Russia has pushed back sharply against new comments from NATO’s top military commander suggesting the alliance may adopt a more assertive posture toward Moscow in response to intensifying hybrid attacks across Europe.
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of NATO’s Military Committee, told the Financial Times that officials are examining options for “being more aggressive or being proactive instead of reactive,” particularly in dealing with cyberattacks, sabotage, and airspace violations attributed to Russia.
“We are studying everything… On cyber, we are kind of reactive,” Dragone said in the interview. “Being more aggressive or being proactive instead of reactive is something that we are thinking about.”
He also raised the possibility that, under certain conditions, a “pre-emptive strike” could be considered a form of defensive action—an approach he acknowledged would be “further away from our normal way of thinking and behavior.
Giuseppe further highlighted recent sabotage-related incidents such as the severing of undersea communication cables in the Baltic Sea and recurrent cyber intrusions across Europe, noting that these pressures have prompted a review of NATO’s posture.
Russia responds
However, Moscow on Monday, December 1, condemned the remarks with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova calling the statements “an extremely irresponsible step, indicating the alliance’s readiness to continue moving toward escalation,” according to comments carried by Russian state media.
“Those making such statements should be aware of the risks and potential consequences, including for the alliance members themselves.”
Dragone’s remarks reflect growing concern among several NATO members in Eastern Europe who have pressed for the alliance to abandon its largely reactive posture and impose clearer consequences for Russian hybrid activities.
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These concerns follow a series of incidents across multiple member states, including severed undersea communication cables in the Baltic Sea, drone activity near NATO borders, and cyber intrusions that Western governments have traced back to Moscow.
One recent case involved the Russian reconnaissance vessel Yantar, which lingered near Scottish waters and allegedly fired low-intensity lasers at RAF aircraft monitoring it—an action the UK described as “deeply dangerous.”
NATO plans to get ‘more aggressive’
In the interview, Dragone noted that NATO’s Baltic Sentry mission, created to protect critical underwater infrastructure, has already played a role in limiting further sabotage attempts.
“From the beginning of Baltic Sentry, nothing has happened,” he said. “So, this means that this deterrence is working.”
He emphasized that the challenge now is determining how best to sustain that effect: “How deterrence is achieved — through retaliation, through pre-emptive strike — this is something we have to analyse deeply because there could be in the future even more pressure on this.”
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Meanwhile, diplomatic activity around the war in Ukraine has intensified as President Donald Trump’s associate, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, arrived in Moscow for talks scheduled with President Vladimir Putin, focusing on prospects for a possible peace arrangement.
Their visit follows discussions in Florida between U.S. officials and Ukrainian diplomats. President Donald Trump said afterward, “I think there’s a good chance we can make a deal.”
However, Ukraine and Russia remain far apart on key issues, particularly Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, which Putin continues to describe as a red line.
NATO officials maintain that any shift in posture must be carefully weighed against legal and jurisdictional considerations within the alliance.
While offensive cyber options are relatively straightforward for many member states, Dragone noted that responding to physical sabotage or drone incursions is more complex and requires a clear framework before any new measures can be adopted.
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