Germany should be ready for war with Russia in five years

Bundeswehr Inspector General Carsten Breuer said that Germany and NATO should be ready for war in 5 years, which requires strengthening the army and changing the mentality.

He said this in an interview with Welt am Sonntag, Ukrinform reports.

"For the first time since the end of the Cold War, there is a threat of a possible war from the outside. When I follow the analytics and see the potential for a military threat coming from Russia, it means five to eight years of preparation for us. This does not mean that there will be a war. But it is possible. And since I am a military man, I say: in five years we have to be ready for war," said Breuer.

According to him, combat readiness is much more than the readiness of personnel and materials, it is also about the necessary changes in mentality. A change of mindset is needed both in society and, above all, in the Bundeswehr. The military leader called deterrence important, which means the ability to defend oneself and thus make the risk of attack so high that the enemy decides to abandon it.

Speaking about Putin's willingness to go beyond Ukraine, Breuer called it an "intention" that the Russian president has.

"I recognize this in Putin from what he has written and said, and from his actions in Ukraine. And also from his military potential. We have seen that the Duma in Russia has decided to switch to a military economy. So the potential is growing," the general said.

What is happening in Ukraine, the inspector general noted, has signs of a battle of attrition, and its further development will depend, in his estimation, primarily on how many reserves of people and equipment Putin will have to continue it. But he can still end this war, the German military officer added.

Regarding the West's assistance to Ukraine, specifically Germany's, Breuer assured that Germany is indeed "going to extremes" in terms of support with materials and training opportunities. The general disagreed with the allegations of "deliberate limitation of assistance" to prevent Ukraine from losing, but at the same time not to allow it to make a powerful breakthrough.

"Our limitation is what we have available and what can be produced and delivered by industry. If we had more industrial capacity, Ukraine could get more support," Breuer said.

In March 2023, the major general was appointed inspector general of the Bundeswehr, which is the highest-ranking military officer in the German armed forces and their highest military representative.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 11/02/2024