NATO sees no imminent Russian attack, Rutte says, despite nuclear warnings
The alliance chief pairs reassurance with limits on weapons transfers and continuing defense preparations.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sought to calm fears of an immediate Russian attack on allied territory on September 30, while insisting the alliance would maintain its support for Ukraine and its own defence preparations.
Speaking at the Euronews Defence & Space Summit in Brussels, he responded to questions about a Russian warning involving Kaliningrad, the exclave between Poland and Lithuania. Reuters reported that a Russian document raised the possibility of nuclear weapons if NATO tried to cut off the territory.
In NATO’s official transcript, Rutte declined to disclose the correspondence itself. He described the alliance’s reply as a reminder that NATO is defensive and a demand to stop nuclear threats. He said any significant Russian buildup against an allied country would be observed and addressed.
His reassurance did not extend to ending the wider confrontation. He argued that Moscow wanted to divide Ukraine’s supporters and divert attention from the war. Continued assistance to Kyiv, he said, remained part of the response.
Rutte also drew a limit around calls to transfer more air-defence equipment. He said military commanders must assess which stocks NATO needs for its own protection before determining what additional equipment can go to Ukraine.
The distinction was central to his message: no imminent attack was identified, but preparedness remained necessary. He also maintained that the United States would continue participating in Europe’s conventional defence, alongside its nuclear role, as Europeans assumed more responsibility.
NATO had published revised resilience requirements on September 15, illustrating what preparedness means outside troop deployments. The document called for plans to keep government functioning, protect energy and communications, maintain transport and provide food, water and health services through disruption.
It also identified the risk that failures can cascade between sectors or across borders. A loss of civilian infrastructure can affect both the public and military operations, so the guidance emphasizes coordination among authorities, operators and armed forces.
The requirements sought clear chains of responsibility, tested contingency arrangements and repair capabilities. They also called for plans to manage civilian movement and the simultaneous movement of military reinforcements on limited transport routes. These are preparations for a range of shocks, not a prediction that an attack is about to occur.
Read alongside that framework, Rutte's message separates the timing of an assessed threat from the obligation to prepare. His September 30 comments offered no timetable for an attack and no promise to dismantle precautionary measures. The alliance's planning continued even as its political leader rejected the idea of an imminent assault.
