Gen. Alexus Grynkewich presented what he called a "theory of victory" on the first day of the two-day Warsaw Security Forum, a high-profile gathering of some 2,500 leaders from 90 countries.
He stressed that NATO was a defensive alliance, but that this should not be mistaken for weakness.
"NATO does not seek war with anyone," Grynkewich said.
"If someone is foolish enough to attack us, we will fight," he told the conference, adding that he did not see a conflict as imminent or inevitable.
He described the strategy as a shared vision rather than a military plan, drawing on a concept adopted by all 32 members and on lessons from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The commander said that NATO’s intelligence advantage meant it would not be taken by surprise, giving it time to deploy forces quickly and prevent an aggressor from seizing territory and presenting it as a fait accompli.
In the opening phase of a conflict, he said, allied ground forces would halt an enemy advance at the point of contact, while air, naval, space and cyber forces would seek rapid superiority.
If an attacker pressed on or committed reserves, NATO would target not only the attacking forces but also those supplying and commanding them.
He stressed that the aim was to stop an attack, not to inflict strategic defeat on the enemy, meaning the burden of escalation would rest with the aggressor.
He told the forum he had decided to make the strategy public, after finalising a classified version about three months ago, because of the current security environment and the scale of sabotage and arson attacks, which he said worry people in NATO countries.
"What I want to do is to assure the 1 billion citizens of our alliance that we've got this."
The general said his aim was to show potential aggressors that "we know exactly what we're going to do in deterrence and defence."
US priorities
At a separate panel on the future of the alliance, the US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, said Washington’s security priorities were, in order, the homeland, the western hemisphere, the Pacific and then Europe.
"The United States isn't stepping back," he said, but he urged Europeans to "step forward" and match what the United States had invested over the past 77 years.
He declined to comment on a review of US forces in Europe, saying it was "not ready yet," and said President Donald Trump's "America First" policy would put US interests first.
He also praised Poland as a leader in Europe.
Europe's role
EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius told the same panel that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defence.
He said partners had told him serious threats could emerge simultaneously from Russia and China, and Europe needed enough capability to deter both.
According to Kubilius, the continent's fragmented defence industry was a major obstacle and that it must learn to deliver large joint projects.
Long-term goals include a European antri-drone system on the eastern flank, missile defence, maritime security and a space shield, as well as integrating battle-tested Ukrainian capabilities.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the opening of the forum.
(ał/gs)
Source: PAP
Click on the audio player above for a report by Michał Owczarek