NATO is prepared to respond to a potential Russian escalation on Europe’s eastern flank, NATO Military Committee Chair Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said.
Axar.az reports, citing Politico, that Dragone made the remarks on September 19 during a meeting of NATO’s 32 top generals in Copenhagen, amid warnings from European leaders about a possible staged Russian attack.
“The alliance is ready, the structure is ready, the soldiers … the weapons are ready,” Dragone told reporters. He added that NATO was continuing to increase its forces “in number … and also in sophistication.”
The remarks followed warnings from European leaders about a possible Russian provocation. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Moscow could send drones or missiles into a frontline NATO country in the coming months as a staged provocation to test the alliance. France and the Netherlands later echoed similar concerns.
Dragone said NATO had “4,000 pages” of military plans for protecting its eastern flank, including scenarios involving a “minimal crisis or interference [on] our soil.”
“Allies are ‘ready in case of an escalation,’” Dragone said. “In case of an attack, we know how to do it.”
“Russia’s reckless behaviour over the last weeks and months … continues to test allied resolve” and “aims to undermine trust and weaken our unity,” Dragone said. “I want to be clear — these attempts are not dividing us. They are sharpening our tools, making us much more united and determined.”