Germany’s top military official has issued a stark warning: NATO may have as little as four years to prepare for a potential attack from Russia. Speaking to the BBC, General Carsten Breuer, Chief of the German Army, said the key question is not how long NATO needs to be ready—but “how much time Putin gives us.”
As reported by Digi24, Berlin is undergoing a historic rearmament shift, backed by new defense spending legislation that lifts debt caps for military funding. The urgency stems not only from Russia’s war in Ukraine and its hybrid warfare tactics—including cyberattacks and drone incursions—but also from uncertainty surrounding future U.S. commitment to European security.
A Turning Point in German Defense
Decades of postwar pacifism in Germany are rapidly fading. General Breuer emphasized the inadequacy of current defense capabilities, citing a critical shortage of personnel, weapons, and infrastructure. A recent parliamentary report described the Bundeswehr as having “too little of everything,” with aging barracks and insufficient ammunition.
To meet NATO obligations and secure its eastern flank, Germany would need to boost its forces to 460,000 troops, including reserves—an increase of 100,000 soldiers. Breuer called for a return to some form of military conscription to meet this goal, stating, “You won’t get those 100,000 without a recruitment method.”
NATO on Its Own?
Public trust in U.S. protection is faltering. A YouGov poll showed that 74% of Germans now consider Donald Trump a threat to European security, close to the 79% who feel the same about Vladimir Putin. Vice President JD Vance’s recent speech in Munich, which criticized European values and U.S. defense commitments abroad, only deepened concerns.
“We don’t know where America is headed,” said Markus Ziener of the German Marshall Fund. “But we know we can’t rely 100% on it anymore.”
For Germany—and much of Europe—the dual threat of Russian aggression and American disengagement has triggered what leaders now call Zeitenwende, a turning point. And the clock, they say, is ticking fast.
