By Smartencyclopedia with Agencies

Berlin — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned on Monday that Russia is ramping up hybrid attacks against countries across Europe in a campaign that is expanding beyond the battlefields of Ukraine. Speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, Rutte said Moscow is “conducting an intensifying campaign of hybrid attacks across our allied territories, interfering directly in our democracies, sabotaging industry, and committing violence.”

This statement reflects NATO’s heightened alarm over Russia’s tactics, which Rutte says increasingly affect NATO countries beyond Ukraine, extending the “frontline” of the conflict into regions such as the Baltics, Western Europe, and even Arctic territories. Rutte’s comments come as Moscow deploys North Korean troops, which he termed a “significant escalation.” He further noted that China and Iran have offered support to Russia, though he assured NATO is strengthening cooperation with Asia-Pacific allies, including Japan and South Korea, to counterbalance this alignment.

In his address, Rutte underscored NATO’s commitment to Europe’s security, mentioning that the United States — on the eve of its presidential election — is unlikely to “repeat the mistake after the First World War of withdrawing from Europe.” He also reaffirmed NATO’s support for Ukraine’s potential membership, despite the lack of a clear timetable from Berlin, expressing confidence that “one day, Ukraine will be a member of NATO” and that a pathway to membership is actively being forged.

The comments by Rutte come amid rising tensions across Europe as Russia’s aggressive tactics continue to reverberate, bringing issues of cyber threats, misinformation, and industrial sabotage into sharper focus for NATO allies.