General Alexus Grynkewich, who also heads U.S. forces in Europe, told an audience in Warsaw that "Ukrainians have done an amazing job throughout 2026; the frontline is largely stabilized. We really ought to laud them." He added, "They're going to get through this winter" and "They're going to come out of it with more resolve." His remarks were met with loud cheers and clapping from the European officials and diplomats present. The appearance came as U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his rhetorical attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reached an agreement with Moscow to import diesel, a move that many of those officials had said they disapproved of.
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Reemphasizing NATO's defensive stance, Grynkewich said the objective in the event of an attack would be to push it back decisively, not to pursue Russia's strategic defeat. He described his NATO "theory of victory" for such a scenario as "blocking, blunting and breaking" enemy forces, and said the alliance would not be surprised thanks to sophisticated intelligence capabilities. Pressed on whether Europe already possesses the "overpowering mass of affordable and scalable systems" his approach envisions, he sidestepped, joking that the military always asks for more.
Even after weeks of elevated strain and fresh worry about Russian hybrid activity, Grynkewich argued that open war can be avoided. "I do not assess that conflict is imminent or inevitable. It isn't," he said, calling for all sides to steer clear of provocations and misreads by keeping "open lines of communication." He also noted a recent tense exchange between NATO and Russia, when Moscow issued a nuclear threat.
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