NATO must prepare as Russian threat builds, says German General

The German general commanding NATO troops speaks plainly: Russia already has the potential to trigger another conflict. He adds that the alliance's member countries must use the time to prepare and ultimately prevent war.

Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart (62 years old) is a lieutenant general of the Bundeswehr and, since November 2021, the commander of the NATO Multinational Corps Northeast in Szczecin. He is responsible for the tactical command of land operations on the alliance's northeastern flank.

The German portal "Die Welt" spoke with the general about the war in Ukraine and NATO countries' plans. Sandrart emphasizes that, in 2023, the countries adopted regional plans "to effectively defend every square inch of our territory". At the same time, he notes that the threat of a potential attack from Russia is increasing daily.

Russia has shown that – simultaneously with the war in Ukraine – has already entered the reconstruction phase. And not all Russian forces are concentrated in Ukraine. There is already potential that could allow Moscow – certainly in a limited way, in terms of space, time, and forces – to trigger another source of conflict, potentially even with NATO. This threat exists," said Lieutenant General Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart in "Die Welt".

In the further part of the conversation, Sandrart argues that the countries have developed a defense plan. NATO is analyzing how it can transition from the current defensive planning for combat needs to a defensive posture appropriate for fighting. According to the military, it does not matter whether we are 24, 36, or 48 months away from a potential conflict.

It's a race against time: we must be prepared before Russia rebuilds itself. Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war)," said the military. And he adds, "Currently, we are ready to defend ourselves. However, as Russia could free up additional resources, moving from attacking to defending the occupied territories in Ukraine, the threat to other flanks and fronts will automatically increase. That's why we need to act more urgently and consistently. We are now in that phase," he argues.

Sandrart also commented on the words of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who claimed that Germany must be ready for war by 2029. "In my opinion, the date mentioned by the minister mainly concerns the full operational readiness of the Bundeswehr against a resurgent Russia. But here, on the eastern flank, we must be ready to defend with what we have today. What we have is certainly not ideal. But that's what we would have to battle with," said the lieutenant general for "Die Welt."

According to the portal's interviewee, the war in Ukraine "is not the war of the future." It is dominated by "conventional mass, supplemented by modern technological achievements such as drones."

Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart also noted that Russia does not care about people, and that human life has inviolable value.

In a very short time, 1,000 Russian soldiers are equipped, and after two weeks they are sent to the front. Moscow accepts that two-thirds of them will die, and one-third will survive, battle-hardened. That is not our model. Fortunately, we do not allow ourselves such things," he declared.