NATO Military Leader Calls for Strategic Business Preparations Against Threats from Russia and China
A senior NATO military official has urged businesses worldwide to prepare for potential “war scenarios” and adjust their production and distribution lines to mitigate vulnerabilities against threats from major powers like Russia and China.
Admiral Rob Bauer, the Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, emphasized the need for businesses to ensure that critical services and goods can continue to be supplied regardless of geopolitical challenges. He stated, “We must ensure that all essential services and goods are available no matter what happens.”
Bauer warned that Europe, in particular, has witnessed an increasing number of acts of sabotage, citing the energy supply disruptions as a prime example. “We thought we had an agreement with Gazprom, but in reality, we had an agreement with Putin,” Bauer noted, referencing the broader geopolitical implications tied to Russian and Chinese influence over critical infrastructure.
He also drew attention to the West’s reliance on China, which manufactures 60% of global production materials and processes 90% of them. “We are naïve if we think the Communist Party won’t use that power,” Bauer cautioned, highlighting China’s significant role in the global supply chain, including the production of key medical and pharmaceutical supplies such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and blood pressure medication.
The admiral stressed that business leaders in both Europe and the United States must recognize the strategic consequences of their trade decisions. “Business leaders need to understand that the trade decisions they make have strategic implications for their nation’s security,” Bauer concluded.
He urged companies to adapt their operations for potential wartime scenarios and ensure that their production and distribution networks are resilient to geopolitical disruptions. “While the military wins battles, the economy wins wars,” Bauer emphasized.