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NATO Will Not Tolerate Hybrid Actions Against Members, US Envoy Says

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • NATO members should not tolerate deliberate hybrid actions, and the United States will support allies responding to such incidents, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said.
  • Whitaker said an attempted drone attack at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport, which Berlin blamed on Russia, was more concerning than drones that accidentally strayed from Ukraine.
  • He urged vigilance around critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, while saying individual countries would lead the response.

NATO members should not accept deliberate acts of hybrid warfare, and the United States will stand with countries facing them, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said on Saturday.

Whitaker described last month’s attempted drone attack at Germany’s Leipzig/Halle Airport as especially worrying. Berlin has blamed Russia for the incident. He contrasted it with other recent events involving Russian drones targeting Ukraine that veered off course into NATO territory.

“Then you have what I would call the more concerning hybrid actions like we saw in Leipzig, like we have seen in Poland,” Whitaker said on the sidelines of a business conference in Italy.

Then you have what I would call the more concerning hybrid actions like we saw in Leipzig, like we have seen in Poland.

· Matthew WhitakerThe U.S. ambassador to NATO distinguished deliberate hybrid actions from drones that accidentally strayed from Ukraine.

NATO members must remain prepared and vigilant, he said, and should send a strong message when challenged. “If we can identify who's doing it, which Germany did, we make sure we express strongly that is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it,” Whitaker said.

He added that national authorities should monitor critical infrastructure, including energy assets, because such facilities could be targeted. The response would primarily remain national, Whitaker said, but the United States would support countries dealing with these actions.

If we can identify who's doing it, which Germany did, we make sure we express strongly that is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it.

· Matthew WhitakerWhitaker said NATO members should respond firmly when they identify those responsible for hybrid actions.
About this summary

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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