"We are short on time," says NATO's logistics chief, Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank, to Reuters.
The NATO chief is warning all member countries in the alliance to accelerate their preparations in case of a conflict with Russia. The reason is excessive bureaucracy, which is hampering large troop movements across Europe.
"What we don't get done in peacetime won't be ready in the event of a crisis or war," states Alexander Sollfrank.
Fear of Miscalculation
According to the general, a "military Schengen" is needed – an area allowing free military passage similar to the political agreement that permits free movement within much of the EU. Currently, the process of sending ammunition and other necessities for a direct war situation is too slow and cumbersome.
"We have an excess of rules, but the only thing we don't have is time," says Alexander Sollfrank.
This could lead to a miscalculation in the Kremlin that NATO is unprepared for war, an opportunity Vladimir Putin would not hesitate to exploit, according to the NATO chief.
"We must be one step ahead. We need to prepare well before Article 5 is invoked," he says, referring to NATO's collective defense clause that unconditionally puts the alliance at war if a member is attacked.
50,000 Artillery Shells a Day
NATO troops were primarily stationed in Germany for a long time. However, as the alliance has expanded eastward, the length of NATO's eastern flank now totals 400 miles.
Deploying 20,000 soldiers quickly in a war situation, along with ammunition, fuel, spare parts, and provisions, has become increasingly difficult since the Cold War.
"The expansion, and the fact that not all forces are positioned forward, all this means that the alliance must be quick to move troops from their bases to the right place on the eastern flank," says Alexander Sollfrank.
"During the most intense days of the war, Russia fired 50,000 artillery shells per day. So, stockpiles must be set up – for ammunition, fuel, spare parts, and provisions."
German Warning: Prepare for Major War
The German Council on Foreign Relations recently published a report indicating that NATO has between five and ten years to prepare for a major war against Russia.
The think tank describes the current situation as a "race."
Once the most intense fighting in Ukraine has ceased, the Russian regime may need as little as ten years, perhaps only six, before they have rebuilt their armed forces. Then, they might dare to attack NATO.
"The clock is ticking," conclude Christian Mölling and Torben Schüts, authors of the report.
