NewsWorld War III could be 18 months away if NATO fails to counter Russian threat, warns ex-US commander

World War III could be 18 months away if NATO fails to counter Russian threat, warns ex‑US commander

If nations do not perceive the threat from Russia as significant and fail to take suitable action within the Alliance, World War III could occur within 18 months, warns Ben Hodges, the ex-commander of US land forces in Europe.

Ben Hodges
Ben Hodges
Images source: © Getty Images | 2016 Anadolu Agency

4:42 AM EST, January 16, 2024

The British "Daily Mail" quotes the cautionary words of the American general, which are in response to the leak of the secret document from the German Ministry of Defense.

Germany's Fears Are Justified

"Bild" has revealed that the Bundeswehr has constructed a scenario for an armed conflict with Russia. The projection starts in February 2024, when Russia is expected to initiate another mass recruitment, drafting an additional 200,000 individuals into their army. By June, the Ukrainian army could be overcome, leading to "various forms of hybrid warfare". According to the German scenario, the climax will be in 2025, when NATO is predicted to dispatch 300,000 soldiers to the eastern flank.

Ben Hodges, who led the American army in Europe from 2014-2018, believes that the plans set out by Germany could feasibly be achieved. If Russia, under the direction of Vladimir Putin, senses that NATO countries are ill-prepared and divided, he believes the consequences could spark a world war.

"They only respect strength. If they detect any vulnerability, they will seize the opportunity," warns the general. He adds, "The best preventative measure against the combustion of war is to demonstrate that you are primed for it."

© essanews.com
·

Downloading, reproduction, storage, or any other use of content available on this website—regardless of its nature and form of expression (in particular, but not limited to verbal, verbal-musical, musical, audiovisual, audio, textual, graphic, and the data and information contained therein, databases and the data contained therein) and its form (e.g., literary, journalistic, scientific, cartographic, computer programs, visual arts, photographic)—requires prior and explicit consent from Wirtualna Polska Media Spółka Akcyjna, headquartered in Warsaw, the owner of this website, regardless of the method of exploration and the technique used (manual or automated, including the use of machine learning or artificial intelligence programs). The above restriction does not apply solely to facilitate their search by internet search engines and uses within contractual relations or permitted use as specified by applicable law.Detailed information regarding this notice can be found  here.