NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe considers Russia's accusations against Baltic states 'standard Russian trick'

Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), U.S. Army General Alexus Grynkewich considers Russia's accusations against the Baltic countries of allegedly providing Ukraine with territories for future attacks to have a pretext for a further invasion to be a "standard Russian trick."

He commented on the relevant reports at the request of journalists at a press conference at NATO Headquarters on Tuesday, which took place following a meeting of the NATO Military Committee.

"Regarding Russian threats, it's a standard Russian trick, isn't it? They constantly say that NATO is doing something in an offensive manner, but we all know, and you can read the treaty, that NATO is a defensive alliance. We are not a threat to Russia, and they know we are not a threat to Russia. If they thought we were a threat to Russia, they wouldn't have emptied the Leningrad Military District to go and invade Ukraine," Grynkewich said.

Commenting on the incident involving the downing of a drone by a NATO aircraft in the airspace of the Baltic countries, the SACEUR expressed conviction that "this is exactly how our defensive architecture should work."

"Authority is delegated down to the lowest tactical level so that we can defend every inch of alliance territory. So I am extremely proud. We are still assessing the situation, but at first glance, it looks like everything worked," he explained.