2024-02-11 04:19:23
In an interview published on Saturday, German Army Commander General Carsten Breuer stressed the importance of his forces being “qualified for war” within 5 years, while they have been conducting training to raise their level since the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
General Carsten Breuer told the conservative German newspaper Die Welt, “Based on various analyses, when I see the potential threat posed by Russia, for us this means between 5 and 8 years of preparations.”
He stressed, “This does not mean that a war will break out then, but it is possible.”
He continued: “Because I am a soldier, I say: Within 5 years, we must be qualified to fight a war.”
He stressed that this is the first time since the end of the Cold War: “We find ourselves facing the possibility of a war imposed from abroad.”
The general pointed out that preparing for war means “far beyond” defensive capabilities.
“Apart from the availability of more gear, it’s also about the mentality change we have to undergo,” he added.
He stressed that there must be “a change in mentality, in society, especially in the ranks of the German army.”
He considered that it was a matter of “raising the level of attack risk for the adversary to the point that makes him decide not to launch it,” adding, “This is deterrence.”
Germany followed a broadly peaceful policy after the Nazi atrocities, and began to gradually re-evaluate its performance two years ago following the Russian attack on Ukraine by resuming its rearming, after relying for decades on the United States through NATO.
Regarding NATO, General Carsten Brewer acknowledged that his country would not be able to provide some of the promised capabilities until later than expected, without specifying their nature for security reasons.
Within the framework of NATO’s new strategy in the areas of deterrence and defence, Germany wants to keep 35,000 soldiers on high alert in the future.
This includes a division of ground forces fully equipped and ready to intervene as of 2025, and another as of 2027, in addition to about 200 aircraft and ships as well as military support capabilities, according to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
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