Christian Freuding, head of the German Army (center)
The head of the German Army warns that Russia could be in a position to attack NATO by 2029 and argues that Germany must accelerate rearmament.
NATO allies agree that Russia could be in a position to attack a member country of the Atlantic alliance by 2029, or even before, said Lieutenant General Christian Freuding.
According to the head of the German Army, there is a broad consensus among allies that Russia could attack NATO territory before the end of the decade, and Germany must prepare for a Russian attack.
“2029 is not a German calendar. It is intelligence information agreed within NATO”, he stated. “All 32 NATO partners agree that Russia may have the capacity to invade an allied country in 2029.”
“We have to be prepared… We have to be ready for combatr”, said the head of the German Army, during the ILA aerospace show, in Berlin.
But the general warned that Moscow may act before thendespite the war in Ukraine entering its fifth year and Kyiv claiming that Russia has suffered more than 1.3 million casualties as well as losing huge amounts of equipment.
Freuding’s statements come at a time when European Defense officials warn that the Russia could rebuild its military strength in the coming years enough to represent a direct conventional threat to NATO territory, despite the losses suffered in Ukraine.
For those responsible for military planning, 2029 has become a reference for the moment until which Europe will have to fill urgent gaps in matters of military readiness, production and capacity.
The general’s words underscore concerns that Moscow could put the alliance to the test while Europe is still racing to rearm. This urgency is also shaping the debate in Germany on the acquisition of weapons and the Defense industry capability.
Freuding stated that Berlin has already done “a lot” to speed up the acquisition processes and that the industry increased its production capacity. Still, he warned that Germany cannot rely solely on long-term weapons programs, which could take years to develop and put into practice.
“Speed is now essential“, said Freuding. “As the German Army, we must improve our capabilities for ‘immediate combat’ every day”, he stated, referring to the transformation of the Bundeswehr into a high-readiness force, designed to deter possible Russian aggression.
Freuding is not the first high-ranking military official European to warn that its citizens must be prepared to fight.
In November, General Fabien Mandonchief of the French General Staff, provoked controversy by stating that the French could “” in a possible war with Russia,
