NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that the alliance must prepare for the possibility of a decades-long confrontation with Russia.
Stoltenberg issued a warning to NATO
The Secretary General noted that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is preparing the Russian economy for a long war. And he turned to the Western allies: deterrence works only if it inspires trust.
NATO does not seek war with Russia, but we must prepare for a confrontation that could last decades.
Jens Stoltenberg
Secretary General of NATO
He once again called on the Allies to speed up the development of the arms industry.
If Putin wins in Ukraine, there is no guarantee that Russian aggression will not spread to other countries. The best defense now is to support Ukraine and invest in NATO's military capabilities, he said.
The Secretary General called for faster restoration and expansion of industry in order to increase supplies to Ukraine and replenish own stocks.
This means moving from slow production in peacetime to rapid production as needed in times of conflict.
He called for more orders for Europe's defense companies: in market economies, arms manufacturers need signed contracts to ramp up production.
Russia may try to attack Europe
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Reuters the day before that Russia is rearming faster than expected and could attack a NATO country within three to five years.
It cannot be ruled out that within three to five years, Russia will test the strength of Article 5 and NATO's solidarity. This was not a NATO assessment in 2023. This is new knowledge that is now coming to the fore.
We will remind that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in January that the Alliance should prepare for a Russian attack on a NATO country within 5-8 years.
