US tells Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia to be ‘measured’ in comments on Russia
Pentagon’s message: Avoid ‘poking’ Russia
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are among the countries that have received the message from Washington, the sources said. US officials have taken issue with remarks by some European leaders portraying Russia as cornered and increasingly desperate as its advance in Ukraine slows, according to one of the people familiar with the discussions. Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, who is overseeing a key review of US troop deployments in Europe, was among those who conveyed the message, the sources said. The people, three European officials and one US official, said the exchanges were cordial and did not involve any confrontation. The official said Colby referred to comments suggesting Russia was “cornered like a rat”, describing such language as unhelpful. However, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal had used the phrase “rat in a corner” for Russian President Vladimir Putin in late September. During another recent meeting, US officials asked an Estonian delegation to be “measured” in its public communication, a person briefed on the meeting said.
The conversations took place during bilateral meetings. It remains unclear whether the US has made similar requests to other European governments. The move comes as US President Donald Trump’s administration renews its push to bring an end to the war in Ukraine through negotiations. Now in its fifth year, the conflict has become the focus of fresh diplomatic efforts by Washington, which has considered incentives for Moscow, including sanctions relief, while pressing Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. It is not clear which specific remark he had in mind. Michal had suggested that Moscow was turning to sabotage in Europe as its military campaign in Ukraine became increasingly bogged down. The person did not specify whether the Pentagon had objected to any particular statement.