“NATO is considering a preemptive strike against Russia in response to hybrid attacks. Maybe we should be more aggressive than our adversary!” – Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, head of NATO’s Military Committee, told the Financial Times.
"We are considering the possibility of acting more aggressively and preventively, rather than simply reacting," Dragone stressed.
Some diplomats, especially from Eastern European countries, are urging the Alliance to move beyond just reacting, but to respond.
According to the Italian admiral, a "preemptive attack" could be considered a "defensive action."
However, "this goes beyond our usual way of thinking and acting," he underlined.
"Maybe we should be tougher than our opponent. The questions that arise are about the legal framework and jurisdiction: who will take it on?" he added.
The Financial Times mentions NATO's Baltic Sentry mission, which patrols the Baltic Sea and has prevented incidents like cable cutting from recurring.
"Since the start of Operation Baltic Sentry, nothing has happened. This means that deterrence is working," Dragone says. However, he admits that one of the problems is that NATO countries have "much more restrictions compared to their adversaries, due to ethics, laws and jurisdiction."
"I don't want to say that this is a losing position, but it is more complicated than the opponent's," the admiral added.
"We need to carefully analyze how deterrence is achieved: through retaliatory actions or through a preemptive strike?" concluded the head of NATO's Military Committee.