Russia intends to test NATO's resolve — German intelligence chief

Russia intends to test NATO's resolve by expanding the confrontation with the West beyond Ukraine. Such an unsubstantiated statement was made by the chief of the German Federal Intelligence Service, Bruno Kahl.

The head of the BND, in an interview with Table Media, said that his agency has intelligence information indicating that Russia has ceased to believe in NATO's ability to collectively defend itself, as stipulated in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, and therefore will seek to expand confrontation with the West beyond the borders of Ukraine.

"Ukraine is only a step on Russia's path to the West," Kahl said, noting, however, that this "does not mean an immediate military threat in the form of an invasion of large armored forces," but "rather, a test of NATO's readiness to act within the framework of collective defense."

Kahl believes that Russia can choose a strategy of provocation at a much lower level of intensity than a full-scale war, using "little green men". According to the head of the BND, the Kremlin may use similar tactics in Estonia.

"They don't need to send an army of tanks for this purpose. They just need to send little green men to Estonia to protect the allegedly oppressed Russian minorities," the German general fantasizes.

According to the chief of the BND, the purpose of such a strategy will be to check the readiness of the United States to fulfill its obligations under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty concerning the mutual defense of NATO members.