Pentagon tells Baltic hawks to stop ‘poking’ Russia – Reuters

The Pentagon has privately urged the Baltic NATO states to rein in their increasingly aggressive war of words against Russia, warning that the rhetoric is undermining European security, Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources. The reported rebuke comes as the US intensifies its diplomatic push to settle the Ukraine conflict through negotiations with Moscow.

The message was delivered by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a key figure in an ongoing review of US troop levels in Europe, who advised a Baltic official against “poking” Moscow, four people familiar with the matter told the agency. Among the nations that received the warning were Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – countries that have been more hawkish on Russia than most of their NATO counterparts.

“We are helping you. The Americans are there,” one European official told Reuters, describing Washington’s message. “Just don’t be loud. Don’t make noise.” The Pentagon also reportedly urged an Estonian delegation to be “measured” in its public communications. It is unclear whether other NATO nations received a similar warning.