The Baltic states approved a plan to build defense systems on their borders with Russia and Belarus, while Germany reiterated its warning that Russia could attack NATO within five to eight years. Successive war warnings from Sweden and NATO have fueled concerns in Europe.
The German newspaper Bild recently reported that it had obtained Defense Ministry plans suggesting that Russian forces were preparing to attack NATO in 2025.
A few days after the bombshell statement, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told Der Tagesspiegel newspaper, “We have to take into account that Putin could one day attack a NATO country.”
GERMAN MINISTER GIVES DEADLINE: ATTACKS POSSIBLE IN 5-8 YEARS
Emphasizing that he does not think a Russian attack is unlikely at the moment, the German minister said, “Our experts say that an attack from Russia is possible within a period of five to eight years.”
Stating that Europe has been facing a military threat situation for 30 years, Pistorius said: “We hear threats from the Kremlin almost every day. The latest one was made against our friends in the Baltic states.”
Pistorius also referred to France’s nuclear deterrent, saying, “We have a nuclear shield with the Americans and the French have a ‘force de frappe’. If there is such a threat, we must fight it together as Europeans.”
ALERT ON RUSSIA-BELARUS BORDER, SHELTERS ARE BEING BUILT
The Baltic states are taking one critical step after another at the border amid growing security concerns following the invasion of Ukraine.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania signed an agreement on Friday. Under the agreement, bunkers and defense facilities will be built over the next few years to strengthen the defense of the Russian-Belarusian border.
NATO AND SWEDEN WARNED: WE MUST BE READY FOR WAR
The preparations by the Baltic states and the German minister’s statement come after a senior NATO official warned that civilians in the West should be prepared for the possibility of an all-out war with Russia in the next 20 years.
Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, recently called for preparation for a period in which anything can happen at any time, including war, saying, “We must understand that it is not certain that we will be at peace. That is why NATO is preparing for a possible conflict with Russia.”
Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bolin and Chief of the General Staff Micael Byden had also warned the Swedish people to be ready for war, causing great panic in the country.
