Pentagon urges some NATO allies to tone down public rhetoric on Russia, Reuters reports

Pentagon officials have privately urged several NATO allies to moderate public statements about the threat from Russia, arguing that some rhetoric risks worsening tensions and undermining European security, Reuters reported Friday.

The messages were delivered in bilateral meetings to officials from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, according to four people familiar with the discussions. It was unclear whether similar requests had been made to other European governments.

Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s policy chief, was among the officials who cautioned European counterparts against “poking” Moscow and cited language portraying Russian President Vladimir Putin as “a rat in a corner,” according to Reuters.

One European official summarized the U.S. message as: “We help you. The Americans are there. Just don’t talk loud. Don’t make noise.”

Some European officials were surprised by the advice and argued that their public assessments of the Russian threat had already been measured and reflected genuine security concerns.

The Pentagon declined to discuss what it described as private conversations among allies.

The outreach comes as the Trump administration renews efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, combining pressure on Kyiv with possible incentives for Moscow, while also reviewing the U.S. military posture in Europe and pressing allies to take greater responsibility for their own defense.