Russian President Vladimir Putin could attack Nato within five to eight years as the Kremlin ramps up "threats" against Baltic nations, Germany has warned.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius' fears about Putin’s ambitions come as Baltic nations approved plans to bolster defences along their borders with both Russia and Belarus.
He said: "We have to take into account that Vladimir Putin will one day even attack a Nato country."
Pistorius told newspaper Der Tagesspiegel: "Our experts expect a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible. In the moment I don’t think a Russian attack is likely."
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius
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He claimed Europe is facing a "military threat situation" which has not existed for three decades, adding: "We hear threats from the Kremlin almost every day – most recently against our friends in the Baltics."
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have ramped up efforts to increase border security amid increased security concerns after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Baltic nations signed an agreement to build bunkers over the next few years to bolster the defences along their borders with Russia and Belarus, a staunch ally of Moscow.
A spokesperson from the Estonian defence ministry said the agreement will "construct anti-mobility defensive installations in the coming years to deter and, if necessary, defend against military threats."
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Vladimir Putin
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Chair of the Nato military committee Adml Bauer said the general public must also be ready for a conflict that would mean a wholesale change in their lives.
He said: "“We have to realise it’s not a given that we are in peace and that’s why we [Nato] are preparing for a conflict with Russia.
"But the discussion is much wider. It is also the industrial base and also the people that have to understand they play a role."
However, Finnish PM Petteri Orpo said: "I don’t see any immediate military threat from Russia against Finland...We in Finland sleep peacefully at night, because we are well prepared."
It comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine is coming up to its two-year anniversary with global stockpiles of weapons and ammunition being whittled down significantly.
Adml Bauer added: "You need to be able to fall back on an industrial base that is able to produce weapons and ammunition fast enough to be able to continue a conflict if you are in it.
"We have a nuclear shield with the Americans and the French have the 'force de frappe'...there are no signs that the nuclear shield will evaporate or be dismantled.
"If this threatens to happen, we as Europeans must deal with it together."