Germany Must Prepare for War With Russia in Five Years, Says Top Commander

Germany should brace for a large-scale military conflict within the next five years, Captain Michael Giss, commander of the Hamburg State Command of the German Armed Forces, stated in an interview with Die Welt published on August 11.

In response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Germany has increased its military budget and sought to enhance its defense-industrial capabilities.

"In Germany, we are still miles away from perceiving an external threat today, quite different from people in the Baltic states or Poland, for example," Giss told Die Welt.

"But my internal clock as a soldier is running and tells me that in five years' time we will have to be resilient as a society to withstand an external military threat."

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Berlin began developing its "Operation Plan Germany," a national military preparedness strategy in collaboration with NATO, starting in March 2023. Giss mentioned that the plan aims for Germany to be ready for "a conventional attack by Russia within five years."

Giss noted that Russia is already engaging in hybrid warfare against NATO, including cyberattacks, sabotage, and disinformation campaigns "for several years."

An increasing number of countries are joining Germany in reinforcing military vigilance, warning that the Alliance needs to be better prepared for a potential war with Russia.

"The whole of Germany must be ready for war," Giss asserted.