US warns NATO to get ready for Russia attack amid ‘direct strike’ threat

NATO member states need to be “prepared” in the event that Vladimir Putin decides to launch an attack, the US ambassador to NATO has warned.

Ambassador Matt Whitaker said that while he does not believe the Russian president is planning an imminent assault on a NATO member, he stressed that the alliance’s members “need to exercise like it matters”, “prepare” and “invest in their capabilities”.

Whitaker declined to comment on recently leaked US intelligence, which reportedly revealed that Russia could launch a limited attack – from a cyberattack to a small-scale land incursion – on a NATO member state within the next few years.

Read more: Mirror