Tensions between NATO and Russia sharpened Monday after the alliance’s top military commander said member states are considering whether they must become „more aggressive“ in confronting Moscow’s hybrid threat campaign.
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chairman of NATO’s military committee, told the Financial Times the alliance is evaluating if it should be „proactive instead of reactive,“ including the possibility of „preemptive“ cyber or sabotage operations.
Dragone said such actions could still fall under defensive doctrine, saying, „It is further away from our normal way of thinking or behavior.“
GERMANY WARNS RUSSIA COULD ATTACK NATO BY 2029 AS INTELLIGENCE THREAT ASSESSMENTS MOUNT
Dragone pointed to the Baltic Sentry mission, launched this year to counter Russian-linked sabotage at sea, saying that „from the beginning of Baltic Sentry, nothing has happened. So this means that this deterrence is working.“
He added: „Being more aggressive compared with the aggressivity of our counterpart could be an option, but Dragone also admitted that NATO and its members had much more limits than our counterpart because of ethics, because of law, because of jurisdiction. It is an issue. I don’t want to say it’s a loser position, but it is a harder position than our counterpart’s.“
RUSSIA SHIFTS FROM TALK TO ACTION, TARGETING NATO HOMELAND AMID FEARS OF GLOBAL WAR
Moscow immediately pushed back. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called Dragone’s comments „an extremely irresponsible step“ and accused NATO of signaling it is willing „to move toward escalation,“ according to Russian state media.
Carrie Filipetti, executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition and a former senior State Department and official at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, told Fox News Digital that, „Given Russia’s unilateral invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the idea that Russia is warning about NATO being irresponsible is laughable. Putin has been given numerous opportunities to end the war peacefully and has refused them all because of his own expansionist goals. NATO is simply reacting to his aggression.“
„Regarding U.S. involvement,“ she explained, „Article 5 merely states that an attack on one is an attack on all. NATO adopting a more assertive position does not obligate the U.S. to do the same. We are only required to take ‘such action as [we] deem necessary’ – and that, only in the case of an attack on a NATO state.“
General Bruce Carlson, U.S. Air Force (ret.) and former director of the National Reconnaissance Office, told Fox News Digital, „Let’s not forget it’s Russia who is conducting preemptive military action in Europe with the sole intention of invading and occupying another sovereign nation’s territory by force.“
Carlson added, „Putin only understands one thing and that’s power. No one has strengthened NATO more than President Trump, and it is critical that we use every lever possible to push Russia to the negotiating table to achieve a lasting and sustainable peace deal that protects Ukraine’s sovereignty and defends U.S. national security interests.“
The warnings come amid a steady drumbeat of Russian-linked activity that NATO officials say falls under hybrid warfare. The alliance says it faces daily cyberattacks that can be traced to Moscow, alongside information operations, migration pressure, and repeated targeting of critical infrastructure.
A series of sabotage incidents in late 2024 triggered a major NATO review. Several undersea data cables and a key power link were damaged that November and December, including on Dec. 25. Prosecutors in Finland accused the crew of a Cook Islands–flagged tanker of dragging an anchor for more than 50 miles and severing infrastructure, though a Finnish court later dismissed the case, ruling national law did not apply.
More recently, roughly 20 drones crossed into NATO member Poland in September, prompting Warsaw to trigger Article 4 consultations. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at the time it was „the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II,“ while Moscow denied targeting Polish territory.
NATO considers ‘more aggressive’ response to Russia’s hybrid threats 2025 IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2025 2025-12-01 16:15:58 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
