The Pentagon has told European leaders to stop 'poking' Russia after Vladimir Putin warned he is 'ready' for war.
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he → tell → war
Nato countries have been asked to tone down their rhetoric on the Russian threat in recent weeks.
US officials believe some European leaders are risking continental security by ramping up their public warnings against Moscow, according to sources.
Among the nations that have received messages urging them to keep public statements in check are Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
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who → ask → anonymity
It was not clear if the messages, which were delivered in bilateral meetings, were conveyed to other European governments.
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which → deliver → governments
A chilling new threat to the West, Mr Putin last night said he is prepared for a major war with Europe.
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he → say → Europe
The Russian tyrant warned there would be 'no winners' if he entered a conflict with Nato.
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he → warn → Nato
Only last week, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting warned that Britain must be ready for war in little more than 1,000 days.
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Britain → warn → days
Vladimir Putin speaks during the Russia-Africa Summit on October 29 in Moscow, Russia
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Putin → speak → Moscow
The Russian dictator says his forces are ready for any clash with Europe (pictured, a Russian tank in Ukraine)
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forces → say → Ukraine
Buses and trucks burn at a compound of a transport enterprise which was hit by an overnight Russian drone strike, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on October 29, 2026
He cautioned that the UK's enemies could be 'in a position to attack' by 2030 as he urged the country to 'prepare for the worst'.
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he → burn → worst
The Pentagon's request for European leaders to tone down their rhetoric on Russia comes as the Trump administration restarts an effort to press for a negotiated end to the full-scale war in Ukraine, now well into its fifth year.
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administration → tone → year
The latest push has blended incentives for Moscow – including sanctions relief – with pressure on Ukraine to halt its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
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push → blend → infrastructure
A Pentagon official said: 'Private conversations among allies are just that, so we will not comment on these allegations.'
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we → say → allegations
Among the comments that have drawn US officials' attention are suggestions by European leaders that Russia is cornered and resorting to increasingly desperate measures as its invasion of Ukraine slows to a crawl, one of the people said.
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one → draw → people
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a key figure in an ongoing review of US troop levels in Europe, was one of the US officials delivering the message, the people said.
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people → deliver → message
None of the people, who include three European officials and a US official, suggested the advice was communicated in a confrontational manner.
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advice → include → manner
The US messages reflect a debate within Nato regarding how to publicly address the threat of an increasingly assertive Russia.
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messages → reflect → Russia
The Trump administration has restarted efforts to press for a negotiated end to the full-scale war in Ukraine
A car is engulfed by an inferno after a Russian air attack struck Chernyhiv on October 29
Some Western officials have argued that emphasising the threat posed by Moscow could play into the hands of the Kremlin, which they say seeks to sow fear and undermine support for Ukraine.
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they → restart → Ukraine
Others argue European governments must be transparent to show their electorates that sacrifice and resources are needed to keep Moscow at bay.
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sacrifice → argue → bay
That is especially true as Russia appears to accelerate a covert campaign of sabotage throughout the continent.
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Russia → appear → continent
Russia has denied that it is pursuing such a campaign.
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it → deny → campaign
One of the people familiar said that Mr Colby told a Baltic official recently that there should be no 'poking' directed at the Russians.
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Colby → say → Russians
The person said Mr Colby pointed to Europeans publicly suggesting that Russia was 'cornered like a rat' as an example of unhelpful rhetoric.
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Russia → say → rhetoric
It was not clear what specific statement Mr Colby was referring to.
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Colby → refer → statement
However, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal referred to Mr Putin as a 'rat in a corner' in late September, suggesting the Russian leader was resorting to sabotage efforts in Europe as Russia had become increasingly bogged down in Ukraine.
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Russia → refer → Ukraine
'We are helping you.
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We → help → you
The Americans are there,' said a separate European official, describing the Pentagon's recent private messaging.
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official → say → messaging
In a separate recent meeting, the Pentagon urged an Estonian delegation to be 'measured' in its communications, according to a person briefed on the encounter, though the person did not say Pentagon officials complained about any specific statement.
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officials → urge → statement
The defence ministries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia did not respond to requests for comment, while Nato declined to comment.
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Nato → respond → comment
One of the European officials said that the Pentagon's advice, while cordial, was baffling, given that intelligence services in the Baltic states have in recent months consistently played down the probability of Russia testing Nato's mutual defence provisions.
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Russia → say → provisions
Other Nato intelligence services, by contrast, have publicly warned that Russia could dramatically ramp up its sabotage campaign in the near future.
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Russia → warn → future
The Pentagon messages to Nato officials come at a fraught time for European security.
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messages → come → security
Moscow has recently intensified its campaign of deniable attacks on Nato countries, Western intelligence officials have said.
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officials → intensify → countries
On Wednesday, German prosecutors said two Belarusians were arrested for allegedly planning to set fire to a building or critical infrastructure facility in the Nuremberg area.
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Belarusians → say → area
Mr Putin warned there would be 'no winners' if Russia entered a conflict with Nato
In September, the German government blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, allegations Moscow has denied.
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Moscow → warn → allegations
At the same time, US officials have been discussing potential business deals with Russia as part of the Trump administration's push for peace in Ukraine.
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officials → discuss → Ukraine
Those efforts have drawn mixed reactions from European officials, many of whom are pushing for the Kremlin's continued economic isolation.
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many → draw → isolation
Pentagon planners, meanwhile, are reviewing Washington's force posture in Europe, a process that could see a sharp drawdown in America's troop presence on the continent.
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that → review → continent
US officials have said European Nato members need to assume more responsibility for their own defence, particularly as the US focuses on threats in the Middle East, Latin America and East Asia.
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US → say → East
Last night, Mr Putin said there would be 'no winners' if he entered a conflict with Nato.
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he → say → Nato
Despite insisting he did not want to become embroiled in a bloody fight with Europe, he said if tensions continued to escalate, he and his troops were ready.
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he → insist → Europe
…and 24 more, not listed.
The Aporia
