"Block, Clear, Break": What is in NATO's new plan for war with Russia?

NATO's top commander says he is unveiling a plan to stop Russia's invasion of Europe.

NATO's top general has unveiled a new war plan to counter a Russian attack on members of the alliance that incorporates lessons learned from the front lines in Ukraine.

Speaking about NATO's so-called "victory theory" at the Warsaw Security Summit on Monday, Gen. Aleksos Grinkiewicz, who has served as chairman of European Command and supreme allied commander in Europe since 2025, said the plan is based on three strategies designed to stop an invasion in its tracks: "break, blunt and blunt."

The announcement comes amid growing warnings from European intelligence agencies about increased threats from Russia, including the prospect of conventional military action and "hybrid warfare" that could include tactics ranging from cyber attacks to tampering with undersea cables.

In an effort to ease the alliance's growing concerns, Grinkovich said, "What I want to do is to reassure the one billion citizens of our alliance that we have it. We know what we have to do. We know how we're going to do it."

But NATO's new plan comes at a time when the alliance itself appears to be divided over how to deal with Russia, following a series of recent proposals from US President Donald Trump to Russian President Vladimir Putin, including his latest controversial plan to put diesel reserves on world markets despite Russian oil sanctions.

So, what's in NATO's new plan and what are European agencies warning about? How has Russia reacted? And is the alliance even on the same page as these?

General Grinkiewicz told the Warsaw Security Forum that NATO does not consider a military confrontation with Russia "imminent or inevitable" but would be prepared for one nonetheless.

"The execution of the theory of victory which I have explained to-day requires me to issue orders which I hope never to issue," he said. But let's not doubt: if the war comes, we will block any attack, slow it down, and then if it doesn't stop, we will crush the forces that attack us."

He explained that the "block, unmask and break" strategy is to stop the attack rather than to capture enemy territory.

Directly citing lessons learned on the front lines in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East, Grinkovich said the plan relies on the use of precision weapons with "affordable offense" such as drones and other autonomous systems.

In this plan, he said, coalition forces would "block" an attack at the border to halt enemy advances on the battlefield, then "move" the attack by hitting incoming forces from the air, sea and land. Then, finally, they want to "break" the enemy by targeting supply chains and command networks.

He said: "If necessary, we will break the enemy's forces and the operational system of war that is arranged against us." "Enemy formations will be starved. Enemy commanders will be unable to control their forces. Enemy forces and support capabilities will be reduced and destroyed."

Are Russian threats increasing in Europe?

Germany's foreign intelligence chief, Martin Jaeger, warned last week that the country was at risk of being drawn into a "violent conflict" with Russia, saying that Moscow increasingly sees Berlin as a major enemy.

He cited the drone attack on a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig airport in August as an example of the growing threat. Interior Minister Alexander Dubrint has also warned of a "shadow war" linked to Russia, involving sabotage, cyber attacks and other covert operations.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron warned last month that the combined Russian threat facing France and other European countries had intensified in recent weeks and ordered plans to protect critical infrastructure.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said since taking office that he has received confirmation that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum, although he has not publicly explained the evidence behind the assessment. Last week, he traveled to Berlin to discuss with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz some of Russia's hybrid warfare plans.

Russia issued a nuclear warning to NATO late last month, saying it was ready to use its arsenal, including nuclear weapons, if the alliance tried to isolate Kaliningrad, a Russian region on the Polish-Lithuanian border.

In July, Romania's Ministry of Defense announced that it had recorded 33 incidents since Russian drones entered its airspace. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Eighteen such attacks have taken place this year, and Romanian F-16 fighter jets have shot down three drones during the year.

Poland has also accused Russian intelligence services of orchestrating an arson attack on the Starlink satellite internet station in Wola Krubuska last month. Warsaw described the incident as part of Russia's combined war campaign against the countries supporting Ukraine.

Norway has issued similar warnings. Europe is facing its most serious security situation since World War II, the head of the country's police security service, Beit Gangas, said this week, reflecting concerns about suspected Russian sabotage and covert operations across the continent.

In August, Russia warned Britain that it could face "consequences" for supplying Ukraine with drones that have been used in long-range strikes inside Russian territory.

The Russian Embassy in London said in a statement on August 17: "London's actions will inevitably have consequences for which it must be held accountable." "Deeper involvement in the conflict and greater support for Kiev's terrorist machinery will pay a higher price."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month, however, that Russia was not preparing for "any kind" of conflict with Europe. He added that Russia has "no real motivation" to escalate tensions and criticized European countries that have suggested otherwise.

"Many in Europe expect Yekputin to attack from Russia and therefore believe they should prepare for hostilities, for war with Russia," he told reporters in St. Petersburg.

He pointed out: I emphasize once again that we are not preparing for any kind of hostility with Europe.

Putin added that Russia is considering its position on resuming peace talks with Ukraine after Ukraine's recent attacks on Russia, particularly on energy infrastructure.

As for proposals to resume negotiations, yes, they are all on the table and anything is possible. But after everything they do, we will think carefully about what we should do in response.

Since taking office in the United States, Trump has repeatedly attacked other NATO members for not shouldering enough of the defense financial burden. He is also angered by the general refusal of NATO members to join the US-Israeli war against Iran.

As a result, analysts say, there is concern that Trump cannot be trusted to provide support in the NATO alliance if it is needed.

In August, after the Russian consulate in London warned Britain of the "consequences" of providing long-range drones to Ukraine, former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Fedorov told the BBC that could include the possibility of attacks. He said many military experts currently advising the Kremlin were "convinced" that if Russia struck Britain, NATO would not respond decisively. "Trump will not allow NATO to respond," he said.

The coalition faces a deepening rift over Russia, as Trump pursues engagement with Moscow while European governments insist Russia must remain under pressure if the war in Ukraine is to end.

Last month, Washington invited Putin to a December meeting of the Group of 20 (G20) in Miami, in a move seen as an end to Moscow's diplomatic isolation since its massive invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The European Union, in response to Russia remaining a member of the Group of 20, said it would continue to condemn the invasion regardless of Putin's presence.

The rift deepened last week when Trump announced a deal to export Russian diesel to US and global markets and temporarily ease sanctions on Russian fuel. His administration said the move could help lower energy prices and encourage Putin to return to peace talks.

Critics have warned that the move would generate revenue for Russia while undermining Western efforts to limit its war effort.

Meanwhile, Trump has also stepped up his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting that Ukraine should elect a new leader willing to make deals with Russia. Zelensky called Trump's diesel deal with Putin "unfair and dishonest" and argued that it was in Russia's interest.

EU foreign ministers also emphasized that European sanctions against Russia will remain in place despite Washington's agreement with Moscow.

On Sunday, Trump claimed in a social media post that the move provoked an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine, under which both sides refrain from targeting each other's energy facilities with long-range strikes. However, Zelensky said that such an agreement was "news" to me - although he also said that Ukraine would respect such a ceasefire if Moscow respected it as well. Regardless, Russia, which has not confirmed its agreement to an energy ceasefire, continued its attacks on Ukrainian facilities on Monday, Ukrainian officials said.