Köppel on NATO attack fears Cites Lithuania’s premier

Sep 29

Köppel reports Lithuania’s unnamed prime minister saying after meeting Mark Rutte in Brussels that there is no real evidence Russia is preparing an attack on NATO territory. He uses that statement to dispute warnings of an imminent Russian attack, accuses German politicians Agnes Strack-Zimmermann and Roderich Kiesewetter of spreading lies and argues the remark is especially striking given Baltic hostility toward Russia and traumatic Soviet-era experiences. The accusations and historical-political characterization are his commentary. The passage supplies neither a date nor proof that every future Russian threat is absent.

Asked at the September 29 Brussels NATO conference whether fear of hybrid attacks could undermine Europe's confidence, Sinkevičius urges calm, continued defence investment and unity. He says he asked Rutte whether intelligence services had real proof that Russia was preparing near-term action and there is none, while stressing that risk remains and threats must be communicated without exaggerating what may happen in the coming weeks or months. Köppel later paraphrases this as no real evidence of an imminent Russian attack on NATO and uses it to accuse German politicians, including Agnes Strack-Zimmermann and Roderich Kiesewetter, of spreading lies. Those accusations and his characterization of Baltic attitudes remain commentary. The primary statement is an assessment of current evidence, not a guarantee against future attack or a finding that every warning is fabricated.