Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Putin’s military is ramping up near NATO’s Eastern flank
Since Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the NATO alliance has been in a race against time.
First of all, the 32 nations needed to figure out how to support Ukraine and then get it done. Secondly, the alliance needed to prepare for the worst.
When Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine, war returned to the European continent, sparking the uncomfortable question of whether Putin would attack another country — and perhaps even a NATO member.
Earlier this week, the Danish broadcaster DR released a documentary showing how Russia is increasing its military presence near NATO’s eastern flank. This has put further pressure on the alliance to determine how to prepare for a possible conflict with Russia.
Now, the 32 NATO members have reportedly set a date for when Russia could be ready to attack the alliance.
The clock is ticking
According to Deutsche Welle, all 32 NATO member states now agree that Russia could develop the military capability to strike a NATO country much sooner than previously expected.
The warning comes directly from the top of Germany’s military command: Lieutenant General Christian Freuding, Inspector of the German Army.
“It’s intelligence, it’s NATO-coordinated. All 32 NATO partners agree that Russia could have the ability to invade a NATO partner country in 2029,” Freuding said.
Freuding made it clear that the alliance cannot afford to wait.
“We have to be ready to fight,” Freuding told Politico in an interview at the event.
He explained that this target date did not come from thin air or a single government office. Instead, it represents a unified assessment shared across the alliance.
Closing the gap
To prepare for this potential threat, Germany is trying to fast-track its defense procurement and increase industrial production. However, major weapons programs often take years to deliver results, and officials know that time is running short.
“Speed is of the essence,” Freuding noted, adding that the military needs “interim solutions” to address immediate capability gaps.
Troops are already training for a potential crisis. United24Media reported that allied forces recently held a massive drill called Arcade Strike in an abandoned London Underground station.
The exercise simulated the defense of Estonia against a Russian invasion projected for 2030, testing how commanders would coordinate 100,000 troops if Article 5 were triggered.
