NATO is considering being ‘more aggressive’ in responding to cyber attacks, sabotage and airspace violations by Russia. Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, president of the military committee of the Atlantic Alliance, said this in an interview with Ft. ‘We are studying everything – he declared – on the IT front, we are in a certain sense reactive. Being more aggressive or proactive instead of reactive is something we’re thinking about.’ Dragone said a ‘preemptive attack could be considered ‘a defensive action’ but warned: It’s further from our normal way of thinking.’
«We believe that Giuseppe Cavo Dragone’s statement on potential preventive attacks against Russia is an extremely irresponsible step, which demonstrates the alliance’s willingness to continue moving towards escalation”: thus in a statement the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, referring to the interview in the Financial Times of Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, president of the military committee of the Atlantic Alliance. This was reported by Tass. «We consider the statement as a deliberate attempt to undermine the efforts aimed at find a way out of the Ukrainian crisis”, he added. “Whoever makes statements of this type – says Zakharova – must be aware of the risks and potential consequences that derive from them, also for the members of the alliance”.
Tajani, “Hybrid attacks? It’s a question for NATO”
Regarding NATO’s preventive attacks against Russia for hybrid threats, «it is a matter that NATO must follow, it is not up to us. On hybrid warfare we certainly need to adopt countermeasures. The reform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also provides for the creation of a general directorate for security, for cyber security.” This was said by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who spoke at the celebration for the 75 years of Agi and responded to a question about Admiral Dragone’s interview with the Financial Times. «So we are also strongly committed to guaranteeing security, data protection, the security of our country, the security of our embassies. Hybrid warfare is a fundamental issue,” he added.