Pentagon muzzles NATO on Moscow threat ahead of Trump troop drawdown: report - The Independent

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Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are among the NATO governments the Pentagon has asked to soften their public language about the threat from Russia, according to four people familiar with the matter.

The people, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Pentagon delivered the messages in bilateral meetings.

It was not clear whether other European governments received similar messages.

Pentagon officials have spent recent weeks arguing that statements by some European leaders and officials have undermined security on the continent, the people said.

The requests come as the Trump administration restarts its effort to press for a negotiated end to the full-scale war in Ukraine, now well into its fifth year.

That push has combined incentives for Russia, including sanctions relief, with pressure on Ukraine to stop its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.

Asked for comment, a Pentagon official said: "Private conversations among allies are just that, so we will not comment on these allegations."

One of the people said comments that have drawn U.S. officials' attention include suggestions by European leaders that Russia is cornered and resorting to increasingly desperate measures as its invasion of Ukraine slows to a crawl.

Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's policy chief and a key figure in an ongoing review of U.S. troop levels in Europe, was one of the U.S. officials delivering the message, the people said.

What other officials were involved could not be determined by Reuters.

None of the people, who include three European officials and a U.S. official, suggested the advice was communicated in a confrontational manner.

The defense ministries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia did not respond to requests for comment, while NATO declined to comment.

The U.S. messages reflect a debate within NATO over how to publicly address an increasingly assertive Russia.

Some Western officials have argued that emphasizing the threat posed by Moscow could play into the hands of the Kremlin, which they say seeks to sow fear and undermine support for Ukraine.

Others argue European governments must be transparent to show their electorates that keeping Moscow at bay requires sacrifice and resources.

That argument is especially pressing as Russia appears to accelerate a covert campaign of sabotage throughout the continent.

Russia has denied pursuing such a campaign.

One person familiar told Reuters that Colby recently told a Baltic official that there should be no "poking" directed at the Russians.

The person said Colby pointed to Europeans publicly suggesting that Russia was "cornered like a rat" as an example of unhelpful rhetoric.

It was unclear which specific statement Colby was referring to.

However, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal referred to Putin as a "rat in a corner" in late September, suggesting the Russian leader was resorting to sabotage efforts in Europe as Russia had become increasingly bogged down in Ukraine.

"We are helping you. The Americans are there," said a separate European official, describing the Pentagon's recent private messaging. "Just don't be loud. Don't make noise."

In a separate recent meeting, the Pentagon urged an Estonian delegation to be "measured" in its communications, according to a person briefed on the encounter, though the person did not say Pentagon officials complained about any specific statement.

One European official said the Pentagon's advice, while cordial, was baffling, given that intelligence services in the Baltic states have in recent months consistently downplayed the likelihood of Russia testing NATO's mutual defense provisions.

Other NATO intelligence services, by contrast, have publicly warned that Russia could dramatically ramp up its sabotage campaign in the near future.

The Pentagon messages to NATO officials come at a fraught time for European security.

Moscow has recently intensified its campaign of deniable attacks on NATO countries, Western intelligence officials have said.

On Wednesday, German prosecutors said two Belarusians were arrested for allegedly planning to set fire to a building or critical infrastructure facility in the Nuremberg area.

In September, the German government blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, allegations Moscow has denied.

At the same time, U.S. officials have been discussing potential business deals with Russia as part of the Trump administration's push for peace in Ukraine.

Those efforts have drawn mixed reactions from European officials, many of whom are pushing for the Kremlin's continued economic isolation.

Pentagon planners, meanwhile, are reviewing Washington's force posture in Europe, a process that could see a sharp drawdown in America's troop presence on the continent.

U.S. officials have said European NATO members need to assume more responsibility for their own defense, particularly as the U.S. focuses on threats in the Middle East, Latin America and East Asia.