Pentagon asks Baltic Nato allies to tone down rhetoric on Russia threat: Report

Pentagon officials have privately urged several Nato allies in recent weeks to tone down their public comments on the threat from Russia, saying remarks by some European leaders could weaken security across the continent, news agency Reuters reported, citing four people familiar with the discussions.Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are among the countries that have received the message from Washington, the sources said. The conversations took place during bilateral meetings. It remains unclear whether the US has made similar requests to other European governments.The move comes as US President Donald Trump's administration renews its push to bring an end to the war in Ukraine through negotiations. Now in its fifth year, the conflict has become the focus of fresh diplomatic efforts by Washington, which has considered incentives for Moscow, including sanctions relief, while pressing Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.A Pentagon official declined to discuss the reported conversations, saying: "Private conversations among allies are just that, so we will not comment on these allegations."According to one of the people familiar with the discussions, US officials have taken issue with remarks by some European leaders portraying Russia as cornered and increasingly desperate as its advance in Ukraine slows.Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, who is overseeing a key review of US troop deployments in Europe, was among those who conveyed the message, the sources said. Reuters could not establish who else from the US side was involved.The people, three European officials and one US official, said the exchanges were cordial and did not involve any confrontation.Pentagon's message: Avoid 'poking' RussiaThe reported US intervention highlights differences within Nato over how its members should speak publicly about Russia's growing assertiveness.Some Western officials believe strong warnings about Moscow's intentions could serve the Kremlin's interests by creating fear and weakening public support for Ukraine.Others argue that European governments need to openly communicate the Russian threat to their citizens. They say this is necessary to build support for the resources and sacrifices required to deter Moscow, particularly as concerns grow over an alleged Russian sabotage campaign across Europe. Russia has denied pursuing such a campaign.One person familiar with the matter told Reuters that Colby recently advised a Baltic official against "poking" the Russians.The official said Colby referred to comments suggesting Russia was "cornered like a rat", describing such language as unhelpful.It is not clear which specific remark he had in mind. However, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal had used the phrase "rat in a corner" for Russian President Vladimir Putin in late September. Michal had suggested that Moscow was turning to sabotage in Europe as its military campaign in Ukraine became increasingly bogged down.A separate European official described the tone of the Pentagon's private communication to Reuters, saying: "We are helping you. The Americans are there. Just don't be loud. Don't make noise."During another recent meeting, US officials asked an Estonian delegation to be "measured" in its public communication, a person briefed on the meeting said. The person did not specify whether the Pentagon had objected to any particular statement.The defence ministries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia did not respond to requests for comment. Nato also declined to comment.European concerns grow over Russia's actionsOne European official said the Pentagon's advice was difficult to understand, despite the cordial manner in which it was delivered. The official noted that intelligence agencies in the Baltic states had repeatedly played down the chances of Russia testing Nato's collective defence commitments in recent months.Several other Nato intelligence services, however, have publicly warned that Moscow could step up its sabotage operations in the coming months.The discussions come amid growing concerns over covert attacks targeting Nato countries. Western intelligence officials say Russia has recently intensified such operations, although Moscow has denied involvement in a sabotage campaign.On Wednesday, German prosecutors announced the arrest of two Belarusians suspected of planning to set fire to a building or a critical infrastructure facility in the Nuremberg area.Earlier, in September, the German government accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Moscow denied the allegations.Meanwhile, Washington has been exploring possible business agreements with Moscow as part of Trump's efforts to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war. The approach has not found unanimous support among European governments, many of which favour maintaining economic pressure on the Kremlin.The Pentagon is also reviewing the deployment of US forces across Europe. The exercise could lead to a substantial reduction in the American military presence on the continent.Washington has repeatedly called on European Nato members to take greater responsibility for their own defence. US officials have argued that America needs to focus more resources on security challenges in the Middle East, Latin America and East Asia.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.