Sep 25, 2026 · 24 min
NATO weighs how to answer Russia’s hybrid attacks
Russia tests NATO with increasingly aggressive tactics in Europe
The debate over sabotage, cyber operations and information warfare tests whether NATO can deter escalation while preserving allied unity and support for Ukraine.
- 1Russia’s increasingly overt hybrid operations are testing NATO’s threshold for collective action and exposing gaps in coordinated deterrence.
- 2Alexander Stubb backs a just peace for Ukraine while rejecting territorial surrender, neutrality, and any settlement that compromises its sovereignty.
- 3Europe is assuming greater defense responsibility, but uncertainty over U.S. commitment is widening the alliance’s trust deficit.
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Julianne Smith and Kurt Volker warn that waiting for a catastrophic hybrid attack before imposing costs would undermine deterrence.
The brief
Europe is confronting a Russian campaign that blends sabotage, cyberattacks and information operations, making aggression harder to deter without risking wider war.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb favors allied consultation, resilience and calm over public red lines, while defending a just Ukraine peace that preserves sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Stubb also describes Europe’s expanding defense role, Finland’s readiness and participation in a French-led nuclear deterrence initiative alongside continued confidence in the U.S. umbrella.
Former NATO ambassadors Julianne Smith and Kurt Volker argue that detection and diplomatic expulsions are not enough; Russia must face coordinated costs before a catastrophic incident.
The episode closes on a widening transatlantic trust deficit, as Europe adapts its partnerships while still treating the United States as strategically indispensable.