Denmark: Russia may test NATO's solidarity within 3‑5 years, raising alarm across Europe

The possibility of an attack on a NATO country by Russia within a mere three years is the most recent alert from Denmark regarding potential advancements by the Kremlin.

Per the Defense Minister of Denmark, Troels Lund Poulsen, it is not improbable that "Russia will test Article 5 (of the North Atlantic Treaty) and NATO's solidarity within 3-5 years".

Poulsen announced in the "Jyllands-Posten" newspaper that Russia's capacity to manufacture military equipment has significantly grown.

Poulsen now stands alongside counterparts from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Romania, Germany, and other countries, who also issued warnings that inflated Russian defense spending could induce a direct altercation with NATO, as noted by the "Financial Times".

Previously, the NATO assessment from 2023 did not forecast this development. This new knowledge is now coming to light, states the newspaper.

Micaela Johansson, CEO of Saab -- a leading European defense group from Sweden -- expressed worry that "Russia is manufacturing more than ten times the amount of artillery missiles, around 4-5 million a year, which surpasses Europe" in an interview with "FT".

As we have mentioned, growing concerns are being voiced. In January, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that NATO should ready itself for a Russian attack within 5-8 years.

While Pistorius considers such an attack presently unlikely, he believes it to be plausible within a few years.

He elaborates - we are hearing threats from the Kremlin nearly every day, recently against our allies in the Baltic nations. Therefore, we cannot discount the possibility that Vladimir Putin might one day attack a NATO country - concluded Pistorius.

To Pistorius, it seems certain that "Europe is currently confronting a military threat that it has not faced for 30 years".

Gheorghita Vlad, the Chief of General Staff of the Romanian Armed Forces recently stated on Radio Free Europe, "The Russian Federation won't halt its actions. If Putin is victorious in Ukraine, the main objective will be Republic of Moldova. Tensions will rise in the Western Balkans. I am more than convinced President Vladimir Putin's policy will intensify in the near future."

"The Financial Times" reports that drone strikes by Russia in the Danube delta, where Ukraine borders Romania, has unsettled Bucharest and displayed its deficient readiness against unmanned aircraft attacks on its soil.

The Romanian populace, like all of Europe, must be worried. We need to adequately prepare, adds Gheorghita Vlad, as quoted by the newspaper

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO, this week stated that the Alliance does not currently view Russia as a direct threat to any member country.

Poulsen stated that while Denmark is not directly under threat, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization may be the target of hybrid attacks aimed at destabilizing one of the member states.

Discussing "Bild" reports on a potential escalation of Russian action against NATO, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Vice Premier and Head of the Ministry of National Defense, deems Russia as an aggressor and an unpredictable state. He emphasized the need to be prepared for every scenario.

Referencing a confidential document from the German Defense Ministry, "Bild" described possible escalation of Russian aggression towards NATO. "The Bundeswehr is preparing for an attack by Putin"- wrote the newspaper. Commenting on these reports, the Defense Minister stated that the Ukrainian front situation is severe.

Information about further air raids and intensifying attacks on Ukraine is constantly received, he added.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also mentioned that Polish authorities never stop striving to ensure that Europe and the world do not forget about the ongoing conflict in the East.

He declared that the process of expanding and transforming the army must persist. - "We are already doing this. Since taking power, we have signed various additional contracts, for instance for ammunition-" he added.