Key facts
- NATO's top commander warned Russia that any attack on alliance territory would be met with destruction.
- General Alexus Grynkewich stated NATO would 'destroy anything and everything' supporting an attacking force.
- The commander's remarks were made at the Warsaw Security Forum.
- European governments have accused Russia of escalating sabotage, drone incursions, and cyberattacks.
NATO's top commander, U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, issued a stark warning to Russia on Monday, stating that the alliance would destroy "anything and everything" involved in any attack on NATO territory, ensuring such an assault would prove "utterly futile."
Grynkewich, who is NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, outlined his "theory of victory" at a security conference in Warsaw. He emphasized that while NATO is a defensive alliance, it would block, blunt, and break any attack against its members.
The remarks come at a time of heightened tensions between European nations and Russia. European governments have accused Moscow of intensifying a campaign of sabotage, drone incursions, and cyberattacks. Russia had previously warned it would use nuclear weapons if NATO attempted to cut off its Kaliningrad exclave.
While Grynkewich did not explicitly name Russia, his message was clearly directed at Moscow. NATO's 2022 Strategic Concept identifies Russia as the most significant threat to the alliance's security. Grynkewich stated that if an adversary attacked, NATO would fight, deny them their objectives, and ensure the attack was futile, potentially involving massive retaliation that would strike beyond the immediate area of attack.