NATO Will Not Tolerate Hybrid Actions Against Members, U.S. Envoy Says

Scripps News

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker.

NATO members should not tolerate deliberate actions of hybrid war, and the United States will stand by its allies as they respond to such incidents, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said on Saturday.

Whitaker said an attempted drone attack at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport last month, which Berlin has blamed on Russia, was more concerning than other recent incidents involving NATO members, in which Russian drones targeting Ukraine had strayed off course.

"Then you have what I would call the more concerning hybrid actions like we saw in Leipzig, like we have seen in Poland," Whitaker said speaking on the sidelines of a business conference in Italy.

NATO ‌members ⁠must be prepared, vigilant and also deliver a strong message when they are challenged by these events, he said.

"If we can identify who's doing it — which Germany did — we ⁠make sure we express strongly that is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it," Whitaker said.

Critical infrastructure, including energy ⁠assets, could be targeted and should be monitored by national authorities, he added.

The response to these challenges ⁠is primarily national, but the United States supports countries when they are dealing with these acts, he said.

Source: Reuters



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