In the next two decades, civilians must prepare for all-out conflict with Russia, a senior NATO military official has warned.
Admiral Rob Bauer stated on Thursday that while the armed forces are prepared for the outbreak of war, private citizens must be ready for a conflict that would necessitate a complete lifestyle overhaul.
“We have to realise it’s not a given that we are in peace. And that’s why we [Nato forces] are preparing for a conflict with Russia.” he said.
“But the discussion is much wider. It is also the industrial base and also the people that have to understand they play a role.” he continued.
Governments should implement systems to manage the mobilization of large numbers of civilians in the event of conflict, Adml Bauer told reporters following a meeting of NATO defense chiefs in Brussels.
Adml Bauer, the chairman of the Military Committee of NATO and a Dutch naval officer, commended Sweden for advising all of its citizens to prepare for battle prior to the nation’s official entry into the alliance.
“It starts there. The realisation that not everything is planable and not everything is going to be hunky dory in the next 20 years.” he stated.
An increase in sales of torches and battery-powered radios, as well as a surge in volunteers for the country’s civil defense organization, have resulted from the action taken by Stockholm earlier this month.
Next week, approximately 90,000 NATO forces will commence the largest military exercise the alliance has conducted since the Cold War.
Since its announcement last year, the scale of the Steadfast Defender 2024 operation has more than multiplied. Its explicit purpose is to prepare the alliance for a Russian invasion.
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