Russia expert Sabine Adler said that there is a real danger that Vladimir Putin will start a war against NATO this fall, focus.de reported.
In front of ARD, Sabine Adler, a former correspondent for “Deutschlandfunk“ in Moscow, said that she is looking forward to the upcoming fall with great concern. Her concern has a very specific reason: it concerns a planned military exercise in Belarus, which could further worsen the geopolitical situation.
Adler warned of a “real danger of war“ for the EU and NATO. Russia and Belarus will hold a joint military exercise in September this year as part of their joint efforts to expand their defense ties. The exercise is called “Zapad 2025“.
In 2021, shortly before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were similar military maneuvers. At that time, troops were massed on the border with Ukraine, which at first seemed like a normal maneuver. But the situation escalated dramatically. The soldiers did not return to their home barracks as planned - instead, the invasion of Ukraine began.
“In the end, there were 130,000 Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian border,“ said Adler. The “Zapad“ exercise poses a direct threat to Ukraine and all of Europe. These military exercises are often not just a show of force, but also targeted preparation for large-scale military operations.
This year's “Zapad“ maneuver should be taken “extremely seriously“. Adler predicts a "real danger of war in the fall." If the maneuvers are held again in the fall, it could not only further exacerbate the military situation in Ukraine, but also threaten other European countries.
Lithuania fears that the Russians could use the maneuvers and the related preparations to attack their country. Many experts fear Vladimir Putin's attacks on NATO and EU countries in the near future, such as in the Baltic states.
When it comes to European security, the so-called Suwalki Corridor, a narrow strip between Lithuania and Poland that connects Kaliningrad in Russia with Belarus, is particularly important. "And this is exactly the point that could become a problem for European security," Adler explained on ARD.