Pentagon asks Baltic states to soften rhetoric toward Russia

In recent weeks, the Pentagon asked several NATO countries, including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, to speak more cautiously about the threat from Russia, Reuters reported, citing four sources.

In recent weeks, Pentagon officials asked several NATO countries to soften their rhetoric about the threat from Russia, arguing that some statements by European leaders undermine the security of the continent. Reuters reported this, citing four sources.

According to the sources, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were among the countries that received such messages during bilateral meetings. Those conveying them included U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby.

One source said Colby recently told a Baltic official that there was no need to “poke” the Russians, citing as an example remarks that Russia had been “cornered like a rat.” In late September, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal called Putin “a rat in the corner.”

Премьер-министр Эстонии Кристен Михал (архив)

“We are helping you. The Americans are with you. Just don’t make too much noise,” one European official described the Pentagon’s position. The Pentagon said it does not comment on private conversations between allies. The defense ministries of the Baltic states did not respond to requests for comment, while NATO declined to comment.

The requests come amid a new effort by the Trump administration to achieve a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine, combining incentives for Russia, including sanctions relief, with pressure on Kyiv. At the same time, the Pentagon is reviewing the U.S. military presence in Europe, which could lead to a significant reduction in the American contingent.