Warns the head of German intelligence, says Russia wants to test the West

Russia aims to test Western unity, especially regarding the NATO collective defense clause, according to Bruno Kahl, head of the German intelligence service BND.

In an interview with broadcaster Deutsche Welle, he said Russia was considering testing the credibility of Article 5 of NATO, which says an attack on an ally should be treated as an attack on all.

« We very much hope that this is not true and that we will not be in the difficult position to be tested. However, we must assume that Russia wants to test us, test the unity of the West, ”Kahl said.

The time of a Russian test of the NATO collective defense clause depends on the flow of war in Ukraine, according to Kahl, the Telegraph reports.
If the war ends earlier than 2029 or 2030, it would enable Russia to use its technical resources, materials and staff to create a threat against Europe sooner, it noted.

« It is also possible that a concrete threat or attempted blackmail from Russia against Europeans can happen earlier than it was previously calculated, » Kahl said.

« An early end of the war in Ukraine would enable the Russians to direct their energy where they really want, that is, against Europe, » the head of German intelligence said.

Kahl said Russia predicts a future world order that resembles the situation in Europe in the late 1990s, with NATO defensive presence pushed back and the realm of Russia's influence that expands west-ideally without an American presence in Europe. /Telegraph/