Denmark and allies suggest NATO should prepare for a potential Russian incursion
An imminent threat from Russia against a NATO country within just three years has been the recent unsettling notification by Denmark regarding the Kremlin's possible intents.
As per Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, "one cannot disregard the possibility of Russia testing Article 5 (of the North Atlantic Treaty) and NATO's unity within a span of 3-5 years".
The capacity of Russia to generate military equipment has escalated drastically, Poulsen stated in the "Jyllands-Posten" newspaper.
Europe feels perturbed. They are considering possible scenarios
Poulsen has allied himself with colleagues from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Romania, Germany, and other nations, who have also indicated that Russia's surged defense expenditure could trigger a direct encounter with NATO, as per the "Financial Times".
This projection did not feature in the NATO evaluation from 2023. It is fresh information that is now emerging, the newspaper indicated.
Micaela Johansson, CEO of Saab, a Swedish company which holds a prominent place among Europe's leading defence groups, is apprehensive about "Russia manufacturing more than ten times as many artillery missiles". Approximately 4-5 million units annually, which surpasses Europe-she stated in an interview with the "FT".
As we have mentioned, there is a surge in the number of voices expressing worry. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius opined in January that NATO should prepare for a prospective Russian incursion within the span of 5-8 years.
According to him, such an attack seems unlikely currently, but it will be plausible in the coming years.
- We hear threats originating from the Kremlin almost daily, especially against our allies in the Baltic countries. Henceforth, we must contemplate the probability that one day Vladimir Putin might even strike a NATO nation- Pistorius concluded.
According to Pistorius, it is clear that "we are grappling with a situation of military menace in Europe that hasn't occurred for 30 years".
Russia will not halt at this. If Putin triumphs in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova will be the prime objective. We will witness anxieties escalating in the Western Balkans. I am more than assured that President Vladimir Putin's policy will intensify in the immediate future- Gheorghita Vlad, the Chief of General Staff of the Romanian Armed Forces, recently expressed on Radio Free Europe.
"The Financial Times" declared that Russian drone assaults in the Danube delta, where Ukraine shares its boundary with Romania, have rattled Bucharest, revealing its lack of preparedness for unmanned aircraft attacks on its territory.
- Like the rest of Europe, the Romanian populace should be perturbed. We need to be suitably prepared, added Gheorghita Vlad, as quoted by the newspaper.
This week, Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO, declared that the Alliance does not currently perceive any direct threat from Russia to any member nation.
According to Poulsen, Denmark is not directly endangered, however, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization might be subject to hybrid assaults, with an objective to destablise conditions in one of the member nations.
Kosiniak-Kamysz on potential Russian hostility towards NATO
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, while commenting on reports from the German portal "Bild" regarding a potential escalation of Russian action against NATO, asserted that Russia is an aggressive and unpredictable nation. He emphasised the need for readiness for every possible scenario.
"Bild" alluded to a confidential document from the German Defence Ministry, illustrating a potential escalation from Russia towards NATO. "The Bundeswehr is gearing up for a Putin-led assault"- wrote the newspaper. Commenting on these reports, the Minister of National Defence acknowledged the severity of the situation on the Ukrainian front.
Constant reports about escalating airstrikes and mounting attacks on Ukraine are received, he said.
He added that the Polish authorities are relentless in their efforts to ensure that Europe and the world remain aware of the lingering war in the East.
The minister affirmed that the expansion and transformation of the army must pursue. - This is already being undertaken. Additional contracts, for instance for ammunition, have been signed post assumption of power- he stated.
