According to the NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, his task is to ensure that a Russian attack on the Baltic countries "does not happen tomorrow." If necessary, the 32 NATO members are ready to respond to attacks, he stated.
Russian military personnel and leadership must know: if they attempt to attack the Baltic countries, they will not succeed, said U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (SACEUR), at a press conference at the ILA International Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin on Thursday, June 11. According to Grynkewich, his task as SACEUR is to ensure that a Russian attack "does not happen tomorrow" and that Russia understands that it will not succeed in such a scenario. "And since they (the Russian forces - Ed.) know that there will be no success, they will not take the risk of doing something like that," the general pointed out.
He also noted that he has been closely monitoring troop movements as part of allied command operations. "I think you know: Russia is not seeking conflict with NATO. They understand that we are a defensive alliance and realize that we have a number of asymmetric advantages that they simply cannot compete with," Grynkewich continued, adding that the alliance will continue to stay ahead.
At the same time, Grynkewich emphasized that, if necessary, all 32 NATO states are ready to respond to attacks "tonight," and this readiness will grow.
General - DW: Russia is suffering incredibly high losses
In response to a question from a DW correspondent, the NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe did not provide a "precise and reliable forecast" of how the situation on the front will develop in the war between Russia and Ukraine. According to the American general, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are operating quite successfully. "When the Russians attack, they barely advance. And this is accompanied by incredibly high losses for Russia," he emphasized.
The front line is relatively stable, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine have achieved "some successes," Grynkewich noted, while also drawing attention to innovations from Kyiv on the battlefield and the use of short-range drones by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"This is a brutal war. The goal is to end it"
The SACEUR head reminded of the recent massive attacks by Russia on Kyiv and the strikes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on oil refining facilities across Russia. "This is a brutal war. It has been going on for five years. And it would be a great achievement if we could put an end to it," Grynkewich summarized. He recalled his efforts toward resolution.
The desire of U.S. President Donald Trump to approach peace "is the right thing" - due to the risk of conflict escalation and "the enormous human casualties we have already seen," the general noted.
According to him, at this point, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are certainly holding the front, and Europe has done a fantastic job taking on the responsibility of providing the overwhelming majority of the support needed for this. "And we will continue to strive to achieve the goal set by the president (Trump - Ed.) - peace," emphasized the NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.
Alexus Grynkewich has been leading U.S. European Command since July 1, 2025. He also serves as SACEUR.
