NATO is ready for a direct confrontation with Russia, says the chairman of the military committee

The Chairman of the Military Committee of the NATOthe admiral Rob Bauerof the Dutch Navy, stated that the western alliance was prepared for a direct conflict with the Dutch Navy Russia and advocated that member countries should maintain a “war economy” in peacetime. The admiral’s statements were made in an interview with the Portuguese broadcaster RTP.

“After the war began, we formed combat groups along the eastern flank. We had four in the North, in the three Baltic States and in Poland and they were increasing their presence. The leaders [da Otan], in Madrid, decided to form four more combat groups in Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria and basically reinforce these groups, make them a little bigger, give them a little more wartime support, ammunition supplies and so on. I think that’s an important message for the Russians that our stance has changed and we’re ready if they get the idea to attack NATO,” Bauer replied when asked if NATO would be ready if Russia would advance against the bloc.

In an interview with RTP, Admiral Rob Bauer stated that NATO is ready for a direct confrontation with Russia in the event of an attack. Photo: Stephanie Lecocq/ EFE

The statement, made on Portuguese television late last week, was released a few days later Germany and United States of America announce the deployment of tanks in Ukraine announcements Berlin and Washington made carefully so as not to escalate tensions in Eastern Europe. During the interview, Bauer was careful to classify the use of tanks as defensive aid for Kyiv.

In the same interview, the admiral defended that NATO member countries should maintain a “peacetime wartime economy” to ensure the security of the bloc in the event of future aggression, bearing in mind the lessons of the RussianUkrainian conflict. . .

“What we are seeing on both sides is an enormous use of ammunition. There is great destruction in terms of vehicles, tanks, planes and there are many things that need to be procured from both sides to continue the fight in terms of materiel and ammunition. So the challenge for both sides is that the defense industries in the West and in Russia need to increase production,” said Bauer, who added:

“Basically today we have a ‘just enough for now’ economy. Everything we do in the West is based on this idea. Having storage space wasn’t smart because it was dead money. And now we see that we use more ammo than expected and we have to get ammo from a warehouse. That’s why we’re talking about supplies, things that are there not because you absolutely need them, but when you need them, then urgently.”