Pentagon asks NATO allies to soften rhetoric on Russia; Warsaw and Vilnius push back

In brief

• Reuters reported that Pentagon officials, including Elbridge Colby, asked Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to soften their tone toward Russia in recent weeks.
• Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski cited the Russian strike on the Dnipro railway station and a war toll of over a million lives in rejecting any softening.
• Lithuania's defence minister Robertas Kaunas said he had no information about such a request, and Estonia's prime minister Kristen Michal said his country would not soften its position.
• The reported request is tied to a review of the number of US troops stationed in Europe.

Reported request from the Pentagon

According to Reuters, officials at the US Department of Defense, including Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, asked several European NATO members in recent weeks to soften their tone toward Moscow («Росія вбиває людей, а нам радять бути ввічливими»: Сікорський різко відповів на пропозицію США – TSN). The countries reportedly named as recipients were Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (У Польщі відреагували на публікацію про прохання США пом’якшити тон у висловлюваннях щодо РФ – Європейська правда). The report cited anonymous sources, and it remains unclear whether similar messages reached other allies (Waszyngton chce zmiany tonu wobec Kremla? Szef MON odpowiada – Wirtualna Polska).

Officials argued that some statements weaken security

According to the same report, Pentagon officials argued that certain public statements by European leaders about Russia undermine the continent's security. The request is linked to an ongoing review of the number of US troops stationed in Europe.

Poland: no softening after Dnipro attack

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski responded to the reports by pointing to the Russian strike on the railway station in Dnipro. He asked how governments should respond to attacks on cities and the use of ballistic missiles against power plants, and said the war had already cost over a million lives.

Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland does not provoke Russia and that its military moves are aimed at building security and defending the country (Pentagon upomina kraje NATO, spływają reakcje. "Nie będę się powstrzymywał" – Interia Wydarzenia). He said no one had asked him to soften rhetoric (Amerykanie wzywali do złagodzenia tonu wobec Rosji? Jest reakcja szefów MON Polski i Litwy – TVN24).

Lithuania and Estonia respond

Lithuania's defence minister Robertas Kaunas said he had no information about such a request, and that Lithuania does not intend to provoke Russia but only presents facts (USA miały prosić sojuszników o łagodniejszy ton wobec Rosji. Litwa odpowiada – Bankier.pl). The office of President Gitanas Nauseda said neither the president nor his advisers had received any calls from allies to soften their stance on Russia (У президента Литви кажуть, що не отримували закликів пом’якшити риторику щодо РФ від США – Європейська правда).

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said his country would not soften its position, arguing that appeasing dictators only leads to humiliation.

Read also

• Pentagon Asked Baltic States and Other NATO Members to Soften Rhetoric on Russia, Estonia's PM Refuses
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