Pentagon Tells Baltic States to Soften Russia Rhetoric — SkimNews
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- Pentagon asked Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in recent weeks to temper public statements about Russia; four people familiar said the requests came in bilateral meetings, none described the exchanges as confrontational, and a Pentagon official declined to comment.
- Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon policy chief and a key figure in an ongoing review of U.S. troop levels in Europe, delivered the message; one person said he told a Baltic official there should be no “poking” directed at Russia.
- Kristen Michal called Putin a “rat in a corner” in late September and suggested Russia was resorting to sabotage as it had become increasingly bogged down in Ukraine; which statement Colby cited was unclear.
- Baltic intelligence services have consistently played down the probability that Russia would test NATO’s mutual-defense provisions, while other NATO intelligence services have publicly warned of a dramatic near-term expansion in sabotage.
- Trump administration restarted its push for a negotiated end to the Ukraine war, blending sanctions relief for Russia with pressure on Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure; potential business deals with Russia drew mixed reactions, and many European officials pushed for continued economic isolation.
- Pentagon planners are reviewing U.S. force posture in Europe, a process that could see a sharp troop drawdown, while U.S. officials say European NATO members must assume more defense responsibility as attention shifts to the Middle East, Latin America and East Asia.
Why it matters: For the three Baltic governments, Washington is asking for restraint and reviewing its European troop presence even as the NATO security picture remains divided. Baltic services have played down the likelihood of a Russian test of NATO mutual defense, while other NATO services publicly warn of a dramatic near-term sabotage escalation, leaving allies divided over how urgent the threat is.
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