Massive rearmament?

NATO chief: Europe must produce more weapons

Workers handle empty artillery shells in the factory of weapons manufacturer Nammo in Norway.

(Bild: AFP)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg fears that the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine could drag on for a very long time. For this reason, he called on the European member states to massively arm themselves. "We must prepare ourselves for a confrontation that could last for decades," he warned.

"NATO is not seeking a war with Russia," said Stoltenberg in an interview with Welt am Sonntag. Nevertheless, we must prepare for an emergency. "If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin wins in Ukraine, there is no guarantee that Russian aggression will not spread to other countries," warned the NATO chief.

Stoltenberg: "Replenish our own stocks"
Weapons production in Europe must therefore be ramped up. "We need to restore and expand our industrial base more quickly so that we can increase deliveries to Ukraine and replenish our own stocks," said the former Norwegian Prime Minister.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

(Bild: AFP)

NATO chief: West can surpass Russia in weapons production
Stoltenberg therefore called for NATO countries to conclude contracts with their arms industries quickly so that they can ramp up their production. The West has the means to surpass Russia in terms of both production and investment. As Moscow is gearing its entire economy towards war, NATO must also do more for its security. If the alliance did not follow suit, Russian President Vladimir Putin would benefit. This would jeopardize Europe's security.

Expert believes an attack on NATO territory is possible
The head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, believes that a Russian attack on NATO territory cannot be ruled out if Ukraine loses the war. When asked whether he believes Putin is capable of such an attack, he told the "Rheinische Post" (Saturday): "Of course. Putin has said several times that the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century was the collapse of the Soviet Union, because it left many Russians stranded outside Russia's borders."

Putin wants to re-establish a Greater Russia within the borders of the former Soviet Union, a Russian global empire in which he can rule like a tsar, said Heusgen. "If Putin does not lose the war in Ukraine, we must expect him to reach for Moldova or the Baltic states as well." Peace in Europe cannot be taken for granted. Deterrence only works if it is credible, according to Stoltenberg.

Stoltenberg pleads for military aid for Ukraine
He did not want to speculate on what Putin was really up to. "But we must do everything we can to ensure that Ukraine receives the weapons and military aid it needs to successfully defend itself against the Russian aggressors and drive them back from its territory."

In an interview with the right-wing US presenter Tucker Carlson, Putin said that Russia had no territorial claims against Poland or the Baltic state of Latvia. A Russian invasion of these NATO states is "absolutely out of the question" - with one possible exception: "If Poland attacks Russia." In response, Polish parliamentary speaker Szymon Holownia warned in Warsaw not to believe such appeasing statements by Putin.