NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sought to reassure allies on Thursday that the alliance is fully prepared to counter a growing wave of Russian hybrid attacks, from sabotage to drone incursions, as intelligence services across Europe warn of an increasingly assertive Moscow.
Speaking at a September 11 commemoration event in New York, Rutte said NATO has a comprehensive toolkit of response options ready. "Russia is doing more and more when it comes to the cyber etc. domain, but... NATO is ready for this," he said. "We have all these response options in place... when it comes to hybrids to make sure that we stay strong."
Rutte argued that the rising frequency of hybrid incidents on NATO territory is a sign of Russian weakness rather than strength. "Putin is in a bad place," he declared, adding that Russia is not winning the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year. He urged citizens of the 32 NATO member states to remain calm, while calling on allies to provide "more support for Ukraine" to send a clear signal to Moscow.
His comments came hours after Danish intelligence issued a fresh warning about the growing risk of Russian military action against NATO countries, including further hybrid attacks. Spanish media also reported that US intelligence had alerted European capitals to a possible Russian drone operation targeting Spain, France, or Italy.
Europe urged to step up
At a separate meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pressed European allies to assume greater responsibility for the continent's conventional defense. He proposed what he called "NATO 3.0," a return to a "real hard-line military alliance" with credible capabilities to deter threats on European soil.
"NATO 3.0 is post-Cold War recognition that NATO needs to go back to a real hard-line military alliance that has real military capabilities capable of deterring right here on the continent and taking the lead for the conventional defense of Europe," Hegseth said.
The push comes weeks after Washington informed allies that it would no longer provide certain warships and aircraft in the event of an attack on a NATO member. European allies and Canada are now assessing how to fill those capability gaps, a process that could reshape the alliance's military posture.
Under Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty, an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, but the provision does not automatically oblige allies to provide military assistance. The US, which fields NATO's largest armed forces, is seeking to reduce its role in Europe's conventional defense while maintaining its nuclear umbrella—a central element of the alliance's deterrence strategy.
Rutte's and Hegseth's remarks underscore a broader transatlantic debate about burden-sharing and the future of European security. As the war in Ukraine continues to drain resources and attention, European leaders are increasingly aware that they may need to embrace new defense technologies and partnerships to keep pace with threats.
For now, NATO's message is one of readiness and resolve. "All the response options are there, and we will use whatever we need," Rutte said, signaling that the alliance is not merely reacting but preparing for a prolonged confrontation with a revanchist Russia.
