2026-10-30 21:22:32Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Pentagon officials have in recent weeks urged several NATO countries to tone down their rhetoric regarding the threat posed by Russia, arguing that some statements by European leaders and officials have undermined security on the continent, according to four people familiar with the matter.

Among the countries that have received messages urging them to be more restrained in public statements are Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity. It is not clear whether the messages, which were conveyed during bilateral meetings, have been passed on to other European governments.

The US demands come as the Trump administration resumes an effort to push for a negotiated end to the full-scale war in Ukraine, which has now entered its fifth year.

The latest push has combined incentives for Russia – including sanctions relief – with pressure on Ukraine to stop its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.

Asked for comment, a Pentagon official said: “Private conversations between allies are just that, so we will not comment on these allegations.”

Among the comments that have caught the attention of US officials are suggestions from European leaders that Russia is cornered and is using increasingly desperate measures as its invasion of Ukraine slows, one of the people said.

Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's policy chief and a key figure in the current review of US troop levels in Europe, was one of the US officials who conveyed the message, according to the sources. Reuters was unable to determine which other officials were involved.

None of these people – who include three European officials and one American official – suggested that this advice was communicated in a confrontational manner.


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