Russia May Attack NATO in Next Four Years: German Defence Chief Claims

Key points

• Russia was producing hundreds of tanks a year: Chief claims
• NATO remains unified over conflict in Ukraine

ISLAMABAD:  Germany’s chief of defence has said that the members of NATO need to prepare for “a possible attack from Russia” within the next four years, BBC reported.

BBC cited General Carsten Breuer as claiming that Russia was producing hundreds of tanks a year, many of which could be used for an attack on NATO Baltic state members by 2029 or even earlier.

Differences of opinion

He also insisted that NATO, remains unified over the conflict in Ukraine, despite differences of opinion expressed recently by both Hungary and Slovakia.

According to BBC, General Breuer was speaking on the sidelines of the Shangri-la Dialogue, a defence summit in Singapore organised by the think tank International Institute of Strategic Studies.

His remarks come weeks ahead of a summit of NATO countries at The Hague, where they are likely to discuss defence budgets, among other topics.

“A very serious threat”

General Breuer claimed that NATO was facing “a very serious threat” from Russia, one that he had never seen before in his 40 years in service, BBC reported.

At the moment, he claimed, Russia was building up its forces to an “enormous extent”, producing approximately 1,500 main battle tanks every year.

“Not every single tank is going to [the war in] Ukraine, but it’s also going in stocks and into new military structures always facing the West,” he said.

“This is what the analysts are assessing – in 2029. So we have to be ready by 2029… If you ask me now, is this a guarantee that’s not earlier than 2029? I would say no, it’s not. So we must be able to fight tonight,” BBC cited him as saying.