NATO deputy warns Putin’s recklessness could test alliance as Ukraine war stalls

At a security forum in Estonia, NATO’s deputy supreme commander for Europe, Sir John Stringer, warned that President Vladimir Putin is adopting a more reckless stance as the Ukraine conflict stalls, seeking to split the Western alliance. He highlighted a “febrile environment” in which Moscow could provoke an overreaction by staging ambiguous drone or missile incidents that blur the line between accident and intent. European leaders, including Poland’s Donald Tusk and France’s Emmanuel Macron, have urged preparations to shield critical infrastructure from potential drone and cyber attacks.

Recent covert actions attributed to Russia range from an explosive-laden drone at Leipzig airport to a foiled sabotage plot at a British drone factory, as well as fires and explosions in Estonia and Bulgaria. Stringer and Estonia’s prime minister, Kristen Michal, said these activities stem from Western support for Ukraine rather than NATO failures, and that a full conventional attack on Europe remains unlikely while Russian forces are tied up in Ukraine. The overall message was that Russia’s malign activity will persist until its war aims change, and the best deterrent is continued backing for Kyiv.