JupiteX Get the app
Defence & Security13 Oct 2026 · about 6 min

NATO says will do ‘anything and everything’ if alliance is attacked

The brief

NATO’s top commander, General Alexus Grynkewich, promised a forceful response to any attack. The alliance would first stop the assault, then defeat the attacking forces. If fighting continued, NATO would target “anything and everything” supporting, supplying, or controlling the enemy. Grynkewich described a three-step plan: block the initial attack, blunt it, and halt any advance. If necessary, NATO would break the enemy’s forces and operational war system. That response could include reserves and support networks, not only troops making the initial assault. He did not name Russia, but the warning followed rising European fears of Russian attacks. He stressed NATO remains defensive and said conflict is not imminent or inevitable. He told the alliance’s one billion citizens, “we’ve got this,” seeking to reassure them. European governments cite sabotage, drone incursions, and cyberattacks, while NATO’s 2022 strategy names Russia its biggest security threat. The message was deterrence: preparation and communication should help prevent war.

01

What did NATO’s top commander say would happen if the alliance were attacked?

NATO’s top commander, General Alexus Grynkewich, promised a forceful response to any attack. The alliance would first stop the assault, then defeat the attacking forces. If fighting continued, NATO would target “anything and everything” supporting, supplying, or controlling the enemy.

Grynkewich described a three-step plan: block the initial attack, blunt it, and halt any advance. If necessary, NATO would break the enemy’s forces and operational war system. That response could include reserves and support networks, not only troops making the initial assault.

He did not name Russia, but the warning followed rising European fears of Russian attacks. He stressed NATO remains defensive and said conflict is not imminent or inevitable. He told the alliance’s one billion citizens, “we’ve got this,” seeking to reassure them. European governments cite sabotage, drone incursions, and cyberattacks, while NATO’s 2022 strategy names Russia its biggest security threat. The message was deterrence: preparation and communication should help prevent war.

02

What is NATO, and why is it described as a defensive alliance?

NATO is a political and military alliance of countries that cooperate on security. Its central purpose is collective defense: members help protect one another if an ally is attacked. This shared promise discourages potential attackers from targeting any single country.

A key example is NATO’s response planning described by General Alexus Grynkewich. He said NATO would first block an attack, then stop any advance, and finally defeat forces supporting it. This approach protects members by combining their resources and making aggression appear unlikely to succeed.

NATO’s 2022 strategy calls Russia its most significant security threat. European governments now report sabotage, drone incursions, and cyberattacks, although Moscow denies involvement. Grynkewich said conflict is not imminent or inevitable, but preparation and communication help prevent misunderstandings. He also reassured the alliance’s one billion citizens that NATO is ready.

03

How many countries and people does NATO represent?

NATO represents 32 member countries and about one billion people. It is a defensive alliance, meaning members coordinate to deter attacks and defend one another. Its size gives the alliance substantial military and political weight.

At the Warsaw Security Forum, General Alexus Grynkewich said NATO would block an initial attack. If fighting continued, he said it would target forces and systems supporting the attack. This illustrates collective defense: attacking one member risks confronting the entire alliance.

That scale makes NATO’s response important beyond national borders. The article says its 2022 strategy called Russia its most significant security threat. Grynkewich stressed conflict is not imminent or inevitable, but preparation and communication help prevent war. The source identifies one billion citizens, while NATO currently has 32 members.

04

What does NATO’s collective-defense commitment mean for an attack on one member?

Collective defense means an attack on one NATO member is treated as an attack on the alliance. Members coordinate support to stop the assault, though each government decides its own contribution. This matters because it aims to deter attacks before they begin.

A real example followed the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. NATO invoked Article 5, and allies supported the United States through measures including patrols and intelligence sharing. The mechanism is political and military: a shared response makes aggression harder to sustain.

Today, NATO commander General Alexus Grynkewich says the alliance would block an initial attack, then stop any advance. He says NATO could target forces and the systems supporting them, not only frontline units. NATO’s 2022 strategy calls Russia its most significant security threat, while officials cite sabotage, drones, and cyberattacks. Grynkewich also says conflict is not imminent or inevitable, and communication remains essential.

05

What could happen if sabotage, cyberattacks, or a military attack against a NATO country continued?

If an attack continued, NATO says it would escalate beyond stopping the first blow. General Alexus Grynkewich said forces would block the attack, blunt it, and prevent any advance. They could then target the wider war effort, including anything supporting, sustaining, or controlling the attacking force.

At the Warsaw Security Forum, Grynkewich described this response after European governments reported sabotage, drone incursions, and cyberattacks. The mechanism is to make an attack useless by weakening not only troops, but also the systems directing and supplying them. NATO’s 2022 strategy identifies Russia as its most significant security threat.

This does not mean NATO believes war is imminent or inevitable. The alliance calls itself defensive and stresses preparation alongside communication to prevent misunderstandings. Still, continued attacks could bring a broader response against the forces and networks behind them.

06

Why do European governments see Russia as a security threat even though Moscow says it does not plan to attack Europe?

European governments distrust Moscow’s assurances because Russia’s public denials have preceded military action before. They therefore judge risk by its behavior, not only its stated intentions.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European governments have accused Moscow of sabotage, drone incursions, and cyberattacks. Russia denies involvement, but these actions can test defenses, create fear, and disrupt societies without a declared war.

The concern is also institutional: NATO’s 10-year strategy, created in 2022, calls Russia its most significant security threat. NATO commander Alexus Grynkewich said conflict is not imminent or inevitable, yet urged preparation and communication. Russia also warned last month that cutting off Kaliningrad could trigger nuclear weapons use. For Europe, that means strengthening defenses while keeping dialogue open, because deterrence aims to prevent an attack rather than prove one is coming.

07

How does preparing to fight a war help deter one, and why can military warnings also increase the risk of escalation?

Preparing to fight can deter war by making aggression look costly and unlikely to succeed. Alexus Grynkewich says NATO readiness could block attacks, stop advances, and make assaults futile. Yet strong threats can alarm opponents, especially when they include everything supporting enemy forces.

Russia warned it could use nuclear weapons if NATO tried cutting off Kaliningrad. At the Warsaw Security Forum, Grynkewich said NATO would block, blunt, and break an attack. Both messages signal resolve, seeking to make aggression seem too costly. Yet such language may make opponents fear an imminent attack. Fear can encourage faster military moves or retaliation, increasing escalation.

Europe faces reported sabotage, drone incursions, and cyberattacks. Russia denies involvement and says it has no plans to attack Europe. NATO’s 2022 strategy calls Russia its most significant security threat. Grynkewich says communication can resolve misunderstandings, while readiness reassures the alliance’s one billion citizens. Defenses therefore need clear limits and dialogue.

This brief was written by AI from the original reporting and checked by other models. Names, figures and quotes come from the source; read it for full context.

Read more in the JupiteX app

Pulse is free. New stories every 4 hours, each one broken into the questions that explain it.

Or read more news on the web