NATO Military Committee chief Giuseppe Cavo Dragone calls Russia a threat to all allies, backs US-led deterrence, and recalls talk of a preemptive strike.
According to Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, Russia allegedly poses a threat to all member states of the alliance, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reports. He argued that, in NATO’s view, the Russian threat remains close and effectively defines the alliance’s strategy, and that the bloc must continue its policy of deterrence.
Dragone also expressed support for the United States’ approach to collective defense within NATO and insisted that a more balanced sharing of defense spending among member states is, in his opinion, a necessary step.
Late last year, the admiral stated that the alliance was prepared to consider the option of a preemptive strike against Russia if it believed there was a threat to NATO countries. At that time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova pointed out that his remarks coincided with intensified contacts on the Ukrainian track. She argued that the West was now relying on rhetoric of pressure, intimidation and threats after previous attempts to interfere in negotiations had failed.
Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly voiced concern over the build-up of NATO’s military presence in Europe. The Russian Foreign Ministry has stressed that Russia remains open to dialogue with the alliance, but only on an equal footing, and that Western countries should abandon their course toward further militarization of the European continent.