Vladimir Putin is ‘clearly creating the conditions’ for an assault, says German army chief

Summary

Germany warns that Russia is rearming faster than expected, replacing war losses and stockpiling tanks, missiles, and drones.

Putin has redirected Russia’s economy to fuel its military, aided by supplies from Iran and North Korea.

While there’s no clear evidence of plans to attack NATO, Russia is creating the conditions for it.

On the Ukraine front, Russian forces are advancing in south Donetsk, nearing strategic town Pokrovsk, a key supply hub and coal mining center.

Analysts suggest Putin aims to seize land before potential peace talks.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldEnglish
    55·
    14 hours ago

    I’m sorry, but even with the U.S. out of NATO, Russia would get their ass kicked. Putin must know that.

    • TimeSquirrel@kbin.melroy.org
      41·
      13 hours ago

      All depends on if NATO as a whole isn’t just a bluff. Are the UK, Germany and France, the three remaining major economies after the US leaves, actually going to go to war with Russia over Lithuania (no offense at all toward Lithuanians), for example? That’s what he’s testing, and that’s why he wants the US out.

          • Madison420@lemmy.worldEnglish
            14·
            11 hours ago

            Yes.

            I’m not sure if people know the history of trilateral defense agreements.

            Iirc it was the French and English who put their war on hold to fight the Spanish specifically because of a weird defense pact.

        • Carrolade@lemmy.worldEnglish
          9·
          12 hours ago

          This is actually not true.

          Article Five states that an attack on one becomes an attack on all. This wording is very specific, and they wrote it with this wording intentionally, to get people to be willing to agree to join.

          It does not require counterattacks or declarations of war, merely that you consider an attack on a member an attack on you.

          How do people respond to different sorts of attacks? How can they theoretically respond if they so choose? These are the kinds of games being played in Putin’s head.

          • Cypher@lemmy.worldEnglish
            5·
            5 hours ago

            Article 5

            The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

            Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security.”

            https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_110496.htm

            As far as mutual defence treaties go Article 5 is worded very strongly and any nation failing to provide assistance to a member nation would find itself a pariah.

            The chances that an article 5 event involving Russia doesn’t trigger full scale war are slim to none.

    • blakenong@lemmings.worldEnglish
      17·
      14 hours ago

      I think the plan is to be ready for WWIII, when China, Russia, Iran, and… haha…. North Korea, team up.