Germany warns Ukraine is just a test for Putin as he aims to target other countries

Russia may be preparing to extend the war beyond Ukraine and test NATO’s resolve in the Baltic region, the head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency has warned.

Bruno Kahl, head of the BND (Federal Intelligence Service), issued the warning amid growing concerns that Russia is rebuilding its military faster than expected. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently said that Russia could be capable of launching an attack within the next five years.

Kahl suggested that Moscow is seeking out conflicts that do not require full-scale military engagement, raising concerns that the Kremlin may resort to covert or hybrid operations rather than conventional warfare.

"It’s enough to send little green men to Estonia to protect supposedly oppressed Russian minorities," he told Table Media, as reported by Reuters — referring to the kind of unmarked Russian soldiers who appeared in Crimea in 2014.

He emphasized that Ukraine is merely a stepping stone in Russia’s broader ambition to challenge NATO’s collective defense commitments.

"That doesn’t mean we expect tank divisions to roll westward. But we do see signs that Russia intends to test NATO’s promise of collective defense," Kahl said.

(QG - Source: Newsweek - Picture : © Unsplash)