A former senior Nato commander has warned the alliance is already at war with Russia, amid mounting tensions over Ukraine and US-Russia relations. Retired four-star general Curtis Scaparrotti, who previously commanded US forces in Europe, cautioned there was a long-term strategy behind the Kremlin's "spurious activities" targeting member nations and emphasised the importance of safeguarding critical infrastructure.
Kremlin's aim to 'break' Nato
Among Moscow's objectives was to "break" Nato, he stated. Mr Scaparrotti's remarks at an Atlantic Council think-tank gathering in Washington, DC, emerge amidst a climate of tense diplomatic relations following US President Donald Trump's diesel supply agreement with Russia as he attempts to reduce spiralling fuel costs in advance of domestic elections next month.
Critics argue the waiving of sanctions on fuel sales by Moscow will only serve to bankroll its war against Ukraine. The subsequent dispute has prompted Mr Trump to suggest Ukraine required fresh leadership and assert Russian leader Vladimir Putin desired a peace settlement more than the authorities in Kyiv did.
Questions over intelligence and Starlink
It has additionally raised questions about intelligence cooperation by the US and the deployment of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications network, upon which Ukraine depends for its defence. In a demonstration of solidarity, Andy Burnham welcomed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street where he confirmed ongoing UK support. Both leaders also concluded that "Russia had no interest in peace".
The tense circumstances arise alongside continued alerts regarding the danger the Kremlin presents to Ukraine's allies, through what is termed hybrid warfare, including drone and cyber assaults. Britain's critical undersea cables have long been regarded as susceptible to sabotage by Russian intelligence vessels.
'We're at war with Russia today'
Speaking about "Russian doctrine", Mr Scaparrotti, who held the position of Nato's Supreme Allied Commander Europe between 2016 and 2019, explained: "When they look at warfare, they don't have a line between peace and war.
"Those things that we typically put on the peace side, like these hybrid activities etc, something short of a large physical attack of some kind or one that's done by a conventional force, that's all a part of their spectrum of war, unlike us. So that's routine for them, and we've got to come to terms with that.
"So from my perspective, if you looked at it from their spectrum, we're at war with Russia today, within the alliance, because they're taking actions that are intended to undermine individual countries' capability to support warfare, undermine their civilians' confidence in their own government or within Nato, and to break Nato."
He continued: "We should take seriously the fact that this isn't just spurious activities on the Russians' part. You can count on it that it has a plan behind it, that it's strategic, that it's long-term, and that we should take seriously the protection of our infrastructure."
Trump's conciliatory stance
Despite the broadly recognised danger presented by Moscow, since re-entering the White House Mr Trump has adopted a conciliatory stance towards his Russian counterpart while expressing criticism of longstanding allies.
Last month the US president maintained Mr Putin was "not looking to attack Nato territory", despite an attempted drone attack on a German airport that European nations, including the UK, attributed to the Kremlin. Mr Trump's reluctance to condemn Russia has prompted additional questions regarding Washington's dedication to the established alliance and its fundamental principle of collective security.
