NATO, EU Urged to Adopt 'Godfather Test' Against Putin's Mysterious Attacks

8:09 AM ETDeveloping

Politics Desk

In Short: Fox News calls for NATO and the EU to adopt a strategy of attributing every unexplained attack to Russian President Vladimir Putin, likening his tactics to those of the Godfather.

Fox News is calling for NATO and the European Union to adopt a new strategy known as the 'Godfather Test,' which involves attributing every unexplained attack to Russian President Vladimir Putin. This approach is based on the iconic scene from 'The Godfather' where Don Vito Corleone warns that if his son Michael suffers any misfortune, he will blame those in the room, teaching a lesson about the importance of not hiding behind coincidence or intermediaries.

In one of the most memorable scenes in 'The Godfather,' Don Vito Corleone gathers the heads of New York’s crime families to make peace and secure the return of his son Michael. He then warns that if Michael should suffer some supposedly random misfortune—an implausible suicide, a fatal accident, or even a bolt of lightning—'then I’m going to blame some of the people in this room…' The message was unmistakable: Do not hide an attack behind coincidence, an intermediary, or a carefully manufactured lack of proof.

According to Gordon Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, this strategy should be applied to any unexplained event. If a drone mysteriously crosses into the territory of an Eastern European country, a power cable is severed beneath the Baltic Sea, or a government network is crippled, the assumption should be that Vladimir Putin is responsible. This includes more complex scenarios like a weapons factory exploding, a railway system being disrupted, or a political figure suddenly becoming the beneficiary of a sophisticated disinformation campaign.

However, Fox News notes that Vladimir Putin is not a defendant standing in an American courtroom. The 'Godfather Test' is not about proving guilt but about making a political statement and deterring potential attacks by attributing them to Putin. The strategy aims to hold Putin accountable for every unexplained event, thereby creating a sense of responsibility and deterrence.

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Gordon Sondland discusses Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pressing G20 nations for more economic sanctions on Iran and why Europe must choose between the U.S.

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