NATO is planning for an eventual mass evacuation and rescue in anticipation of a hotter and bigger war in eastern Europe with Russia. According to Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank, director of NATO’s logistics command, the organization believes there is going to be a much bigger conflict with Russia that may engulf nations other than Ukraine.
Some people are even whispering the words, “World War II.”
The preparation can be seen in NATO’s recent launch of the biggest military exercises it has conducted since the Cold War era. These operations have involved 90,000 soldiers from 30 NATO countries. Called Steadfast Defender 2024, the practice exercises are putting military readiness through a stress test. NATO wants to see how well the combined fighting forces can operate on land, in the air, on the sea, and in cyberspace.
While this has not happened yet, there is talk of eventually sending American troops to Europe; NATO is working plans to do a rapid deployment if things get worse with Russia.
European countries are also obviously gearing up for possible war. Germany, for example, has promised more than 100 million euros to be set aside to modernize its military. Poland has committed almost 5 percent of its GDP to military spending. Poland is also making its own plans for the mass evacuation of civilians.
The current phase of the war between Russia and Ukraine was sparked in 2022 when Russia invaded its neighbor. Since that time, Russia has grown increasingly angry with the US and NATO for what it sees as interference in a Russian affair. Russian President Vladimir Putin has clearly stated that he believes there is no such thing as a separate country called Ukraine. Instead, as he explained at length to American journalist Tucker Carlson, he sees Ukraine and Russia as one entity with a common history going back more than 1,000 years.
Putin has repeatedly warned NATO and the U.S. that they will be “at war” with Russia if Western countries allow Ukraine to send long-range missiles into Russian territory. While the U.S. and other nations have sold or given artillery to Ukraine, missiles have been given on the condition that they are used for local defense and are not to be aimed at the heart of Russia.
