The boss of German intelligence: Russia can test the West if the war stops now
Russia intends to test the unity of the West, especially with regard to the NATO collective defense clause, said Bruno Kal, head of the German intelligence service BND.
« We very much hope that this is not true and that we will not be put in the difficult position to be tested. However, we must assume that Russia wants to test us, to test the unity of the West, » said Cal, quoted by the DPA.
Can Europe defend itself without the United States and what it takes for it
The time to try the validity of the NATO collective defense clause depends on the course of war in Ukraine, Cal said.
| If the war ended earlier than 2029-2030, it will allow Moscow to use its technical, material and staff resources to build a threat against Europe earlier, he noted. |
- « It is also possible that a specific threat or attempt to blackmail from Russia against Europeans may happen earlier than the previously calculated, » Cal said.
- « The early end of the war in Ukraine would allow the Russians to direct their energy where they actually want, namely, against Europe.
With a « bad deal » for Ukraine, the truce will be like a vacation
Cal said that Russia envisages a future world order that resembles the situation in Europe in the late 1990s – by pushing NATO's protective presence and expanding Russia's influence in the West. Ideal for the Kremlin, this will be without an American presence in Europe.
