German military chief warns Ukraine war could escalate

The head of the German military, General Carsten Breuer, has warned that the war in Ukraine could escalate and called for Germany's and NATO's capabilities to be strengthened, reported dpa.

Breuer, who holds the rank of inspector general, pointed to indications ahead of the 2014 seizure of the Crimean Peninsula and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia that were not heeded at the time.

Germany had been trapped in a comfort zone and did not want to believe that this could happen, he said during a speech delivered ahead of the anniversary on Tuesday of German reunification.

The result now was that Germany had to support partners that could be seen as frontier states, and is doing so for example by setting up a brigade for Lithuania, Breuer said.

"Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine underlines the relevance of combat-ready armed forces," Breuer said during a reception given by Germany's ambassador to NATO, Géza Andreas von Geyr.

In the past, strategic patience and strategic calmness had been necessary, but rapid action was needed today, he said.

Von Geyr also expressed gloom over the current European security situation. Moscow had decided to revive a system of control and repression, he said. Russia's war of aggression was opening a new and bitter chapter in the continent's history, he said, of the full-scale war launched by the Kremlin in February 2022.