NATO member states should not tolerate deliberate hybrid warfare actions, and the United States will stand alongside allied nations confronting such incidents, Matthew Whitaker, U.S. ambassador to NATO, said Saturday.
Speaking at the margins of a business conference in Italy, Whitaker said the attempted drone attack last month on Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany—which Berlin has attributed to Russia—was more concerning than other recent incidents NATO members have faced involving Russian drones aimed at Ukraine that veered off course.
"Then there are what I would call more concerning hybrid actions, like the one we saw in Leipzig, or ones we have seen in Poland," Whitaker said.
NATO members must be prepared and vigilant, and send a strong message when confronted with such events, according to Whitaker. He added that if NATO members can identify who is responsible for hybrid attacks, as Germany did with the Leipzig incident, they should ensure a forceful response is communicated.
Whitaker emphasized that such deliberate hybrid warfare actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. He stated that the United States will support allied nations as they deal with these types of incidents.
The Leipzig/Halle airport attack attempt occurred in August. Germany's authorities identified Russia as responsible for the drone strike attempt on the facility.
Whitaker's remarks come amid growing concerns in Europe and within the NATO alliance about intensifying hybrid threats from Russia. The distinction he drew between accidental incidents—such as Russian drones targeting Ukraine straying into NATO airspace—and deliberate hybrid operations reflects NATO's assessment of an escalating pattern of intentional actions against member states.