The German newspaper BILD, citing Western intelligence sources, reports that the Russian Federation may attack NATO countries as early as this winter.
Putin wants to take advantage of the time between leaving office and the inauguration of the US president: November-January. The Kremlin tyrant hopes that in this case the US will not be able to quickly come to the aid of its allies in Europe.
Putin attacks not when he is strong, but when the enemy is weak. And in Europe they understand this. Especially those closest to the Russian Federation. Lithuania and Latvia are already resuming conscription, and Poland and Germany are forming rapid reaction forces.
It is obvious that NATO has more weapons, and more modern, high-precision and long-range weapons. Why then would Russia attack NATO? The answer lies in the pseudo-historical understanding of Putin, who has admitted that he considers the collapse of the USSR a huge catastrophe.
Putin is convinced that the EU countries, which used to be in the sphere of influence of the USSR, must now be dependent on Russia. A similar attitude applies to Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania. Putin has long been called a pseudo-historian. And now he raves about the revival not even of the Soviet Union, but of the Russian Empire, comparing himself to Peter the Great, the TV channel FREEDOM points out.
Putin is preparing to start a major war in Europe, according to EU and NATO officials, but they say that will happen years from now. The leaders of many EU countries made similar statements. The only difference is the time they predict a Russian attack. This could happen in 5-8 years, according to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. And Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kalas, citing intelligence data, claims that Europe has 3 to 5 years to prepare for direct Russian aggression. The Minister of Defense of Denmark is of the same opinion.
„Russia's ambitions extend much further than Ukraine, so for our part we must be ready to defend our own territory,” says the head of the NATO Military Committee, Rob Bauer. The Baltic countries are strengthening their borders with Belarus and Russia: they are digging anti-tank ditches and building minefields. EU leaders pledge protection to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Support is also guaranteed by the Poles, who are very close by.
The Netherlands, which is at the other end of Europe, also guarantees aid to the Baltic countries. “Lithuania, Lithuanian borders are the borders of Europe and NATO. Which means these are our limits. So have no doubt, neither in Moscow nor elsewhere, that we will protect these borders”, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
NATO countries are holding their biggest military exercise since the Cold War, and the European Union is ramping up production of weapons and ammunition. Russia has already put its economy on a fighting footing: it has cut spending on the social sphere, urban planning, repairs, medicine and education. The Russian Federation mass-produces ammunition, removes old equipment from storage and conducts mobilization. According to the commander of NATO forces in Europe, the Russian army is now 15% larger than during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
What would an attack on NATO look like? Hundreds of missiles will be used against seaports, airports and transport hubs, as well as against major military headquarters. This will be followed by an invasion by land, sea and air, with one of the main targets believed to be the Suwalki Corridor. Putin will be hoping that NATO will get bogged down in negotiations and consultations, that Article 5 of the alliance will not come into effect immediately, and that it will drag on for several months. These few months are the biggest problem.
Putin once called information about plans to attack Georgia complete nonsense, but in 2008 Russia invaded that country. Then the dictator assured that he would not go further and definitely would not seize Crimea. He said the peninsula was not disputed territory and Russia recognized Ukraine's borders. The dictator lied. In 2014, Putin ordered the annexation of the peninsula, after which the Kremlin has long repeated that it will absolutely not touch the rest of the territory of Ukraine. And again Putin lied. In 2022, he launched a full-scale invasion. Now he assures that he will definitely stop there and will not attack the NATO countries.
The Kremlin dictator understands only the language of force and must be stopped in Ukraine. If Kiev had surrendered, then Putin would have already attacked the Alliance, says German intelligence chief Bruno Kahl. The outcome of the war in Ukraine will affect the fate of the whole world. The head of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, is sure of this. His opinion is shared by the leaders of the Baltic countries and Poland.
Putin, as a seasoned intelligence officer, knows how to spin and blame the attack on the victim. But NATO will not be a victim, because the Alliance is already increasing the production and military power of the military-industrial complex. EU countries now rely on their own defense complex to be strong, even if the US does not come to the rescue in time. A Russian attack against any of the bloc countries will be repulsed and the Russians will suffer heavy losses.
After massive losses, numerous military failures and retreats in Ukraine, Putin is hungry for revenge - he wants to win against NATO, just as he hoped to defeat Ukraine and take Kiev in three days. But a new war will be very expensive for the Russians themselves.