About two and a half years ago, a dozen senior German officers gathered at a military base in Berlin to work on a secret plan for war with Russia, the "Wall Street Journal" wrote, quoted by BTA.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 ended decades of stability in Europe. Since then, the region has embarked on the most rapid rearmament since the end of World War II, the American daily notes.
According to him, the plan describes in detail how 800,000 German, American and other NATO troops would be transferred east to the front line. It outlines the ports, rivers, railroads, and roads they will travel along, and how they will be supplied and protected along the way.
At a higher level, the plan is the clearest manifestation yet of what its authors call a "whole-of-society approach" to war. This blurring of the line between the civilian and military spheres marks a return to Cold War thinking, but updated to take into account new threats and obstacles – from Germany's aging infrastructure to its inadequate legal framework and smaller military - all things that were not the case at the time.
German officials have said they expect Russia to be ready and able to attack NATO by 2029. However, a series of espionage incidents, sabotage attacks and airspace violations in Europe, many of which Western intelligence agencies attribute to Moscow, suggest it could be preparing to strike sooner, the Wall Street Journal notes.
Analysts also believe that a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, which the United States is pushing for this week, could free up time and resources for Russia to prepare an attack on NATO members in Europe, the publication points out.
If they can increase Europe's resilience, planners believe they will not only guarantee their victory but also reduce the likelihood of war.
In the event of a war with Russia, Germany would no longer be a frontline state, but a base of operations. In addition to deteriorating infrastructure, it would also have to deal with reduced military power and new threats such as drones.
This means that the military will have to unite with the private sector and civil organizations on a scale they have never done before, the American publication notes.
One of the main problems is outdated legislation. The German army's drones cannot fly over populated areas. The law also requires them to have position lights.