The head of the German army, Lt. Gen. Christian Freuding, stated that Germany must prepare for a potential Russian attack by 2029 or possibly earlier. He cited broad NATO intelligence consensus that Russia could attack NATO territory before the end of the decade. Despite heavy Russian losses in the Ukraine war, NATO officials warn that Russia could rebuild enough military strength in the coming years to pose a direct conventional threat to NATO countries. Freuding emphasized the urgency for Europe to close gaps in military readiness, production, and capability, highlighting Germany's accelerated weapons procurement efforts and increased defense industry capacity. He warned that Germany cannot rely solely on long-term weapon programs and needs intermediate solutions to improve combat readiness immediately. The Bundeswehr is shifting towards a high-readiness force to deter potential Russian aggression.

The head of the German army, Lt. Gen. Christian Freuding, stated that Germany must prepare for a potential Russian attack by 2029 or possibly earlier. He cited broad NATO intelligence consensus that Russia could attack NATO territory before the end of the decade. Despite heavy Russian losses in the Ukraine war, NATO officials warn that Russia could rebuild enough military strength in the coming years to pose a direct conventional threat to NATO countries. Freuding emphasized the urgency for Europe to close gaps in military readiness, production, and capability, highlighting Germany's accelerated weapons procurement efforts and increased defense industry capacity. He warned that Germany cannot rely solely on long-term weapon programs and needs intermediate solutions to improve combat readiness immediately. The Bundeswehr is shifting towards a high-readiness force to deter potential Russian aggression.