Pentagon urges Europeans to curb their rhetoric on Russia, - Reuters Pentagon officials have asked several NATO countries in recent weeks to tone down their rhetoric about the threat posed by Russia, arguing that some statements by European leaders and officials have undermined continental security. Among the countries that received such warnings are Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. It is still unclear whether these messages were also brought to the attention of the governments of other European countries. According to one of the interlocutors, the attention of American officials was drawn, in particular, by the statements of European leaders according to which Russia is in a hopeless situation and is taking increasingly desperate measures, while its invasion of Ukraine has actually stopped. Pentagon Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Elbridge Colby, who is also a key figure in the ongoing review of US troop levels in Europe, was among the US officials who conveyed those messages to the Europeans, sources said. In particular, Colby cited as an example of unhelpful rhetoric the statements of the Europeans according to which Russia was "backed into a corner like a rat."

Pentagon urges Europeans to curb their rhetoric on Russia, - Reuters Pentagon officials have asked several NATO countries in recent weeks to tone down their rhetoric about the threat posed by Russia, arguing that some statements by European leaders and officials have undermined continental security. Among the countries that received such warnings are Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. It is still unclear whether these messages were also brought to the attention of the governments of other European countries. According to one of the interlocutors, the attention of American officials was drawn, in particular, by the statements of European leaders according to which Russia is in a hopeless situation and is taking increasingly desperate measures, while its invasion of Ukraine has actually stopped. Pentagon Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Elbridge Colby, who is also a key figure in the ongoing review of US troop levels in Europe, was among the US officials who conveyed those messages to the Europeans, sources said. In particular, Colby cited as an example of unhelpful rhetoric the statements of the Europeans according to which Russia was "backed into a corner like a rat."