NATO urged to prepare for potential Russian attack, US envoy says

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker called on alliance members to be prepared to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin or other adversaries in the event of an attack, stating it is impossible to predict Putin's actions. He made the remarks in a USA Today interview published on September 2. Whitaker emphasized the need for increased defense spending and weapons production among NATO countries, urging allies to maintain a sober view of the situation given Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He declined to comment on a Wall Street Journal report citing intelligence that Russia could launch a limited attack on a NATO member within the next few years. The Wall Street Journal reported in August that Putin might test NATO's collective defense readiness with an attack on an alliance country between this fall and 2029, with scenarios ranging from cyberattacks and hybrid operations to a localized incursion on the eastern flank.