Sources told Reuters that officials at the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, have requested in recent weeks that several NATO member states tone down their statements regarding the threat posed by Russia, considering that such statements undermine the security of the European continent.
The agency quoted sources stating that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are among the countries that received messages urging them to restrain their public statements, while it remained unclear whether other European governments received these messages, which were delivered during bilateral meetings. One source said that Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's head of policy affairs, informed an official from a Baltic country of the need to avoid "provoking" Russia.
US calls for moderating rhetoric
The source indicated that public European statements claiming that Russia has become "encircled" represent a model of futile rhetoric. Reuters quoted a European official saying that the messages conveyed by US officials during private talks had a clear tone, stating: "We are helping you, and Americans are there, just don't be loud and don't make a fuss."
Efforts to end the Ukrainian war
These requests come as the administration of US President Donald Trump renews its efforts to reach a settlement ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, which has entered its fifth year. Some Western officials believe that exaggerating the Russian threat may play into Moscow's hands, while others argue that European governments must be transparent with their peoples.
Preparations for tripartite negotiations
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on October 25 that his country is ready to participate in tripartite negotiations with the United States and Russia, emphasizing the need to reach tangible results. The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, had announced that the Abu Dhabi talks on resolving the Ukrainian crisis would be held in a tripartite format involving Russia, the United States, and Ukraine, during the first half of next November.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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