RUSSIA has accused Europe of gearing up for “major war” after a top Nato chief claimed the defence pact could launch “pre-emptive strikes” on Vladimir Putin.
Moscow hit back at the suggestion, blaming the West for “moving towards escalation” – despite mad Vlad’s growing shadow war currently tearing through the continent.
It comes after Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of Nato’s Military Committee, said the alliance could be forced to strike pre-emptively – a toughening of its current policy of waiting to react.
Putin has been terrorising Europe with a campaign of sabotage and airspace violations for years, and his shadow operation is only ramping up.
Various fires and explosions – including a blaze at an east London Ukrainian-owned warehouse – have been pinned on the tyrant.
Recent cases also include the severing of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea and a string of cyber-hack attacks across the continent.
FIRST SHOT
Nato ‘mulls strikes against Russia to stop Vlad waging shadow war in Europe’
The surge in these interferences is forcing Nato to reassess its traditional position of reactive military action, Dragone told the Financial Times.
In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the claims were seen by Moscow as “an extremely irresponsible step”.
The top Putin mouthpiece said the remarks indicated “the alliance’s readiness to continue moving towards escalation”.
She said: “We see in it a deliberate attempt to undermine efforts to overcome the Ukrainian crisis.
“The people making such statements should be aware of the risks and possible consequences, including for the alliance members themselves.”
Fellow Putin pawn Denis Gonchar, who serves as Russian ambassador to Belgium, said Nato was “intimidating its population with the Kremlin’s non-existent plans to attack the alliance countries”.
He accused the alliance of “preparing for a major war with Russia”.
The latest Russian threats come as peace talks to end the bloodshed in Ukraine continue between European and US officials.
On Monday Donald Trump said the negotiations were “going along well”.
Both sides on Sunday said the negotiations had been productive, and Marco Rubio said he was hopeful of further progress.
The Kremlin confirmed that the US president’s top envoy Steve Witkoff would be jetting to Moscow to meet mad Vlad on Tuesday in Washington’s latest bid to end the war.
Speculating on Nato’s ability to hit Russia first, Dragone said: “We are studying everything […] On cyber, we are kind of reactive.
“Being more aggressive or being proactive instead of reactive is something that we are thinking about.”
Dragone added that revenge cyber attacks would be the simplest option, because many Nato member nations hold the capabilities to launch them.
Retaliation for physical sabotage or drone incursions would be more complex – but not out of the question.
The admiral said that a “pre-emptive strike” could, under certain circumstances, be classified as a defensive action – though it is “further away from our normal way of thinking and behaviour”.
Dragone continued: “Being more aggressive compared with the aggressiveness of our counterpart could be an option.
“[The questions are] legal framework, jurisdictional framework, who is going to do this?”
Nato has already been urged to abandon its reactive stance by several member states – particularly those in eastern Europe which bear the brunt of Russia‘s aggression.
One Baltic diplomat told the FT: “If all we do is continue being reactive, we just invite Russia to keep trying, keep hurting us.
“Hybrid warfare is asymmetric — it costs them little, and us a lot. We need to be more inventive.”
Will Trump bring peace in Ukraine?
By Jerome Starkey, Defence Editor
DONALD Trump is not a details man. He wants a deal at any price (as long as he is not paying for it) to end the war in Ukraine.
He doesn’t seem to care if it hobbles Ukraine, humiliates Europe and rewards Russian aggression.
He doesn’t seem to care if it is drafted by Russia, tramples on Nato and encourages tyrants everywhere to take neighbouring land by force. (Taiwan beware).
Those are details. Minor details. Unless, of course, you are Europe or Ukraine. In which case they are fundamental.
Any sane person who understands war wants a ceasefire yesterday.
But how this war ends matters. Both for Ukraine’s survival and to avoid future war in Europe.
Russia must be deterred. It must pay a price for this war and know the bill for the next would be higher.
We should take it with a pinch of salt when US officials say the deal is done, save for some “minor details”.
These minor details are “major issues” in the words of Finland’s President Alex Stubb. President Zelensky said yesterday there is still “much work” to do.
In fact, these minor details are 44,000 square miles – some 20 per cent of Ukraine’s territory – an area the size of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland combined.
They are questions like who controls Crimea, the Donbas and occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
They are questions like who guarantees Ukraine’s security against a third Russian invasion.
Ukraine wants peace more than anyone. But not peace at any price. It wants a peace that lasts. Russia wants a conquest.