Germany's military chief urges Europe to rearm by 2029

Russia is rapidly increasing its personnel and weapons, far beyond what is necessary for the war against Ukraine. This could pose a threat to NATO.

This was stated by the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, Carsten Bröer, in an interview with Welt.

According to him, the biggest challenge at this time is ensuring the operational readiness of the military using all available resources. The inspector assured that the first step will be to look for weapons in Germany and Europe, "to see if there's anything on the shelves." If not, due to time constraints, weapons will need to be purchased from the U.S., if available, he added.

"Our goal is 2029. By then, we must be ready," emphasized Bröer.

When asked whether he trusts the United States in case of a Russian attack on the Baltic states, the general replied, "Yes, absolutely."

He had just been to America and reassured that he did not see any signs among his colleagues "that they are moving away from NATO." On the contrary, he feels "that the chiefs of staff of all NATO countries are getting closer. They are seeking solidarity, consulting much more, and exchanging analysis more than in recent years."

The head of the German army sees a clear threat from Russia, whose armed forces, with 1.5 million soldiers, are likely to double next year compared to the pre-war numbers against Ukraine.

"We see that about 1,500 battle tanks are either being produced or removed from stock and repaired every year – much more than is needed for the war against Ukraine. And the stockpiles are filled with ammunition," said Bröer.

In his assessment, by 2029, Russia will be capable of launching a large-scale conventional attack even on NATO territory. He stressed that Putin's goal is to weaken and destroy NATO as an alliance and discredit the Western form of society.

• European allies are urging the United States not to withdraw troops from the continent, as this could destabilize NATO's defense and undermine efforts to deter Russian aggression.