NATO general: alliance ready to respond to Russian escalation

NATO's top military officer, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chairman of the Military Committee, said on Saturday after a meeting of the alliance's 32 top generals in Copenhagen that NATO is prepared to respond to possible Russian escalation along Europe's eastern flank. Ukrainska Pravda reported this citing European Pravda and Politico.

Dragone said the alliance's structure, troops and weaponry are ready, adding that NATO continues working to increase these forces both in numbers and technical capability. His remarks came amid growing warnings about a potential staged attack by Moscow.

In recent weeks Europe has faced a rising number of airspace violations and sabotage attempts as tensions with Russia continue to grow over the full-scale war in Ukraine. In August, US intelligence reports warned that Moscow is planning a limited attack on a NATO country within the next few years.

Dragone noted that the generals did not discuss the latest warnings on Saturday, but stressed that NATO has ready 4,000 pages of military plans to defend its eastern flank, starting with scenarios involving minimal crisis or interference on alliance territory. In 2023, NATO allies approved three regional defense operational plans following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Allies are ready in case of escalation and know how to act if an attack occurs, Dragone said. He added that Russia's reckless behavior in recent weeks and months continues to test allied resolve and aims to undermine trust and weaken unity, but stressed that these attempts do not divide the alliance — instead they sharpen its tools and make it more cohesive and determined.

Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said intelligence indicates Russian plans for hybrid strikes against countries supporting Ukraine, while Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said his country also has information that Russia is preparing hybrid attacks against Ukraine's allies.