Berlin (DPA) – Russia plans to test Western unity, especially with regard to the collective defense paragraph of NATO, according to Bruno Kahl, head of intelligence service in Germany.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle Broadcaster, he said that Russia is considering testing the reliability of Article 5 of NATO, which states that the attack on one ally should be dealt with as an attack on everyone.
“We hope that this will be true and that we will not put in the difficult situation that is tested. However, we must assume that Russia wants to test us, to put the unity of the West on the test.”
The timing of the Russian test of the NATO collective defense condition depends on the course of war in Ukraine, according to Kahl.
He pointed out that the war ended earlier in 2029 or 2030, as this will enable Russia to use its technical and material resources and employees to build a threat against Europe soon.
“It is also possible that a tangible threat or an attempt to blackmail Russia against the Europeans will also occur earlier than it was previously calculated,” Kahal said.
“The early end of the war in Ukraine will enable the Russians to direct their energy as they really want it, that is, against Europe.”
Kahal said that Russia is envisioning a global system in the future that resembles the situation in Europe in the late 1990s, with a preventive NATO presence and the influence of Russia is expanding west – ideally without an American presence in Europe.
