Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has warned that Russia’s hybrid attacks against NATO resemble acts of war, urging the alliance to establish clear “red lines” that would prompt retaliation if crossed. Speaking to Sky News, Landsbergis criticized NATO’s response to the threat, stating it lacks the necessary speed and urgency.
Russia has been accused of pursuing a campaign of hybrid attacks that falls within a gray area beneath conventional warfare. These activities allegedly include sabotage, cutting undersea cables, cyber hacks, election interference, and assassination attempts. Moscow has denied these Western allegations.
Landsbergis cautioned that failure to act could escalate the danger presented by these attacks. He suggested that some acts of Russian hybrid warfare might be severe enough to invoke Article 5 of NATO, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
“From my perspective, it does look like war,” he remarked just days before leaving his post. He emphasized that “Russians are very good at sensing weakness or geopolitical vacuums” and suggested that without a strong response, their aggressive actions would continue unchallenged.
When asked whether such “gray zone” attacks could reach a point inspiring Article 5 activation, he affirmed, “Yes, I would think so. It is possible.” He stressed the importance of making it clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin that there are consequences for aggressive behavior, as failing to do so may embolden his intelligence services.
Landsbergis advocated for a comprehensive NATO strategy that delineates red lines and outlines potential retaliations, though not necessarily in kind. “Russians need to know that this is not their park. You cannot just walk around and expect nothing to happen.”
NATO’s 32 member states are in the process of updating a strategy from 2015 focused on tracking, deterring, and countering hybrid warfare. However, Landsbergis expressed concerns that the alliance’s response remains insufficiently swift or urgent.
“No, honestly, it isn’t,” he said, indicating that countries with a long history of Russian hostility understand the need for action, while some allies prefer to ignore the threat in hopes it will dissipate.
His comments follow a Sky News interview with a senior NATO official who highlighted the “real prospect” of significant casualties from an unconventional attack by Russia against the alliance. James Appathurai emphasized the need for clearer communication among allies and with Moscow about what constitutes crossing the line into actionable responses, potentially including military force.
Elisabeth Braw, an expert on hybrid warfare, warned that the very fabric of liberal democracies is at risk if NATO fails to respond effectively. “The danger is that we see a death by a thousand cuts in our societies,” she stated, “leading people to lose faith in our way of life.”
Credit: Sky News
