Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Friday, October 30, that he had not heard appeals to soften the tone toward Russia. He was responding to a Reuters report on talks between Pentagon representatives and NATO member states.
What Reuters reported
According to Reuters, which cites four people familiar with the discussions, Pentagon officials urged several NATO allies, including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, to limit public warnings about the threat from Russia. They argued that some statements by European politicians could undermine security on the continent.
The message was reportedly delivered in informal, bilateral meetings in recent weeks. Among the interlocutors named was Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby. According to one Reuters source, he advised against „irritating” Russia. One European official summed it up as „don’t make noise”.
The Pentagon declined to comment on the allegations. It said private conversations between allies would remain private. According to Reuters, another European official found such advice puzzling, because the intelligence services of the Baltic states typically do not expect Russia to directly test NATO’s mutual defence commitments.
The minister’s response
The defence minister was asked about the reports on Friday. As WP reports, he replied that he had not heard appeals to soften the tone toward Russia. He added: „We are not provoking anyone”.
As of publication, there is no information that Poland was among the countries with which the Pentagon discussed this issue. Reuters names only the Baltic countries.
Background
Kosiniak-Kamysz is also in the spotlight for other reasons. In mid-October we reported that services were checking information about a possible assassination attempt on the prime minister and the defence minister.
