THE GUARDIAN: Former general Petr Pavel says Moscow’s testing of alliance’s eastern flank should be met with firm line
The Czech president, Petr Pavel, has urged Nato to “show its teeth” in response to Russia’s repeated testing of the alliance’s resolve on its eastern flank, suggesting a range of options including switching off its internet, cutting off its banks from global financial systems and shooting down jets that violate allied airspace.
Speaking to the Guardian in Prague, Pavel called for “decisive enough, potentially even asymmetric” responses to counter Moscow’s provocative behaviour against the alliance or risk the Kremlin intensifying its actions.
A retired general and former chair of the Nato military committee, the 64-year-old’s defence background is rare among European leaders. His years of experience talking to Moscow on the suspended Nato-Russia council have made him an influential voice on the future of the alliance and the threats it faces.
He expressed frustration with “a lack of determination to keep pushing from the United States on Russia”, although he steered clear of direct criticism of Donald Trump despite the US president continuing to cast doubt on the future of Washington’s commitments to the alliance. » | Jakub Krupa and Shaun Walker in Prague | Friday, May 22, 2026
