Russia ‘not looking for conflict’, says NATO’s top US commander

The US general who commands NATO has said Russia is “not looking for a conflict”, despite concern among European allies about the potential security gaps left by Washington’s plans to withdraw key military assets.

Asked about the possibility of a Russian attack on the Baltic states, General Alexus G. Grynkewich said his role was to ensure NATO’s deterrence remained credible and that Moscow understood it could not succeed militarily against the alliance.

“I’ve watched the intelligence very closely,” the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (Saceur) said on a panel at the ILA Berlin Air Show. “Russia is not looking for a conflict...  They do understand the term ‘defensive alliance’, and they do understand that we have a number of asymmetric advantages.”

His comments come as the US is planning to reduce the military capabilities it assigns to the NATO Force Model, the alliance’s pool of forces and equipment that can be deployed within 10, 30 and 180 days in response to a crisis.

The assessment contrasts with increasing concerns in the Baltic States that a reduced US military presence could weaken NATO’s deterrence and alter Moscow’s calculations.

Grynkewich, who also leads the US European command, said his “job” was to ensure that “Russia understands that, should they try something in the Baltic States they won’t succeed. Because they know they won’t succeed, they won’t take the risk on something like that.”

He added: “When people ask me, are you ready to fight tonight? Absolutely.”

Vladimir Putin last week dismissed fears in Europe that Russia would attack NATO countries as “nonsense”. “This is a deliberate provocation to create a threat that doesn’t really exist and make their countries’ populations spend more money on defence,” he said. “It’s just absurd. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad.”

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