NATO members must prepare for a possible Russian attack within the next four years, German Defense Chief General Carsten Breuer warned in an interview with the BBC. He said that Russia produces hundreds of tanks a year, some of which could be used to attack the Baltic states by 2029, or even earlier, News.bg reports.
General Breuer stressed that NATO must maintain its unity on the issue of the war in Ukraine, despite disagreements expressed by Hungary and Slovakia. He made his remarks on the sidelines of the "Shangri-La Dialogue" forum in Singapore, just weeks before a NATO summit in The Hague, where defense budgets and other key issues will be discussed.
According to Breuer, NATO is facing a "very serious threat" the likes of which he has not seen in his 40-year career. Russia, he said, is building up its military power on a massive scale, producing about 1,500 main battle tanks a year. "Not every tank is for Ukraine - some are being stockpiled and incorporated into new structures aimed at the West," he explained.
Russia has also produced about 4 million 152mm artillery shells in 2024, not all of which are intended for the fighting in Ukraine. Moscow sees the conflict as part of a broader confrontation with NATO and is actively testing the alliance's defense capabilities through various means - including sabotage of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, cyberattacks on public transport in Europe and surveillance drones over German power plants and key infrastructure.
In response, General Breuer called on NATO members to rebuild and strengthen their armed forces. "We need to mobilize and make it clear: get involved, because we need a common effort to effectively defend and deter threats," he said.
On NATO's internal cohesion, despite some countries' closer relations with Moscow, Breuer stressed that the alliance is stable. He cited the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO as a clear sign of unity. "I have never seen such agreement between peoples and military leaders - everyone understands how urgent the situation is," the general noted.
Breuer's statements are indicative of a significant change in German defense policy. Like other Western countries, Germany has long limited its military spending, but recently there have been growing calls for its increase and even for the restoration of conscription.
At the same time, it is noted that the European military-industrial base will need years to reach Russia's production scale. In addition, the United States is shifting its focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific region, which places even greater responsibility on the European member states of the alliance.
It is recalled that Russia regularly defines NATO expansion as a threat to its security and emphasizes the non-admission of Ukraine to the alliance as one of the conditions for starting peace talks.