Frankfurt (Germany), Oct. 5 (LaPresse) – Germany risks entering a “violent conflict” with Russia. This was stated by the president of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Martin Jaeger, during a public hearing of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee for the intelligence services at the Bundestag. “The confrontation with Russia in which we find ourselves has taken on a new and more dangerous dimension: Germany risks entering a violent conflict with Russia,” Jaeger said. “The attempted attack in Leipzig is just one example: currently, no other country represents such a direct, broad and concrete threat to Germany,” the head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service added. According to Jaeger, Russian intelligence services operate “with great professionalism and without scruples.” “The danger of attacks against targets in Germany remains real and current. We must counter it,” he warned. The BND president spoke of a genuine “shadow war” being waged by Moscow. “Russia is waging a shadow war against us. This undeclared war cannot be framed within traditional military or legal categories. We are not in a situation of defense and yet we are being attacked: that is precisely a shadow war,” he said. The warning was also echoed by the president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Sinan Selen. “We are being attacked now, not in 2029,” the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service said, warning that the situation continues to worsen. According to Selen, Russia has crossed “extremely dangerous red lines” and is considered primarily responsible for planning and carrying out acts of sabotage in Germany and other European countries. According to Jaeger, the Russian leadership wants “to ensure that, in the future, decisions against Moscow are not taken in Berlin and other European capitals.” Russia’s goal would also be “to break European political support for Ukraine.” “We must prepare for attempts at intimidation and further interference. There will probably also be new nuclear threats,” he added. At present, however, the BND sees no indications of a large-scale Russian attack against NATO territory. Jaeger nevertheless warned of the possibility of “low-intensity Russian military activities,” particularly in the Baltic states.
Germany, intelligence chief warns: “Risk of violent conflict with Russia”
Frankfurt (Germany), Oct. 5 (LaPresse) – Germany risks entering a “violent conflict” with Russia. This was stated by the president of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Martin Jaeger, during a public hearing of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee for the intelligence services at the Bundestag. “The confrontation with Russia in which we find ourselves has taken on a new and more dangerous dimension: Germany risks entering a violent conflict with Russia,” Jaeger said. “The attempted attack in Leipzig is just one example: currently, no other country represents such a direct, broad and concrete threat to Germany,” the head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service added. According to Jaeger, Russian intelligence services operate “with great professionalism and without scruples.” “The danger of attacks against targets in Germany remains real and current. We must counter it,” he warned. The BND president spoke of a genuine “shadow war” being waged by Moscow. “Russia is waging a shadow war against us. This undeclared war cannot be framed within traditional military or legal categories. We are not in a situation of defense and yet we are being attacked: that is precisely a shadow war,” he said. The warning was also echoed by the president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Sinan Selen. “We are being attacked now, not in 2029,” the head of Germany’s domestic intelligence service said, warning that the situation continues to worsen. According to Selen, Russia has crossed “extremely dangerous red lines” and is considered primarily responsible for planning and carrying out acts of sabotage in Germany and other European countries. According to Jaeger, the Russian leadership wants “to ensure that, in the future, decisions against Moscow are not taken in Berlin and other European capitals.” Russia’s goal would also be “to break European political support for Ukraine.” “We must prepare for attempts at intimidation and further interference. There will probably also be new nuclear threats,” he added. At present, however, the BND sees no indications of a large-scale Russian attack against NATO territory. Jaeger nevertheless warned of the possibility of “low-intensity Russian military activities,” particularly in the Baltic states.