German Defense Minister Pistorius said in an interview that Europe must ensure that it can better defend itself because new military threats could emerge by the end of the decade, especially given that the U.S. security center of gravity has shifted to the Indo-Pacific region.
In an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt, Pistorius said that Russia is significantly ramping up production to sustain its invasion of Ukraine, while also threatening the Baltic states, Georgia and Moldova.
At the same time, the United States is likely to reduce its military involvement in Europe as it shifts more to the Indo-Pacific region.
"It's not just the clamor of war, it's probably the danger ahead at the end of this decade," Pistorius stressed.
"We Europeans must be more involved to ensure the security of our own continent", Pistorius said, but noted that the region needs time to increase its own ** production.
"It will take us about 5 to 8 years to catch up in terms of the armed forces, industry and society," Pistorius said. He added that Europe is well aware that it may also need to fill the gap in US aid to Ukraine if Washington cannot agree to new funding.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also warned earlier this week that Putin would wage war elsewhere after Ukraine.
Stoltenberg told reporters on the 14th when meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Fizo: "If Putin wins in Ukraine, then his aggression will most likely not end there", Stoltenberg stressed: "Our support is not handouts. It's an investment in our security."
Pistorius said that the Polish elections produced a more European-friendly ** that should now lead to more military cooperation in the Weimar triangle between Berlin, Paris and Warsaw.
"We need to figure out the best way to build ourselves on the eastern flank, in accordance with NATO's defense plan," Pistorius said, noting that he hopes to visit Poland as soon as possible next year.
Pistorius said that for the time being, the German army was not expected to repeat its mission on the scale of its mission in Afghanistan and Mali, where the German army was involved in the first ground war since the end of World War II.
"But small missions, especially in the field of military consulting or working with countries that do not necessarily share our values, will be essential," Pistorius said.
"The other option is not to have any contact with these countries anymore, but to give them to the Russians and Chinese, which would be very dangerous", he added.