NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, General Alexus Grynkewich has warned against any aggression targeting member states, declaring that the alliance is ready for combat.
“If attacked, we are ready to fight tonight,” the American general stated on Monday in Poland.
“We know how we will fight if a fight comes to us. And we know we will win,” he said.
Speaking at the 2026 Warsaw Security Forum, Grynkewich defined his “theory of victory” as blocking the initial attack and if it persists, “blunt it and prevent enemy advance.”
The military chief said NATO was not trying to impose a “strategic defeat” on its adversary, but was seeking to stop a possible assault, break the enemy’s forces and operational warfighting system, and deny its ability to seize any territory.
Moscow has repeatedly accused Europe of working to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia using tactics such as sanctions packages, while prodding countries outside the continent to impose similar punitive measures.
At the Warsaw summit, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska, Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas, and Polish Secretary of State (Defence Ministry) Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka discussed a stronger European military.
Noting that building stronger defences is a top priority at NATO to ensure the safety of one billion people, the former North Macedonian Defence Minister encouraged allies to invest more in defence by committing 5% of GDP annually.
Shekerinska reiterated the bloc’s commitment to keep supporting Ukraine and condemned Moscow’s hybrid campaign, saying, “The real reason why Russia has opted for this kind of attacks or threats is because they want to undermine our unity.”