President-elect Trump has made ambitious promises to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and face down China, but he’s also contending with a growing threat of “gray zone” attacks from foreign adversaries, from drone surveillance to acts of sabotage in the air, sea and on land.

These hybrid tactics are intentionally hard to trace, and NATO allies on the front lines of tensions with Russia say the alliance isn’t doing enough to keep up.

“Whether the level of deterrence in that domain is sufficient, probably the answer is not yet,” Estonian Ambassador to the U.S. Kristjan Prikk told The Hill in conversation at the Atlantic Council last month.

“But, unfortunately when it comes to resilience, it's not an end state that can be declared. … It's a constant process to maintain and increase the level of resilience.”

Despite its geographical distance from geopolitical flashpoints in Europe and Asia, the United States isn’t immune from hybrid attacks, as was highlighted by a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S. in 2023.

Military analysts believe drones spotted late last year over military installations in England and Germany — locations that house American troops — could have been part of a state-sponsored surveillance mission, a U.S. official familiar with the incidents told The New York Times.

Fears that drones could cause problems closer to home were stoked ahead of the holidays, with reports of mystery drone swarms across numerous East Coast states. U.S. officials maintain that none of the unmanned objects are believed to be foreign surveillance drones.

Trump, set to enter his second term in just less than two weeks, will almost certainly have to contend with gray-zone tactics, even if he successfully brings the war in Ukraine to a........

© The Hill