WW3 fears explode as German army chief warns ‘we’re already under attack from Russia’ | World | News

A German army chief has warned Vladimir Putin will unleash the Russian military on Europe if he gets an opportunity. Major General Wolf-Jürgen Stahl, President of Germany’s Federal Academy for Security Policy, claimed his country already faces cyber attacks from Russia, which he said could increase its onslaught against Europe and even send troops in.

Mr Stahl told the German-British Society: “When I see how Putin has acted up to now and the way he is, in my assessment, on a mission against the West, then there is no question of whether he will use military means. If he gets the opportunity, he will use them.”

He said the world was coming apart at the seams, adding: “It’s turbulent. It’s rough. It’s lawless. It’s in a state of disorder.”

The major general said the West urgently needed to work on shoring up its foundations, including inside the NATO military alliance. Germany’s foundations – being part of the European Union, a NATO member, its economic might and social cohesion – were also under pressure, the army chief suggested.

Mr Stahl went on to criticise US President Donald Trump, accusing him of being an “erratic dealmaker with authoritarian leanings”, according to remarks reported by the Daily Mail.

His criticism comes as defence leaders in Britain warned the country’s armed forces have been “hollowed out by years of chronic underfunding”.

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An open letter to the Prime Minister, signed by three former defence secretaries, retired senior military chiefs and ex-MI6 head Sir Richard Dearlove, said Britain is facing a “1936 moment” amid rising global tensions and Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.

The Prime Minister has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP next year and to 3% after the next election. In their letter, published in the Daily Telegraph, the defence leaders urge him to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP.

The Government has yet to publish its delayed defence investment plan (Dip) setting out how it will meet its commitments.

Sir Keir’s spokesman insisted on Monday that the Ministry of Defence was working “flat out” to deliver the plan “as soon as possible”.

Signatories to the letter include former defence secretaries Sir Ben Wallace, Sir Grant Shapps and Sir Michael Fallon, as well as General Lord Dannatt, the former Chief of the General Staff, and Admiral Lord West, the former First Sea Lord.

Meanwhile, the latest US-brokered talks between envoys from Moscow and Kyiv over Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine ended on Wednesday with no sign of a breakthrough. Both sides said the talks were “difficult”.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking after the talks broke up, said: “The negotiations were not easy.”

Earlier he accused Russia of “trying to drag out negotiations” while pressing on with its invasion — an accusation he and European leaders have made repeatedly.

He said some progress was made on military issues although political differences remained deep.

This included the future of land in eastern Ukraine which is occupied by the Russian army and that Putin wants to keep.

Russia’s Vladimir Medinsky told reporters the two days of talks in Geneva “were difficult but business-like”.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters it was “too early” to speak about the outcome of the talks. He said Putin had been receiving reports about progress in Geneva.

Both sides said a new round of talks is set to take place.