As of: January 30, 2024, 12:51 p.m
By: Bona Hyun
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Press
Split
NATO doesn't have much time to prepare for a possible conflict with Russia, generals warn.
Germany could play an important role.
Ulm – Is Europe threatened with war with Russia?
NATO leaders fear that Russia could attack targets across Europe - including Germany.
Senior officials have also pointed out that NATO has a window of just three years to secure its defense against a possible Russian offensive against alliance territory.
NATO general urges preparation for war against Russia
Generals from Germany, the United States and the Netherlands fear that Vladimir Putin's army would strike deep behind the front lines to destroy civil and military infrastructure necessary to sustain the war effort.
“We must assume that an aggressor will use the entire spectrum of violence to destroy lines of communication, including in the rear area,” NATO Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank told the British
Times
in Ulm .
This ranges from acts of sabotage and cyber attacks to missiles and drones.
We need to prepare more for this.
Concerns about an armed conflict between NATO and Russia are growing.
© Sergei Chirikov / Pool/dpa
Danger of war with Russia?
Secret paper from the Bundeswehr shows the scenario
A secret Bundeswehr document recently also revealed a worrying scenario in the Ukraine war.
It is initially about hybrid warfare with Russian cyber attacks on critical infrastructure in the West and social destabilization of Eastern European states through misinformation and incitement on the Internet.
Covertly through military maneuvers, Russia would then arm its exclave Kaliningrad.
Ultimately, a “border conflict” brought about by Russia would lead to hostilities with Lithuania and Poland.
Preparing for war against Russia: Germany could become a “hub” for NATO plans
Even if the scenarios are purely hypothetical, military experts take the threat seriously.
Sollfrank explains to the
Times
that a lot of tanks and ammunition were destroyed in Germany after the Cold War, and depots and warehouses also disappeared in peacetime.
“Now we are working very hard to rebuild this robust, resilient reinforcement and supply network to have full support.
We need a resilient infrastructure,” said Solfrank.
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Germany could play a crucial role in the plans and be chosen as a central "hub" for NATO's reinforcement and supply lines in Europe, NATO leaders told the
Times
.
This ranges from ammunition factories and command centers to power plants, bridges and railways.
Expansion of the Ukraine war?
NATO lieutenant general warns: “No time to waste”
A hurdle for NATO in its planning could be the regulations that restrict the exchange and transport of military assets not only between countries, but also between different parts of Germany.
The transport of military personnel and material across borders also requires an approval process within the European Union and the Schengen area.
Sollfrank is in favor of “reducing or adjusting the bureaucratic effort.” In the end, there is “no time to lose.”
The PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation) Military Mobility project could play an important role in this.
According to the Ministry of Defense, it is intended to simplify, standardize and accelerate procedures as well as to modernize (transport) infrastructure in order to be able to move troops and material across borders more quickly in Europe.
All EU member states participate in PESCO.
(bohy)