“He knows us well”
Pistorius warns: Germany is in Putin's focus
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Sabotage, violations of rules in the airspace and influencing election campaigns: Defense Minister Pistorius warns about Moscow's hybrid warfare. Germany is particularly in the Kremlin's focus, he warns. As a consequence, the SPD politician is calling, among other things, for better protection of the Federal Republic's state secrets.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has warned the population about Russia's hybrid warfare against Germany. “He knows us well, Putin knows how to puncture us,” Pistorius told the newspapers of the Funke media group. Germany is particularly in Putin's focus. “If we ignore the threat because it makes us uncomfortable, it doesn't get smaller, it gets bigger.”
Pistorius cited attacks on infrastructure and energy supplies as well as activities such as sabotage in the North and Baltic Seas and violations of rules in the airspace as examples. “In addition, there are campaigns on social media, influencing election campaigns and the financing of votes that, like the AfD and BSW, claim that we are not concerned with our own protection, but that we are heading towards a war with Russia,” said Pistorius. “It's all part of Putin's strategy to unsettle and drive our society apart.”
A military attack by Russia on NATO is currently not expected. “But we cannot rule out that Russia will attack NATO territory in a few years,” said Pistorius. Russia produces more weapons and ammunition in just a few months than all the countries of the European Union combined in a year. “By 2029 or 2030, Putin could have armed himself to such an extent that Russia would be able to attack NATO.” The minister warned: “We must also expect that in the next few years Putin could test how united NATO really is by making an advance in one place or another in the alliance's territory.”
As a lesson from the threat situation, Pistorius also demanded: “We have to learn again to protect our state secrets.” The defense minister added that there needs to be less detailed discussion about which weapons Germany is supplying to Ukraine, with a view to the public debate about the Taurus cruise missile. “Not for political reasons, but for military reasons. Putin wouldn't dream of making this all public.”
