Fresh Fears in Europe as German Army Chief Warns Russia May Attack NATO Soon

There is serious tension in Europe right now as the German Chief of Defence, General Carsten Breuer, has come out to warn that “Russia may attack NATO countries in the next four years”. This warning is causing fear across the Western world, as many people are now asking if another big war is coming.

General Breuer made this statement during a security meeting in Singapore, where he told the BBC that “NATO must get ready for a possible Russian attack by 2029 or even earlier”. According to him, Russia is not only fighting in Ukraine but is also preparing for something bigger.

General Breuer said, 

“Russia is building up its forces to an enormous extent. They are producing about 1,500 main battle tanks every year.”

 He explained that “not every single tank is going to Ukraine, but it’s also going into stocks and into new military structures always facing the West.” This means that Russia is keeping many of these tanks, not just for Ukraine, but for possible use against NATO countries in future.

He also revealed that, “Russia produced four million rounds of 152mm artillery ammunition in 2024, and not all of it is being used in Ukraine.”

 These numbers, he said, are from German and allied intelligence.

He warned, “There’s an intent and there’s a build-up of the stocks for a possible future attack on NATO’s Baltic state members.”

General Breuer did not stop there. He said,

 “Analysts are assessing that by 2029, Russia could be ready to attack. So we have to be ready by 2029. If you ask me now, is this a guarantee that it’s not earlier than 2029? I would say no, it’s not. So we must be able to fight tonight.”

The fear is that if Russia attacks any NATO country, it could lead to a very big war, because NATO’s Article 5 says that “an attack on one is an attack on all”.

This means that all NATO countries, including the United States, will have to defend any member that is attacked.

General Breuer also pointed out the Suwalki Gap, a small area that borders Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Belarus, as one of the most dangerous places.

He said, “The Baltic States are really exposed to the Russians, right? And once you are there, you really feel this… in the talks we are having over there.”

 He shared that Estonians have compared their situation to being close to a wildfire, saying they “feel the heat, see the flames and smell the smoke,” while in Germany, “you probably see a little bit of smoke over the horizon and not more.”

This shows how different European countries see the Russian threat. For those close to Russia, the fear is real and urgent. For those farther away, it may not feel as serious yet.

General Breuer also said that Russia does not see the Ukraine war the same way as the West.

He explained, “Moscow sees the war as part of a bigger conflict with NATO and is trying to find ways into our defence lines and is testing it.” 

He mentioned recent attacks on undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, cyber attacks on European public transport, and drones seen over German power stations as signs that “Russia is already testing NATO’s defences.”

Because of all these threats, General Breuer is calling on all NATO countries to “build up their militaries again.”

 He said,

 “What we have to do now is really to lean in and to tell everybody, hey, ramp up… get more into it because we need it. We need it to be able to defend ourselves and therefore also to build up deterrence.”

When asked about disagreements among NATO members, especially Hungary and Slovakia who seem closer to Russia, General Breuer insisted that “NATO is still united.” 

He pointed to Finland and Sweden joining NATO recently as proof that the alliance is getting stronger. He said, “I’ve never seen such unity like it is now among nations and military leaders. All of them understand the threat that is at the moment approaching NATO, all understand that we have to develop a direction of deterrence, into the direction of collective defence. This is clear to everyone. The urgency is seen.”

This warning from the German military boss shows that Europe is now taking the Russian threat very seriously.

For many years, countries like Germany and the UK reduced their military spending, but now, even the Green Party in Germany has supported a vote to remove limits on defence spending.

However, some experts are worried that Europe’s military industry cannot quickly produce enough weapons to match Russia’s current speed.

The United States, which has always been the backbone of NATO, is also shifting some of its focus away from Europe to the Indo-Pacific region.

General Breuer’s warning is a wake-up call for all NATO countries. With Russia increasing its military power and showing signs of preparing for a bigger conflict, European leaders now know they must act fast to protect their countries. As General Breuer said, “We must be able to fight tonight.” The world is now watching to see how NATO will respond to this growing threat from Russia.

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