All 32 NATO member states share the assessment that Russia could be capable of attacking a member of the alliance by 2029, or potentially even sooner.
The warning comes from German Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, who stated that this is not solely Berlin’s assessment, but a joint conclusion based on intelligence shared among all NATO member countries.
“We must be prepared to fight,” Freuding said during the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Berlin.
“This is not a German assessment. It is NATO-coordinated intelligence. All 32 allies agree that Russia could have the capability to invade a NATO member state by 2029,” he added.
The remarks come as the war in Ukraine continues into its fifth year, while Western nations closely monitor Russia’s ability to rebuild its military capabilities.
According to security officials, despite suffering significant losses in personnel and equipment during the war in Ukraine, Moscow continues to invest heavily in its defense industry and the modernization of its armed forces.
Freuding emphasized that Germany is accelerating military procurement programs and expanding defense industrial capacity. However, he warned that long-term projects alone will not be sufficient to address current security threats.
“Time is critical,” he said, calling for interim solutions to bridge existing gaps in military capabilities.
The Baltic region remains one of NATO’s primary areas of concern. In recent months, the alliance has conducted several exercises simulating a potential Russian attack against a member state.
In May, hundreds of NATO troops participated in the “Arrcade Strike” exercise in London, testing the coordination of a force of up to 100,000 personnel.
The exercise scenario envisioned the defense of Estonia against a Russian invasion in 2030 and the activation of NATO’s Article 5 following a simulated incursion into Baltic territory.
