(Adnkronos) – German intelligence warns about Russia, in the face of escalating tensions with Moscow: a possible attack on NATO could occur even before 2029, German services warned today. “We cannot relax thinking that a possible Russian attack will not happen before 2029. We are already under fire,” said the new head of the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst, federal intelligence service), Martin Jäger, in a hearing of the Bundestag’s parliamentary control committee, where he spoke of Moscow’s actions aimed at undermining NATO and dividing societies. “To achieve this goal, Russia will not hesitate, if necessary, to enter into direct military conflict with NATO.” Politicians and military officials have often indicated 2029 as a potential turning point, based on assessments of data related to the Russian arms industry.
The president of the BfV (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz) Sinan Selen, spoke of increasingly aggressive behavior on the part of Moscow: “Russia is literally crossing extremely dangerous limits.” Jäger warned against showing leniency towards Russia. “Leniency is interpreted by our adversaries, like Russia, as weakness.” The BND must therefore “become more operational and more compatible with European and international partner services.” This primarily requires a reliable real-time situational picture. (continues)
“Russia aggressively pursues its political ambitions against Germany, the EU, and its Western allies” by resorting to “a wide range of espionage, disinformation, interference, sabotage, and cyber-attacks,” Selen added. Finally, according to Jäger, Germany, the EU’s largest economy, is “Russia’s number one target in Europe,” especially since it “plays a leading role in supporting Ukraine.”
