US Puts NATO Allies On Notice To 'Tone Down' Anti-Russia Rhetoric
US officials have asked several NATO countries to "tone down their rhetoric" regarding the alleged threat posed by Russia, saying that recent statements by European leaders and officials have undermined the security of the continent, Reuters reported on Friday.
Citing three European officials and a US official familiar with the matter, the news agency wrote that Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were delivered the messages in bilateral meetings.
It is unclear if leaders and diplomats of other European nations received the same message.
Though the Baltic states are among the smallest NATO members, their leaders have taken some of the most hostile stances toward Russia since Moscow sent troops to invade Ukraine in 2022.
The US requests come amid negotiations between Washington and Moscow that would reportedly give Moscow relief from US sanctions in exchange for an end to Ukraine's attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner and US envoy Steve Witkoff have been discussing potential business deals with Russia under the pretext of peace negotiations. The Pentagon declined to comment on the Reuters report.
The US message came in response to comments claiming that “Russia is cornered” and resorting to “desperate measures” against Ukraine as Moscow's progress in the war has stalled, one of the sources said.
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby was one of the US officials delivering the message. He reportedly told a Baltic official recently that there should be no “poking” the Russians.
In September, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “rat in a corner” while claiming that he was resorting to sabotage campaigns in Europe to compensate for failures on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“We are helping you. The Americans are there,” stated another European official regarding Colby's message. “Just don't be loud. Don't make noise.”
Pentagon planners are reviewing US troop levels in Europe in a “process that could see a sharp drawdown in America's troop presence on the continent,” Reuters added.
Vladimir Putin said Russia doesn't want a war with Europe but is prepared for one and added that Moscow supports efforts to restore ties after years of confrontation over the war in Ukraine (translation via AP) https://t.co/2R8wB8h2E8 pic.twitter.com/AL9gvgYDG4
— Bloomberg (@business) October 29, 2026
US officials have said European NATO members need to assume more responsibility for supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia, allowing Washington to increase its focus on West Asia, Latin America, and East Asia. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continue striking one another with missiles and drones.
Russia targeted Kiev with eight ballistic missiles and multiple drones overnight and in the morning on Thursday. The strikes killed one person and injured another in the Dniprovskyi district of the Ukrainian capital.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones struck the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Russia's Samara Oblast Thursday morning, sparking a fire at the facility. Kiev's strikes on Russian energy infrastructure have not stopped despite Trump's requests that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky end them.