World in upheaval: NATO warns of Russia and Poland increased defense!

World in upheaval: NATO warns of Russia and Poland increased defense!

In the middle of growing tensions in Europe, NATO general secretary Jens Stoltenberg warned of Russia's potential military attacks, especially in Poland. This warning comes, while NATO countries increasingly increase their defense spending and do military exercises in order to be prepared for possible threats. According to Kleine Zeitung is the greatest threat to NATO alliance, and the members agree to have to invest more in their security.

The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte emphasizes that the changeover of the Russian economy to a "war economy" could have significant effects on the country's military skills. It supports the increase in defense spending in Europe and Canada and emphasizes that a close partnership with the USA remains crucial for NATO. In this context, Poland plans to issue 4.7 % of its gross domestic product for national defense, while the Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, are also considering similar steps. These countries feel particularly threatened by Russia.

military preparations and future prospects

NATO soldiers carried out military exercises in Lithuania to prepare for possible threats from Russia. Security experts and Western politicians warn that another war of Russia in Europe cannot be excluded within this decade. Deutschlandfunk reports that according to Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius Germany must become "warfare" in order to counteract possible aggression. The President of the Federal Intelligence Service, Bruno Kahl, expects Russian armed forces to be able to attack NATO countries by the end of this decade. So far,

Russia has spread contradictory information about its military plans and described the western concerns as disinformation. Nevertheless, the Kremlin threatens to use nuclear weapons against NATO countries, which the security experts assess as a serious threat to the Allianz. A new nuclear doctrine, which Putin approved in November 2024, allows nuclear attacks to be responded to conventional attacks by nuclear powers.

defense spending at a glance

In the context of these military tensions, the NATO countries plan to increase their defense spending to around 2.71 % of their gross domestic product for 2024, which corresponds to a total of around $ 1.5 trillion. Tagesschau reports that the European Allies and Canada in particular should output 2.02 % of GDP, which corresponds to $ 507 billion. This corresponds to an increase in defense spending by 10.9 % compared to the previous year.

Poland has positioned itself as the leader with a planned defense edition of 4.12 %. This arms expenditure has been reinforced not least by the Russian attack war on Ukraine, which significantly changed the perception of the threat in Europe. The fact that Germany wants to spend over 2 % for defense for the first time in 2024 is a significant step in German security policy.

Overall, these developments confirm the increasing awareness of the NATO countries for the threats from the East and the urgent need to significantly increase military skills in the coming years. The continuous discussions about the defense strategies and expenditure illustrate the importance of unity and preparation within NATO.