Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is cautioning Germans to prepare for prolonged confrontation with Russia and to quickly strengthen the country’s military in case Vladimir V. Putin has intentions beyond Ukraine’s border.
In a series of recent interviews with German news media, Mr. Pistorius stated that Russia’s military is currently focused on Ukraine. However, if there is a truce, he believes that Mr. Putin will test NATO’s unity.
Mr. Pistorius emphasized the need for a rapid increase in the size of the German military and a replenishment of its arsenal, reflecting a significant shift in the country’s leadership.
Despite the growing alarm, the German public remains unconvinced that Russia poses a fundamental threat to Germany and Europe.
As Chancellor Olaf Scholz prepares to meet President Biden, German officials anticipate little progress in Ukraine and fear the consequences if Mr. Putin prevails there.
There are informal discussions among German officials and their NATO counterparts about the alliance’s survival without the United States at its center, as well as concerns about Mr. Putin’s strategic hopes for NATO’s fracture.
The current geopolitical landscape, with an unreliable America, an aggressive Russia, and a striving China, has led German officials to acknowledge the emergence of a new, complex, and troubling world with severe consequences for European and trans-Atlantic security.
Their immediate concern is the growing pessimism about continued U.S. funding for Ukraine’s struggle, as Germany has agreed to double its contribution this year.
2024-02-03 06:34:16
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