NATO official urges civilians in the West to prepare for 'all-out war' with Russia
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Western militaries, as well as civilians, need to be prepared for an 'all-out war' with Russia that maysignificantly affect their lives, Britain's Sky News reported on Jan. 19, citing Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of the NATO Military Committee.
"We have to realize it's not a given that we will be at peace,” said Bauer.
“That's why we must prepare for a conflict with Russia.”
He added that such preparations also included the industrial base and the population at large, noting that Sweden had done the right thing in calling on its population to prepare for war earlier in January.
"There must be a realization that not everything is plannable and not everything is necessarily going to be ideal in the next 20 years," Bauer warned.
Read also: Britain to send 20,000 troops to NATO training
The official's warning comes ahead of the launch of NATO's biggest exercise since the Cold War, as the alliance practices repelling an invasion by Russian forces.
Some 90,000 troops are set to join the Steadfast Defender exercise, which will take place across Europe through May.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine demonstrates that the world is now in an era when anything could happen at any time, including war, Bauer warned at the opening of a two-day meeting of national defense chiefs in Brussels, Reuters reported on Jan.17.
“Ukraine will have our support for every day that is to come, because the outcome of this war will determine the fate of the world,” he said.
Read also: Europe must rearm as new threats loom, German defense minister says
New military threats could emerge by the end of the decade and Europe must ensure it can defend itself, Germany's defense minister Boris Pistorius told Reuters on Dec. 16.
There are also fears Russia might attempt to attack Europe at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025, when the US will be “without a leader” as a result of presidential elections.
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