NATO commander urges European states to publicly blame Russia for sabotage
Alexus Grynkewich said public attribution and stronger support for Ukraine would raise costs on Moscow. He said NATO's Eastern Sentry mission has already had an effect on the ground.
(Adds comments from Grynkewich in paragraphs 1-3, context in paragraphs 4-5) BRUSSELS, Sept 28 (Reuters) — NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich said on Monday that the best way for European countries to respond to Russian sabotage and other destabilising acts was to state when Moscow was to blame and strengthen their support for Ukraine. Acts of sabotage, cyberattacks, drone sightings and other so-called hybrid attacks attributed to Russia have multiplied in the past months in many European countries and include a drone attack in Leipzig and a Russian strike on a train in Ukraine near the Polish border earlier this month.
"Bringing that attribution out publicly will let state sponsors know that we understand what they're doing and that increases costs on them," he told EU lawmakers in a Parliament committee on Monday. "They will realise that their networks are ineffective and that they have to modify their behaviour and that, in and of itself, has some deterrent effect," he added. Russian activity in Europe aims at breaking allies' will in continuing to support Kyiv, he said.
The supreme commander added that NATO initiatives such as the Eastern Sentry mission launched on September 11 and comprising assets from allies such as Denmark, France, Britain, Germany have already had an effect on the ground. "The Russians have been much more careful to avoid coming across the border with drones in the Baltics or into Poland since we implemented Eastern Sentry," he said. com)