NATO reacts to Germany's preparation for potential war with Russia

Photo: NATO reacts to reports of Germany’s preparation for possible war with Russia (Getty Images)

The widespread information about Germany preparing for a possible military conflict with the Russian Federation is not classified intelligence analysis, according to Jānis Sārts, Director at the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, and a representative of the German Ministry of Defense.

NATO’s response

A NATO official commented on the Bild’s material, stating that the media received a training scenario, which always represents a hypothetical situation to assess military capabilities in a particular region.

“Once the scenarios were completely fictitious with non-existent countries and geographies,” he stated.

However, NATO now uses existing countries and geographical regions to develop training scenarios. Sārts emphasized that the previously disclosed information is not classified intelligence analysis predicting the further development of the situation.

Germany’s reaction

The German Ministry of Defense declined to comment on the information.

“Essentially, I can tell you that considering various scenarios – even if they are highly unlikely – is part of everyday military activities, especially in the training domain,” a representative of the Ministry stated.

Background

Earlier, Bild reported that the Bundeswehr is preparing for a hybrid Russian attack on the eastern flank of NATO. The military conflict supposedly could occur as early as February of this year. The secret Bundeswehr scenario, named Defense Alliance 2025, begins in February 2024.

Russia initiates another wave of mobilization, calling an additional 200,000 servicemen into the army. Then, relying on weak Western support in the direction of Kyiv, the Kremlin launches a spring offensive. By June 2024, it achieves significant success, gradually pushing back the Ukrainian army.