Russia may attack NATO in the next four years, warns the German defense head

Western allies need to prepare for a possible attack by Russia during the next four years, according to the head of defense in Germany.

General Carsten Prior BBC told Russia that was producing hundreds of tanks annually, many of which could be used in an attack on NATO members by 2029 or even before.

He also insisted that NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is still united regarding the war in Ukraine, despite the differences of opinion expressed by both Hungary and Slovakia.

General Burur was speaking on the sidelines of the Shangri La dialogue, a defense summit in Singapore, organized by the Diban International Research Institute for Strategic Studies.

His comments come weeks before the NATO summit in The Hague, where they are expected to discuss the defense budgets, among other topics.

General Buruer said that NATO is “a very serious threat” from Russia, which has not previously been unprecedented for 40 years in service.

At the present time, he said that Russia was building its forces to “largely”, as it produced about 1500 major battle tanks every year.

He said: “Not every single tank will go to the (war) Ukraine, but it is also walking in stocks and in new military structures that always face the West.”

Russia also produced four million rounds of artillery ammunition 152 mm in 2024, and all of this would not have gone to Ukraine as well.

He said, “There is an intention and there is the accumulation of stocks,” a possible future attack on the Baltic state members in NATO.

He said: “This is what analysts hold – in 2029. So we must be ready by 2029 … If you ask me now, is this a guarantee that was not early in 2029?

Many have long been afraid of attacking NATO because it could lead to a greater war between Russia and the United States, a major member of NATO. Under Article 5 of the NATO Agreement, any attack on a member state means that other members must reach its defense.

General Briur has identified the so -called suwalki Gap, a Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Belarus, as one of the most vulnerable areas.

“The Baltic countries are really exposed to the Russians, right? Once you are there, you really feel this … in the talks we are there.”

He said that the Estonians have given an analogy that they are close to a huge fire, as they “feel the heat, see the fire and smoke smoke”, while in Germany “you may see little smoke on the horizon, not more.”

General Brewer said this showed different views between European countries to threaten the potential Russian attack.

He said that Russia’s view of the Ukraine war was different from the West, as Moscow believes that the war is more than “continuity” in a greater struggle with NATO, and thus trying to find ways in our defense lines and test them.

He pointed to recent attacks on under the sea in the Baltic Sea, electronic attacks on European public transport, and unidentified drones that were seen on German power stations and other infrastructure.

General Breuer argued that NATO members should build the army again. “What we have to do now is to really tend to tell everyone, hey, get more in it because we need it. We need to be able to defend ourselves and thus build deterrence.”

When asked by the BBC about the cohesion of NATO, given the close ties of Hungary and Slovakia with Moscow, General Perror insisted that the coalition is still in good health.

He referred to the decisions of Finland and Sweden to join NATO shortly after the start of the Ukraine war. “I have never seen such unity as it is now,” he said between nations and military leaders.

“They all understand the threat that is currently approaching NATO, and they all understand that we must develop a trend of deterrence, in the direction of mass defense. This is clear to everyone.

General Burur’s statements are another sign of a major change in positions in Germany towards defense and Russia.

Like many Western countries, including the United Kingdom, it has reduced its investments in its army over many years.

But there was increasing recognition of the need for the opposite, even with the Green Party on the last vote to raise restrictions on defensive spending for Germany.

But, as Western military and political leaders say they are ready to fight, the questions remain about whether this is a state of ambition that exceeds reality.

It will take years until the military industrial base in Europe can speed up to suit anywhere near the size of the weapons that Russia is producing.

The United States was also declining, not building, its defensive obligations for Europe to focus on the Indian Pacific Ocean.