NATO has three years to properly prepare for a possible offensive by Russia on European territory. This is what Alexander Sollfrank, the head of NATO’s logistics command, said in an interview with ‘The Times’. The lieutenant general takes into account a scenario in which Russian President Vladimir Putin would fire missiles at strategic targets in Europe.
Germany in particular could have a hard time as the central hub of NATO logistics, it sounds. Ammunition factories and command centers would of course be in the line of fire, but power plants, railways and bridges would not be spared either. A bit like the war in Ukraine is going now.
Sollfrank mainly wants to create awareness with his ominous warning. “Wars are no longer just fought on the front lines. We must be ready to protect the entire European territory. Acts of sabotage, missiles, drones,… The enemy will use the entire spectrum to disrupt our lines of communication.”
Bureaucratic rules
To be able to respond quickly, decisiveness is required. But that’s where the problem comes in, Sollfrank knows. “Due to all kinds of bureaucratic rules, countries are not allowed to use each other’s technology and weapons, but of course we lose a lot of time this way. To give an example: why should country A not be allowed to use the parachutes of neighboring country B, if the operation is completely the same? What are world leaders waiting for to sort out this aspect? We have no time to lose.”
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Dutch Lieutenant General Jan-Willem Maas also believes that there is still a lot of work to be done. “We are not yet where we should be, that is clear. Now the question is what we are going to do about it. Europe responded as one bloc to the invasion of Ukraine, so I am not so pessimistic about that. But our military apparatus must be ready as quickly as possible.”
“Not to create panic”
Sollfrank is the latest name in a now long line that warns of a war scenario in Europe. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius led the way, saying that Putin “could attack NATO within five to nine years.” This was followed by British Army Chief of Staff and NATO Admiral Rob Bauer. Manfred Weber, the leader of the Christian Democratic group in the European Parliament, argued in favor of a European nuclear shield.
“The fact that all those chiefs of staff are now sounding the alarm is not to sow panic,” says Marc Thys, former number two in the Belgian army. “Rather to wake us all up: our society must become more resilient. Both Defense and citizens have to get used to the idea that safety cannot be taken for granted. It won’t necessarily go wrong, but you can’t rule it out. That is the signal: be ready.” In this plus piece, Thys responds in much more detail and you will also find the opinions of former colonel Roger Housen and military historian Tom Simoens.
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