Russia is transferring new artillery units to the borders of the Baltic states and Finland, which may indicate preparations for a future armed conflict, said the Director of Military Intelligence of the Netherlands, Peter Reesink, report LRT.
According to him, Russia is producing significantly more artillery than it needs for the war against Ukraine. Other countries are also helping in this process. Reesink noted that Moscow is not only replenishing its losses on the front lines, but also increasing its military power by moving fresh units closer to NATO borders.
He emphasized that Russia's actions indicate a clear increase in combat potential. Although Dutch intelligence does not expect President Vladimir Putin to start a new war at the moment, the situation may change. Reesink estimates that if an agreement is reached between Moscow and Kyiv, Russia could be ready for the next conflict within a year. This would be possible if the current pace of weapon production continues and there is political will for war in the Kremlin.
The Netherlands, like other NATO countries, is on high alert. Reesink explained that the Alliance must be confident in its ability to respond if the situation escalates. He pointed out that despite a general trend of budget cuts in various sectors, defense spending continues to grow. However, at the political level, discussions on real threats remain limited.
According to him, Europe has ignored growing challenges for too long. He admitted that over the past 20–30 years, the countries of the continent have shown weakness on security issues, but now a more sober view of the threat is emerging.
Europe, he said, is increasingly realizing that it must act based on its own interests and future prospects.
"We must acknowledge that over the past 20 to 30 years, we’ve been somewhat complacent, but the awareness of the threat is now returning," he noted.
The Netherlands’ chief intelligence officer also warned that Europe must not lose sight of the potential threat from China, even though Putin remains the central figure in the continent’s security agenda.
