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Germany’s Intelligence Chief: Russia Plans to Challenge NATO’s Article 5, Attack Possible
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The head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) Bruno Kahl, has warned that Russia may attempt to test the credibility of NATO’s article 5—the Alliance’s mutual defense clause triggered when any member state is attacked.
In an interview with the German outlet Table Briefings, cited by The Times on June 10, Kahl said that German intelligence has concrete evidence suggesting the Kremlin is preparing for possible aggression against the Alliance.
“We are very sure, and we have intelligence evidence to back this up, that [Russia’s full-scale invasion of] Ukraine is only one step on Russia’s path towards the west,” he stated.
While he clarified that this does not imply an imminent deployment of Russian tank divisions to Western Europe, Kahl emphasized that Moscow is actively questioning the effectiveness of NATO’s mutual assistance commitments. “There are people in Moscow who don’t believe that NATO’s article 5 still works,” he added.
Kahl, who is slated to become Germany’s ambassador to the Vatican, also warned that Russia aims to reestablish its sphere of influence by pushing NATO back to its 1990s borders and diminishing the US presence in Europe.
“We need to nip this in the bud,” he said.
Despite occasional strains, Kahl noted that cooperation with the United States remains strong. “The Americans take article 5 very seriously,” he said, “but they rightly insist Europe must do its part.”
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has issued similar warnings last year. He has repeatedly stressed the need for Germany to be prepared for potential conflict by the end of the decade. In an interview with Tagesspiegel, Pistorius stated that while a Russian attack is not currently expected, German experts assess it could become possible within five to eight years.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned that the war in Ukraine will not end unless NATO withdraws its military presence from Eastern Europe.
