REPLAY: NATO's top military commander warns Russia over alleged sabotage • FRANCE 24 English

Summary

At a press conference in Warsaw, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich, described the alliance as defensive and said it had no intention of seeking conflict. He stressed, however, that deterrence requires readiness and that NATO would fight if an ally were attacked. He said he did not consider conflict imminent or inevitable.

Grynkewich outlined a “theory of victory” based on NATO’s agreed strategy for defending the Euro-Atlantic area. Its three stages are to block an initial attack, blunt any continued offensive and, if necessary, break the attacking force’s ability to fight. He said NATO would use intelligence and rapid force deployment to avoid being caught by surprise, then coordinate land, air, maritime, space and cyber capabilities. The goal, he said, would be to stop an attack and deny an adversary the ability to seize and hold NATO territory—not to impose a strategic defeat.

He argued that NATO’s response would be limited to the forces and systems conducting the attack, leaving responsibility for any further escalation with the aggressor. In his view, threats or escalation would not divide the alliance but could strengthen its unity. NATO is rehearsing its response and investing in readiness, precision weapons, sensors and other capabilities, he said, both to defend itself and to deter conflict.

FRANCE 24 International Affairs Commentator Douglas Herbert said the speech comes amid concern that Russia is testing NATO through alleged “gray-zone” operations—sabotage, interference and other actions that fall short of conventional war and can be difficult to attribute. He cited reported warnings to defense companies supporting Ukraine, a drone carrying explosives found at Leipzig airport, alleged airspace violations and damaged undersea cables. Herbert noted that Russia denies involvement in such incidents.

Herbert said the “block, blunt, break” framing presents NATO’s plans as defensive, but warned that Russian state media could use the speech as propaganda to portray NATO as the aggressor. He said this narrative reverses responsibility for the war in Ukraine, which Russia launched by invading in 2022, and may be used to justify further hostility toward the alliance.

Presenters and Contributors

• FRANCE 24 anchor — unnamed in the subtitles
• General Alexus Grynkewich — NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe
• Douglas Herbert — FRANCE 24 International Affairs Commentator