NATO Considers Possibility of ‘Preemptive Strike’ Against Russia

NATO discusses the possibility of a ‘preemptive strike’ against Russia in response to hybrid attacks, as stated by Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone to the Financial Times. ‘We are considering being more aggressive and preemptive rather than just reacting,’ Dragone said. Some diplomats, especially from Eastern European countries, urge the alliance to stop merely reacting and to retaliate, as reported by FT. According to the admiral, a ‘preventive strike’ can be considered a ‘defensive action.’ ‘However, this goes beyond our usual way of thinking and behaving,’ he noted. ‘Perhaps we should act more aggressively than our opponent. Questions about the legal basis, jurisdiction: who will handle this?’ he added. The newspaper mentions the NATO Baltic Sentry mission to patrol the Baltic Sea, which has helped prevent incidents involving damaged underwater cables. ‘Since the beginning of Operation Baltic Sentry, nothing has happened. This means that deterrence is working,’ Dragone believes. However, he acknowledged that one of the problems is that NATO countries have ‘many more constraints than our opponents, due to ethics, law, jurisdiction.’ ‘I don’t want to say it’s a losing position, but it’s more complex than that of our opponent. We need to deeply analyze how deterrence is achieved — through retaliatory actions, through a preventive strike?’ the admiral concluded. Politico, citing sources, reported that EU countries, amidst diversions and drone incidents, are considering a ‘retaliatory strike’ against Russia — specifically, offensive cyber operations and sudden military exercises.