General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, has issued a blunt warning that forces under his command would destroy every target if anyone "foolishly" attacks the military alliance. The remarks come as European nations grow increasingly anxious about the risk of Russian attacks on their territory while the war in Ukraine continues.
Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday, General Grynkewich — who heads U.S. European Command and serves as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) — described the alliance's response plan. He said NATO would halt an initial attack; if the adversary pressed on, the alliance would deflect and block any advance; and if necessary, it would collapse the opposing force along with the entire operational system it had deployed against NATO.
Grynkewich stressed that NATO is a defensive alliance and that he personally does not believe a conflict is imminent or inevitable. In his view, the most effective way to keep the peace is to prepare for war and to maintain open channels of communication in order to "resolve misunderstandings."
Although he did not name Russia, the NATO commander's remarks came as European governments accuse Moscow of stepping up sabotage campaigns, drone incursions and cyberattacks against them. For its part, Russia warned last month that it could use nuclear weapons if NATO sought to cut off the Kaliningrad exclave — a key Russian military base wedged between Poland and Lithuania.
NATO's 10-year strategy drawn up in 2022 identified Russia as the most significant security threat to the alliance. Grynkewich said the ultimate goal is to ensure that any attack on any ally becomes entirely pointless.
Retaliation not limited to attacking forces
General Grynkewich said NATO's response would not be confined to the forces taking part in an initial attack. He made clear that if an adversary chose to keep attacking or to commit reserves, NATO would collapse the entire operational system arrayed against it, including the components that support, supply and direct those forces.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this month that Russia has no plans to attack any European country and wants peaceful coexistence. Those assurances have not reassured European leaders, who cite similar Russian statements before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Moscow has also repeatedly denied any involvement in sabotage and hybrid warfare.
'We have the situation under control'
According to General Grynkewich, he decided to make NATO's plans public because recent sabotage and arson attacks have left people across the alliance worried. He said he wanted to reassure the alliance's one billion citizens that NATO has the situation in hand, knows what needs to be done and how it will act.
He also sought to ease concerns about Washington's commitment to NATO, pointing to the reception President Donald Trump received at the NATO summit in Ankara in July. "I was in the room and I felt the warm support," he recalled.
