Pentagon urges NATO allies to tone down warnings about Russia, report says

Pentagon officials have urged several NATO allies to tone down their public warnings about Russia, arguing that some statements could undermine security. The Lithuanian and NATO flags fly at Camp Taurus in Lithuania on Sept. 10, 2025. The Pentagon has urged several NATO allies, including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, to tone down public statements about the threat from Russia, Reuters reported. (Terron Williams/U.S. Army) Pentagon officials have urged several NATO allies to tone down their public warnings about Russia, arguing that some statements by European leaders could undermine security in Europe, according to a news report. The requests were made in recent weeks during private meetings with officials from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, according to four people familiar with the discussions who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s under secretary of defense for policy, was among the officials delivering the message, the news service reported Friday. One person familiar with the discussions said Colby had urged a Baltic official to avoid “poking” Russia, citing statements by European leaders portraying Moscow as increasingly desperate as its war in Ukraine drags on. Elbridge Colby, the under secretary of defense for policy, speaks at a symposium in Omaha, Neb., Aug. 5, 2026. Colby advised a Baltic official against “poking” Russia, according to a Reuters report, which said the