Jul 17, 2024 - World

Russian sabotage draws widespread concern at NATO summit

Colin Demarest

A computer screen displaying cyberattacks is seen at left. A man's face is illuminated by the screen at right. The background is pitch black. — Staff Sgt. Wendell Myler monitors cyberattacks at Warfield Air National Guard Base. Photo: Joseph Eddins/DVIDS

Russia's surreptitious war in Europe, relying on new-school digital attacks and old-school sabotage, received special attention at last week's NATO summit, including from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the alliance's boss, Jens Stoltenberg.

Why it matters: This coordinated chaos — cyberattacks, propaganda, arson, weaponized migration — harries efforts to arm Ukraine as it battles back.

What they're saying: "We have seen a pattern, a Russian campaign, organized by the security services to conduct hostile actions against NATO allies across the alliance," Stoltenberg said at a press conference.

Stoltenberg promised to boost intelligence-sharing "to help allies protect against these actions."

Zoom in: Russia's neighbors are among those feeling most acutely the Kremlin's pressure. Officials touted their experience dealing with the harassment and pledged to be proactive, not reactive.

"When we talk about the hybrid attacks, yes, this is a constant situation for us," Hanno Pevkur, Estonia's defense minister, said at a Politico-Welt event held on the summit sidelines. "Our obligation is not to fall into that trap."
"We are facing an aggressive country. We are facing consequences, which have much wider consequences," Andris Sprūds, the Latvian minister of defense, said at the same event. "We should, of course, look with a clear mindset. We should do our homework."

"Russians are not attacking when you are strong — a very simple thing. 'If you're weak, if you are divided, we can do it,'" said Laurynas Kasčiūnas, the minister of defense in Lithuania.

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Russian sabotage draws widespread concern at NATO summit

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