NATO ready to respond to an attack as early as tonight: "If anyone is crazy enough to attack us..."

He said he does not believe war is inevitable, but that the Alliance is prepared to engage in combat immediately if it is attacked.

“If anyone is crazy enough to attack us, we will fight back,” Grynkewich said.

He emphasized that he does not believe an armed conflict is “imminent or inevitable,” but noted that NATO is “ready to fight tonight” if attacked.

The U.S. general did not explicitly mention Russia, but his remarks come amid increasingly frequent NATO warnings about threats emanating from Moscow.

Explaining how NATO would respond to an attack

Grynkewich also described how NATO would respond in the event of an attack. According to him, allied forces would first stop enemy forces, then weaken their offensive and ultimately defeat the enemy.

“We can be confident in our ability to achieve powerful, large-scale effects, as well as in the message that sends—that we can respond to any move by an adversary that would further escalate the conflict,” Grynkewich said.

“Those same factors should give any adversary serious pause. When they see a united, strong and prepared Alliance, they should quickly realize that the military cost of further escalation is too high,” he added.

Warnings of possible Russian attacks on NATO members

His remarks come amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO over the war in Ukraine, as well as growing concerns among European countries about the possibility of the conflict spreading.

Czech intelligence chief Michal Koudelka warned that Russia could begin carrying out increasingly risky operations against NATO members supporting Ukraine.

According to him, Moscow appears to be adopting a strategy of “escalation for de-escalation,” meaning intensifying a conflict to force an adversary to make concessions.

“This could include sabotage on the territory of a NATO member targeting facilities connected to aid for Ukraine, drone or missile attacks on weapons depots holding supplies destined for Ukraine or, in the most extreme scenario, even a limited military operation against one of the Alliance’s neighboring members,” Koudelka warned.

However, he emphasized that this last and most serious scenario does not represent an immediate threat.

In recent months, numerous incidents involving violations of NATO members’ airspace have been recorded, with Russian drones and military aircraft suspected of being responsible.