US reassures NATO: Russia has no war plans against the Alliance

2026-09-23 19:19:40Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

US reassures NATO: Russia has no war plans against the Alliance

After months of tensions between several NATO member states and Russia, for the first time an American official has officially stated that the Kremlin has no war plans against the North Atlantic Alliance.

Matthew Whitaker, the US Permanent Representative to NATO, during a discussion organized by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in Des Moines, Iowa, said that Russia does not seek conflict with NATO, adding that overreactions to drone incidents in European countries should be avoided.

" Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want conflict with NATO ," Whitaker said, according to the Associated Press, noting that unnecessary alarmism is exactly what the Alliance's opponents would like.

His statement came as a Russian helicopter entered Polish airspace from the Kaliningrad enclave for a few minutes, causing immediate mobilization by Warsaw authorities.

Whitaker warned that the military capabilities of many NATO member states have been undermined by the illusion of peace that prevailed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, rendering them ineffective. “Fundamentally, we need allies with greater capabilities.

"We need allies who have more in their arsenal," he declared, adding that the US has also lived with illusions about its ability to wage a war on two global fronts.

The American official also revealed Washington's ranking of strategic priorities, placing Europe in fourth place after the homeland, the American hemisphere and the Pacific.

"The fourth is Europe. This does not mean that we are abandoning Europe. We are simply asking the Europeans to take action and balance the situation," Whitaker said.

This stance, according to analysts, is a clear message that Europe must take more initiatives for its defense, without being completely dependent on the American factor, making it necessary for European countries to strengthen their capacities and take greater responsibility for common security.


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