NATO's top Europe commander to set out 'theory of victory' against Russia

NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich, will set out his "theory of victory" for deterring and, if necessary, defeating a Russian attack at a security conference in Warsaw next Monday, his press secretary, Colonel Martin O'Donnell, said.

"The Supreme Allied Commander Europe's theory of victory is simple: maintain NATO's edge," O'Donnell said, according to Latvian outlets Jauns.lv, Latvijas Avīze, TVNET and Apollo.lv. He said that given the unstable and complex global security situation, the alliance needed to create the conditions to deter aggression now and, if necessary, to prevail in the event of an attack, and that this was exactly what the theory of victory set out to do.

Grynkewich said last month that Russia's sabotage campaign in Europe was growing increasingly brazen, citing the discovery of an explosives-equipped drone at Leipzig airport in Germany and an incident in which a Russian warship fired flares at a Danish helicopter, O'Donnell said. The commander said he believed allies, acting together, could deal with such threats, and that Russia's sabotage campaign in Europe would not deter NATO states from continuing to support Ukraine.

NATO traditionally keeps its military plans for a potential conflict with Russia secret, so Grynkewich's appearance at the Warsaw security conference is expected to offer insight mainly into the alliance's strategic approach rather than operational detail, according to Jauns.lv. The commander is expected to go into more detail about his thinking at the conference than has been set out so far by his office.