Pentagon officials have made private requests of several NATO governments in recent weeks, urging them to moderate their public rhetoric about Russia, according to four people familiar with the conversations. The guidance, delivered in bilateral meetings, targeted remarks by leaders and officials that U.S. defence figures judged were unhelpful to broader security aims.
Those who received the messages include Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity. It was not clear whether the same request was communicated to other European governments.
The outreach comes as the U.S. administration has revived efforts to press for a negotiated end to the full-scale war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year. That push mixes possible incentives for Moscow - including potential sanctions relief - with pressure on Kyiv to curb attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, according to the individuals briefed on the matter.
When asked for comment, a Pentagon official said: "Private conversations among allies are just that, so we will not comment on these allegations."
What prompted the messages
U.S. officials flagged specific types of public comments as problematic, including statements suggesting Russia is increasingly desperate, cornered or resorting to reckless measures as its invasion of Ukraine slows. One source said these kinds of remarks have drawn particular attention because they could, in Washington's view, escalate tensions or play into a Kremlin strategy that seeks to sow fear.
Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's policy chief and a central figure in a review of U.S. troop levels in Europe, was among the U.S. officials who delivered the message, the people said. The identities of other U.S. interlocutors could not be determined.
Those familiar with the exchanges described the tone as non-confrontational. One of the officials said Colby advised a Baltic counterpart that Europeans should avoid "poking" Russia, citing references to Moscow being "cornered like a rat" as an example of rhetoric he considered unhelpful. The specific statement Colby had in mind was not identified.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal had referred to President Vladimir Putin as a "rat in a corner" in late September, arguing the Russian leader was turning to sabotage in Europe as his campaign in Ukraine became bogged down.
Private cautions and public security concerns
Officials delivering the Pentagon messages told allied interlocutors that the United States remained committed to their security but asked for restraint in public commentary. "We are helping you. The Americans are there," a European official recounted one message. "Just don’t be loud. Don’t make noise."
In a separate meeting, Pentagon officials urged an Estonian delegation to be measured in its communications, a person briefed on that interaction said. That individual did not indicate any single statement that prompted the counsel.
For some European officials, the advice was perplexing. Baltic intelligence services have publicly played down the immediate risk that Russia will test NATO's mutual defense clause, even as other NATO intelligence bodies have warned that Moscow could expand sabotage efforts across the continent. The divergence in assessments has contributed to a broader debate within the alliance about how to present the Russian threat to domestic populations.
Context - sabotage, arrests and disputed attacks
U.S. cautions to allies arrive against a backdrop of hostile activity that Western intelligence officials describe as a campaign of deniable attacks across Europe, an allegation Russia denies. Recent incidents cited by officials include the arrest of two Belarusians on suspicion of planning to set fire to a building or critical infrastructure near Nuremberg, and Germany's attribution in September of an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport to Russia, which Moscow has rejected.
At the same time, U.S. officials have been exploring potential business arrangements with Russia as part of Washington's renewed diplomatic push, a policy mix that has produced varied reactions among European governments. Many European officials continue to advocate for maintaining economic isolation of the Kremlin.
Broader shifts in U.S. posture
Meanwhile, Pentagon planners are reviewing the American force posture in Europe, a process that could result in a notable reduction in U.S. troop presence on the continent. U.S. officials have told NATO partners they must take on more responsibility for their own defense as Washington shifts focus to other strategic theaters, including the Middle East, Latin America and East Asia.
The private U.S. messaging to European governments, as described by the officials, reflects an internal NATO discussion about the balance between transparency and strategic restraint in public statements. Some Western officials contend that emphasizing Moscow's threat publicly could amplify Kremlin objectives to create panic and weaken support for Ukraine, while others say frankness is necessary to justify required sacrifices and resource allocations to their electorates.
Implications
Officials involved in the exchanges emphasized the non-confrontational nature of the advisories, and the discussions underscore tensions among allies over messaging, deterrence and burden-sharing at a moment when sabotage and covert operations are central security concerns. How NATO governments calibrate their public language may influence public perceptions of risk and the alliance's internal political dynamics, particularly in the Baltic states that have been singled out for private counsel.