NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaking to members of the media on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at the NATO summit in Washington. (Matt Rourke/AP)
NATO members are stepping up intelligence sharing to counter an intensified Russian sabotage campaign against targets in Europe, the alliance’s top official said Wednesday as heads of state gathered in Washington for high-level talks.
At NATO’s summit in Washington, leaders from member states are poised to approve a variety of measures aimed at bolstering support for Ukraine, including a more detailed path for the war-torn country to gain eventual membership in the security pact, alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters.
Allies also are working on defense plans to ensure enough forces are in place to counter any potential Russian aggression, he said. But while there is no sign of an imminent threat from the Russian military on NATO territory, the Kremlin is using other means to launch attacks, Stoltenberg said.
“What we see is a constant threat of cyberattacks, of sabotage or different types of hostile actions against NATO allies. But short of military attacks,” he said.
For now, Russia’s military is too preoccupied with the war in Ukraine to pose an immediate conventional military threat, Stoltenberg said.
But security concerns are growing in Europe, where U.S. military bases were recently placed on heightened alert in connection with potential threats to installations across the continent. While the Pentagon has not specified the nature of the threat, CNN on Tuesday reported the U.S. received information that Russian-backed actors were considering sabotage attacks against American military personnel and facilities.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said allies are “acutely aware” of increased risks.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, leaders of NATO nations, and U.S. senators pose for a photo before a meeting Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill. Among the leaders present is Great Britain’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, third from the left in the front row. (Joe Gromelski/Special to Stars and Stripes)
In Europe, “we have seen attacks in recent months, arson attacks, sabotage attacks, attempted assassinations, misinformation, disinformation, cyber threats,” he said on the sidelines of the summit. “These are not one-offs.”
Stoltenberg declined to comment on the specifics of the threats to U.S. bases but did say allies are taking steps to deal with the Russian aggression.
“What I can say is that we have seen a pattern of increased Russian hostile acts against NATO allies over the last month organized by the Russian security services,” he said, pointing to instances of arson attempts and “other malign actions.”
The actions are part of a Russian intimidation campaign aimed at wrecking allied support for Ukraine, Stoltenberg said.
In response to the attacks, allies are sharing more intelligence, which has led to a series of arrests in the United Kingdom, Poland, Germany and in some Baltic countries.
“We need to be vigilant. We monitor closely what Russia is doing,” Stoltenberg said.
In Washington, allies have announced a new round of support for Ukraine, including more air defense systems from the United States and several other members. Also, allies for the first time are pledging to strengthen their defense industry capacities as the military alliance readies for a protracted war in Ukraine that could last years.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. is investing $75 billion in its defense industrial base but is relying on the collective pledges to prioritize the production of the most vital defense equipment needed for a potential conflict.
“NATO can, NATO will and NATO is rising to meet this challenge without disturbing or distorting our national economies the way Russia has,” he told industry leaders gathered Tuesday for a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event.
A senior NATO official speaking to reporters at the NATO summit said Russia continues to maintain a significant advantage over Ukraine in munitions, equipment and personnel. Russia is recruiting 30,000 troops each month and has mobilized an economy that will allow it to prosecute the war in Ukraine for another three to four years, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Today, Russia’s defense industry is on a wartime footing,” Sullivan said. “They’re attempting to undertake the most significant defense expansion since the height of the Cold War.”
Besides bolstering its defense industrial base, allies also are working on their own defense plans in Europe, where some 500,000 troops are now on a heightened state of alert, Stoltenberg said. The high readiness level is part of a new NATO force model intended to generate more forces to respond quickly in a crisis.
However, Ukraine is the marquee issue during the Washington summit.
Behind closed doors, heads of state are still negotiating Ukraine’s future in NATO. While allies have said the country will one day become a member of NATO, there is no timeline for when that could happen. It also isn’t clear whether all allies are prepared to accept Ukraine as a member given opposition to the idea in parts of the alliance. Even President Joe Biden has expressed ambivalence about Ukraine’s bid, raising questions about whether membership is a realistic proposition.
Still, allies are expected to agree on a “bridge” to future membership for Ukraine, with language stating that NATO’s path to membership is “irreversible.”
Stoltenberg said more details were to come.
“I expect that allies will agree to a strong message on membership for Ukraine. The exact language I will refrain to comment on until we have a statement,” he said.
Stars and Stripes reporter Svetlana Shkolnikova contributed to this report.
