{"id":2140106,"date":"2026-09-11T16:11:33","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T13:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2140106"},"modified":"2026-09-11T16:11:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T13:11:33","slug":"natos-deterrence-increasingly-undermined-by-lack-of-response-to-russian-hybrid-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2140106","title":{"rendered":"NATO&#8217;s deterrence increasingly undermined by lack of response to Russian &#8216;hybrid&#8217; attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/03\/94\/1200x675_cmsv2_06a35c45-d099-58b8-90c1-562ff451a967-9910394.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2925035-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2925035\" data-cid=\"9910644\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2925035-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/06\/44\/189x106_cmsv2_439a750c-fb96-5730-a4c3-2e5cc49ff457-9910644.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    France joins Slovakia in asking to delist Russian oligarch Usmanov\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2925050-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2925050\" data-cid=\"9910707\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2925050-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/07\/07\/189x106_cmsv2_85aa1d00-3aad-520b-8520-f54bcee81835-9910707.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"People join hands in prayer for Father Mychal Judge during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the 9\/11 attacks in New York City on 11 September 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    USA<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US commemorates 25th anniversary of 9\/11 attacks\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2924914-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2924914\" data-cid=\"9910186\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2924914-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/00\/86\/189x106_cmsv2_f6ae47d8-6cb9-57a4-9950-beb984b00e5e-9910086.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"French President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Education Minister \u00c9douard Geffray, at the Chaptal lyc\u00e9e in Mende, in southern France.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    French father jailed for threatening to behead his son\u2019s teacher\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2924917-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2924917\" data-cid=\"9910101\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2924917-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/01\/01\/189x106_cmsv2_7fc23f7a-08fd-5b5b-8b1f-7afec493e2cd-9910101.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Four Russian ships belonging to the Syrian express\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Syria<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Russia returns to Mediterranean with sanctioned &#8216;Syrian Express&#8217; ships\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2925035-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2925035\" data-cid=\"9910644\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2925035-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/06\/44\/189x106_cmsv2_439a750c-fb96-5730-a4c3-2e5cc49ff457-9910644.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    France joins Slovakia in asking to delist Russian oligarch Usmanov\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2925050-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2925050\" data-cid=\"9910707\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2925050-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/07\/07\/189x106_cmsv2_85aa1d00-3aad-520b-8520-f54bcee81835-9910707.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"People join hands in prayer for Father Mychal Judge during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the 9\/11 attacks in New York City on 11 September 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    USA<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US commemorates 25th anniversary of 9\/11 attacks\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2924914-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2924914\" data-cid=\"9910186\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2924914-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/00\/86\/189x106_cmsv2_f6ae47d8-6cb9-57a4-9950-beb984b00e5e-9910086.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"French President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Education Minister \u00c9douard Geffray, at the Chaptal lyc\u00e9e in Mende, in southern France.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    French father jailed for threatening to behead his son\u2019s teacher\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2924917-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2924917\" data-cid=\"9910101\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2924917-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/01\/01\/189x106_cmsv2_7fc23f7a-08fd-5b5b-8b1f-7afec493e2cd-9910101.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Four Russian ships belonging to the Syrian express\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Syria<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Russia returns to Mediterranean with sanctioned &#8216;Syrian Express&#8217; ships\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            NATO&#8217;s deterrence increasingly undermined by lack of response to Russian &#8216;hybrid&#8217; attacks<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/03\/94\/1536x864_cmsv2_06a35c45-d099-58b8-90c1-562ff451a967-9910394.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"Police officers at Leipzig Airport search for a drone that may be connected to a suspected attack, August 2026.\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              Police officers at Leipzig Airport search for a drone that may be connected to a suspected attack, August 2026.<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">AnadoluSebastian Willnow\/dpa via AP<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0AnadoluSebastian Willnow\/dpa via AP\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbspShona Murray&amp;nbsp&amp;&amp;nbspAngela Skujins\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1789143093\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-09-11 18:11:33 +02:00\">11\/09\/2026 &#8211; 18:11 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label 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class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"threads\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"threads\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        Experts and diplomats tell Euronews that Europe\u2019s failure to appropriately respond to escalating Russia aggression across NATO territory is chipping away at the alliance\u2019s deterrence ability \u2013 and feeding the Kremlin\u2019s appetite for risk.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>Incidents of Russian-orchestrated hybrid war attacks across NATO territory are entering a new dangerous, kinetic phase, leaders across the continent agree.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>At a meeting in early September, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s aim is to &#8220;scare us away from supporting Ukraine.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He will not succeed,&#8221; she told journalists at a meeting of EU foreign ministers.<\/p>\n<p>However, others in European diplomatic circles have told Euronews that the lack of a powerful deterrent response is leaving the continent vulnerable to an escalation in Russian attacks.<\/p>\n<p>Germany\u2019s decision to formally blame the Kremlin for planting an explosive-laden drone in Leipzig airport in August marked Berlin&#8217;s most direct confrontation with Moscow after years of hostile interference. <\/p>\n<p>Germany shut the Russian consulate in Bonn and terminated an agreement that had allowed the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin to remain open despite long-held suspicions of espionage activities.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Taken together, police investigations, patterns of the offences and intelligence findings establish Russian responsibility for the attempted attack at Leipzig Airport,&#8221; German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in Berlin after the incident. <\/p>\n<p>More recently, a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was almost hit by a Russian drone as he started his journey to attend the state funeral of King Harald in Oslo on 7 September. <\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;The Kremlin has the measure of us&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cHow is it these (incidents) do not meet the threshold for NATO to respond?\u201d Ed Arnold, senior adviser at British Foreign Policy Group, put it to Euronews.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy doing nothing, we are chipping away at the deterrence value of NATO.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Arnold pointed out that if the military-grade explosives in the drone at Leipzig at detonated, they could have been fatal. The drone wasn\u2019t correctly installed and failed to blow up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe incident at Leipzig wasn\u2019t foiled by security services, the explosives didn&#8217;t detonate,\u201d he said. \u201cNATO needs to have a comprehensive response now, because the Kremlin has the measure of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The ambiguity over NATO\u2019s response stems partly from the lack of certainty as to whether the United States would support a collective response to an attack on NATO territory.<\/p>\n<p>A US intelligence assessment in August reported that Putin could try to test NATO\u2019s resolve with a limited assault on NATO territory within a few years, whether via a small-scale land incursion or a serious cyber-attack on critical infrastructure \u2013 in either case, a situation too serious to go unanswered. <\/p>\n<p>Arnold argued that the uncertainty over Washington&#8217;s commitment will only fuel Putin\u2019s appetite to risk the possibility of a direct confrontation with NATO, playing as it does into Putin&#8217;s campaign to prove that Article 5 of the NATO charter \u2013 \u201can attack on one is an attack on all\u201d \u2013 is hollow.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He knows that the best bet to achieve this is the current White House administration,&#8221; Arnold said. \u201cPutin is a strategist not a tactician. He still can&#8217;t beat the Ukrainians in a conventional war, but he can see that the Trump administration are susceptible to Russian charm.&#8221; <\/p>\n<h2>Charm offensive<\/h2>\n<p>US Envoy Steve Witkoff spoke in glowing admiration to Putin during diplomatic talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine last week. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So first of all President Putin, thank you so much for having us,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We were sitting outside just now\u2026 and we were all talking about when we retire, we&#8217;ll have all these incredible stories and incredible memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Kurt Volker, who served US ambassador to NATO under the first Trump administration, is now advising Ukrainian authorities on security matters. He told Euronews the alliance needs to be at a much higher state of readiness for an attack which would undeniably elicit an Article 5 collective response \u2013 and that it must be made clear to the Kremlin that there is now \u201czero tolerance\u201d of its continuing shadow-war activities. <\/p>\n<p>Instead, he pointed to drone incursions in Romania and Poland over the last year and the apparent lack of consequences.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We\u2019re left questioning &#8211; &#8216;where is the line&#8217; that if Russia crosses it, we would respond.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRemember when there were 19 drones in Polish territory and that was shocking, and now we have an armed drone fast circling over Romanian airspace and into Ukraine and nobody says anything. This all has a creeping effect.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Poland took the relatively rare decision to trigger Article 4 of NATO\u2019s charter in the aftermath of the drone incursion last year.<\/p>\n<p>An Article 4 process is the prelude to triggering the demand for a collective allied response. It draws all allies into a formal consultation if they suspect their territorial integrity is under threat. The goal of the process is to consider a joint response with the backing of allies after all the information is shared. Unlike Article 5, it does not commit the alliance to a mutual defence response. <\/p>\n<p>Asked why there have been so few Article 4 formal consultations since despite the Kremlin&#8217;s increasingly aggressive activities, Volker said that whenever an official process is drawn upon but no outcome materialises, it further exposes NATO&#8217;s \u201clevel of disunity\u201d. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you have Article 4 but then there\u2019s no outcome, then maybe it&#8217;s a better idea not to have the meeting in the first place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>In response to such criticisms, NATO officials have also pointed to the fact that Germany did not trigger an Article 4 emergency consultation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Germany might do this, but until they do, it&#8217;s still a matter for the German government to respond and not the alliance,&#8221; an official told Euronews.<\/p>\n<h2>Russia undeterred<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe deterrence isn\u2019t working,\u201d said Laura Galante, former director of the US&#8217; Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Centre. \u201cWhen you have a drone in a civilian airport, we can see this threat in clear focus.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She agreed with others who spoke to Euronews that there hasn\u2019t yet been a moment where NATO has successfully coalesced around a response to Russian incursions or attacks \u2013 and she also pointed to the \u201cbackpaddling\u201d by Washington on whether it is fully committed to collective security of NATO. <\/p>\n<p>Galant says it\u2019ll be up to Europe \u2013 particularly countries like Finland and Sweden which have strong, well-equipped militaries and a comprehensive security posture \u2013 to take the lead in the event of a major attack. <\/p>\n<p>Even the use of the term &#8220;hybrid war&#8221; is now widely viewed as insufficient as it minimises the severity of Russia&#8217;s orchestrated actions, which include not just frequent drone incursions but also arson, sabotage and assassination attempts. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to find also a way how to tackle the non-conventional warfare,\u201d Latvian President Edgars Rink\u0113vi\u010ds, told the 2026 Riga Conference on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe very often refer to that as hybrid warfare. And the more I have myself done that many times. Now I think that we are all wrong.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rink\u0113vi\u010ds argued that the &#8220;hybrid&#8221; framing creates &#8220;a feeling in our societies that it has nothing to do with the real and clear and present danger&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, on 11 September, the Kremlin threatened to target Lithuania with Russian nuclear weapons if Vilnius allows nuclear arms to be stationed on its territory. <\/p>\n<p>Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made the remarks as he commented on Vilnius&#8217;s recent openness to remove restrictions on hosting nuclear weapons. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis was to be expected. It will mark a very serious escalation of tensions, because if you deploy nuclear weapons on your territory, they are aimed at someone,&#8221; he said at a press conference. &#8220;Obviously, these weapons will not be aimed at the West. They will be aimed at the East \u2013 that is, at us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf there are nuclear weapons on its territory that are aimed at us, then, accordingly, that country\u2019s territory will also be in the crosshairs of our nuclear weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  NATO allies successfully thwart Russian undersea cable sabotage operation<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  European Commission and NATO chiefs to discuss Russia\u2019s hybrid warfare after drone incident in Germany<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  &#8220;NATO will defend Bulgaria against any action by Iran,&#8221; official warns<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  World News<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  USA<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Europe<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  NATO<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tp-vuukle\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__header\"><span class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__title\">Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"o-article-newsy__aside\">\n<div class=\"c-ad-wrapper o-article-newsy__aside__content-1\" data-ad-name=\"adzone-halfpage\">\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad-halfpage u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-top-stories\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-top-stories\">\n<h2 class=\"c-top-stories__title\">Top stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2925050-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2925050\" data-cid=\"9910707\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2925050-label-pos2-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/07\/07\/320x180_cmsv2_85aa1d00-3aad-520b-8520-f54bcee81835-9910707.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"People join hands in prayer for Father Mychal Judge during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the 9\/11 attacks in New York City on 11 September 2026.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US commemorates 25th anniversary of 9\/11 attacks<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2924878-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2924878\" data-cid=\"9909793\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2924878-label-pos3-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/90\/97\/93\/320x180_cmsv2_4f78d731-2f99-5d0b-a6c8-e61e17f47781-9909793.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Ukraine is seeking to purchase Patriot interceptors.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    EU pledges \u20ac6.1bn for Ukraine, including aid for Patriot interceptors<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2925035-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2925035\" data-cid=\"9910644\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2925035-label-pos4-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/06\/44\/320x180_cmsv2_439a750c-fb96-5730-a4c3-2e5cc49ff457-9910644.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov \" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    France joins Slovakia in asking to delist Russian oligarch Usmanov<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-top-stories__item\">\n<article id=\"abe-2924917-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2924917\" data-cid=\"9910101\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2924917-label-pos5-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/01\/01\/320x180_cmsv2_7fc23f7a-08fd-5b5b-8b1f-7afec493e2cd-9910101.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" 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height=\"72\" alt><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto c-most-viewed\">\n<h2 class=\"c-most-viewed__title qa-section-title\">Most read<\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__list\">\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__item\"><span class=\"c-most-viewed__item__number\">1<\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2924612-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2924612\" data-cid=\"9908448\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    NATO allies successfully foil Russian undersea cable sabotage mission<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-most-viewed__item\"><span class=\"c-most-viewed__item__number\">2<\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2924409-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" 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class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    UK Parliament votes down assisted dying bill in England and Wales<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2924612-pos1-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2924612\" data-cid=\"9908448\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    NATO allies successfully foil Russian undersea cable sabotage mission<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2924409-pos2-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2924409\" data-cid=\"9907469\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    The best airports in the world ranked \u2013 and number one is in Europe<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2924803-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2924803\" data-cid=\"9909441\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Algeria closes its airspace to UAE after ending diplomatic ties<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2924588-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2924588\" data-cid=\"9908384\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    TV star Sarah Khalifa faces death penalty in Egypt \u2014 what comes next?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2924728-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2924728\" data-cid=\"9909170\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Spanish parliament backs citizenship law for Western Saharans<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">Incidents of Russian-orchestrated hybrid war attacks across NATO territory are entering a new dangerous, kinetic\u00a0phase, leaders across the continent agree.At a meeting in early September, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas said Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s aim is to &#8220;scare us away from supporting Ukraine.&#8221;&#8221;He will not succeed,&#8221; she told journalists at a meeting of EU foreign ministers.However, others in European diplomatic circles have told Euronews that the lack of a powerful deterrent response is leaving the continent vulnerable to an escalation in Russian attacks.Germany\u2019s decision to formally blame the Kremlin for planting an explosive-laden drone in Leipzig airport in August marked Berlin&#8217;s most direct confrontation with Moscow after\u00a0years of hostile interference.Germany shut the Russian consulate in Bonn and terminated an agreement that had allowed the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin to remain open despite long-held suspicions of espionage activities.&#8221;Taken together, police investigations, patterns of the offences and intelligence findings establish Russian responsibility for the attempted attack at Leipzig Airport,&#8221; German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in Berlin after the incident.\u00a0More recently,\u00a0a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy\u00a0was almost hit by a Russian drone as he started his journey to attend the state funeral of King Harald in Oslo on 7 September.\u00a0&#8216;The Kremlin has the measure of us&#8217;\u201cHow is it these (incidents) do not meet the threshold for NATO to respond?\u201d Ed Arnold, senior adviser at British Foreign Policy Group, put it to Euronews.\u201cBy doing nothing, we are chipping away at the\u00a0deterrence value of NATO.\u201dArnold pointed out that if the military-grade explosives in the drone at Leipzig at detonated, they could have been fatal. The drone wasn\u2019t correctly installed and failed to blow up.\u201cThe incident at Leipzig wasn\u2019t foiled by security services, the explosives didn&#8217;t detonate,\u201d he said. \u201cNATO needs to have a comprehensive response now, because the Kremlin has the measure of us.\u201dThe ambiguity over NATO\u2019s response stems partly from the lack of certainty as to whether the United States would support a collective response to an attack on NATO territory.A US intelligence assessment in August reported that Putin could try to test NATO\u2019s resolve with a limited assault on NATO territory within a\u00a0few years, whether via a small-scale land incursion or a serious cyber-attack on critical infrastructure \u2013 in either case, a situation too serious to go unanswered.\u00a0Arnold argued that the uncertainty over Washington&#8217;s commitment will only fuel Putin\u2019s appetite to risk the possibility of a direct confrontation with NATO, playing as it does into Putin&#8217;s campaign to prove that Article 5 of the NATO charter \u2013 \u201can attack on one is an attack on all\u201d \u2013 is hollow.&#8221;He knows that the best bet to achieve this is the current White House administration,&#8221; Arnold said.\u00a0\u201cPutin is a strategist not a tactician. He still can&#8217;t beat the Ukrainians in a conventional war, but he can see that the Trump administration are susceptible to Russian charm.&#8221;\u00a0Charm offensiveUS Envoy Steve Witkoff spoke in glowing admiration to Putin during diplomatic talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine last week. \u00a0&#8220;So first of all President Putin, thank you so much for having us,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We were sitting outside just now\u2026 and we were all talking about when we retire, we&#8217;ll have all these incredible stories and incredible memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all.\u201d\u00a0Kurt Volker, who served US ambassador to NATO under the first Trump administration, is now advising Ukrainian authorities on security matters. He told Euronews the alliance needs to be at a much higher state of readiness for an attack which would undeniably elicit an Article 5 collective response \u2013\u00a0and that it must be made clear to the Kremlin that there is now \u201czero tolerance\u201d of its continuing shadow-war activities.\u00a0Instead, he pointed to drone incursions in Romania and Poland over the last year and the apparent lack of consequences.&#8221;We\u2019re left questioning &#8211; &#8216;where is the line&#8217; that if Russia crosses it, we would respond.&#8221;\u201cRemember when there were 19 drones in Polish territory and that was shocking, and now we have an\u00a0armed drone fast\u00a0circling over Romanian airspace and into Ukraine and nobody says anything. This all has a creeping effect.&#8221;Poland took the relatively rare decision to trigger Article 4 of NATO\u2019s charter in the aftermath of the drone incursion last year.An Article 4 process is the prelude to triggering the demand for a collective allied response. It draws all allies into a formal consultation if they suspect their territorial integrity\u00a0is under threat. The goal of the process is to consider\u00a0a joint response with the backing of allies after all the information is shared. Unlike Article 5, it does not commit the alliance to a mutual defence response.\u00a0Asked why there have been so few Article 4 formal consultations since despite the Kremlin&#8217;s increasingly aggressive activities, Volker said that whenever an official process is drawn upon but no outcome materialises, it further exposes NATO&#8217;s \u201clevel of disunity\u201d.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cIf you have Article 4 but then there\u2019s no outcome, then maybe it&#8217;s a better idea not to have the meeting in the first place,\u201d he said.In response to such criticisms, NATO officials have also pointed to the fact that Germany did not trigger an Article 4 emergency consultation.&#8221;Germany might do this, but until they do, it&#8217;s still a matter for the German government to respond and not the alliance,&#8221; an official told Euronews.Russia undeterred\u201cThe deterrence isn\u2019t working,\u201d said Laura Galante, former director of the US&#8217; Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Centre.\u00a0\u201cWhen you have a drone in a civilian airport, we can see this threat in clear focus.&#8221;She agreed with others who spoke to Euronews that there hasn\u2019t yet been a moment where NATO has successfully coalesced around a response to Russian incursions or attacks \u2013 and she also pointed to the \u201cbackpaddling\u201d by Washington on whether it is fully committed to collective security of NATO.\u00a0Galant says it\u2019ll be up to Europe \u2013 particularly countries like Finland and Sweden which have strong, well-equipped militaries and a comprehensive security posture \u2013 to take the lead in the event of a major attack.\u00a0Even the use of the term\u00a0&#8220;hybrid war&#8221; is\u00a0now widely viewed as insufficient as it minimises\u00a0the severity of Russia&#8217;s orchestrated actions, which include not just frequent drone incursions but also arson, sabotage and assassination attempts.\u00a0\u201cWe have to find also a way how to tackle the non-conventional warfare,\u201d Latvian President Edgars Rink\u0113vi\u010ds,\u00a0told the 2026 Riga Conference on Thursday.\u201cWe very often refer to that as hybrid warfare. And the more I have myself done that many times. Now I think that we are all wrong.&#8221;Rink\u0113vi\u010ds argued that the &#8220;hybrid&#8221; framing creates &#8220;a feeling in our societies that it has nothing to do with the real and clear and present danger&#8221;.\u00a0Meanwhile, on 11 September, the Kremlin threatened to target Lithuania with Russian nuclear weapons if Vilnius allows nuclear arms to be stationed on its territory.\u00a0Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made the remarks as he commented on Vilnius&#8217;s recent openness to remove restrictions on hosting nuclear weapons.\u00a0\u201cThis was to be expected. It will mark a very serious escalation of tensions, because if you deploy nuclear weapons on your territory, they are aimed at someone,&#8221; he said at a press conference. &#8220;Obviously, these weapons will not be aimed at the West. They will be aimed at the East \u2013 that is, at us.&#8221;\u201cIf there are nuclear weapons on its territory that are aimed at us, then, accordingly, that country\u2019s territory will also be in the crosshairs of our nuclear weapons.\u201d<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2026\/09\/11\/natos-deterrence-increasingly-undermined-by-lack-of-response-to-russian-hybrid-attacks&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/91\/03\/94\/1200x675_cmsv2_06a35c45-d099-58b8-90c1-562ff451a967-9910394.jpg&#8221;] Europe News France joins Slovakia in asking to delist Russian oligarch Usmanov USA US commemorates 25th anniversary of 9\/11 attacks Europe News French father jailed for threatening to behead his son\u2019s teacher Syria Russia returns to Mediterranean with sanctioned &#8216;Syrian Express&#8217; ships Europe News France joins Slovakia in asking to delist Russian [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2140106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2140106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2140106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2140106\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2140106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2140106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2140106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}