German intelligence suggests that Russia may launch an attack on NATO in the near future.

The head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Bruno Kahl, is confident that Russia may launch an attack on the territory of the North Atlantic Alliance in the coming years. This was reported by Zeit, as conveyed by UNN.    

Details

"Russia is preparing for war with the West," stated Bruno Kahl at an event organized by the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. The BND chief suggests that Russian military forces could strike the West by the end of the decade, both in personal and material terms.

At the same time, he believes that this will not involve a large-scale attack on NATO European countries, but rather a limited operation. As an example, he mentioned the possibility of a Russian invasion of the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen under the pretext of clearing the area or in the Baltic states under the guise of protecting the Russian-speaking population.

The head of the German intelligence service explained that such actions are aimed at undermining the principle of collective security enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. In his view, this could be an attempt to weaken or dismantle NATO.

The BND chief is convinced that Russia will try to divide NATO even before a potential war begins – for instance, by enticing individual member countries to its side.

Reminder

The German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that Russia might attack a NATO country by 2029. This necessitates an increase in the number of German military personnel and deterrent capabilities.