NATO warns of diminishing Russian threat, urges defense boost

"At this moment, the Russians do not pose the same threat as in February 2022, so we have some time to prepare," said the chairman, Rob Bauer, as quoted by the Reuters agency.

"The quality of these forces has decreased," Bauer pointed out, referring to a reduction in the level of equipment and training of Russian soldiers.

In light of this, Bauer called on Western countries to increase investment in the defense industry. He emphasized the need to strengthen their own military capabilities given the changing geopolitical situation.

The NATO chairman urged companies to adapt their production and distribution lines to be less susceptible to blackmail from Russia and China. He stated that becoming independent from these countries is crucial for security.

"If we can ensure that all key services and goods are delivered no matter what, that is a key part of our deterrence," he emphasized at a meeting at the European Policy Centre. "We thought we had a deal with Gazprom, but we had a deal with Mr. Putin. The same applies to infrastructure and goods belonging to China. We have a deal with (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping)," Bauer assessed.

Bauer pointed out the dependency of Western economies on Chinese raw materials. He emphasized that 60% of the world's production of rare earth materials comes from China, and nearly 90% is processed there. He also noted that chemical ingredients of drugs, such as antibiotics, tranquilizers, and anti-inflammatory agents, are also produced in China.

"We are naive if we think the Communist Party of China will never use this power. Business leaders in Europe and America must realize that their trade decisions have strategic consequences for their countries' security. (…) Although the military can win battles, economies win wars," emphasized the NATO military officer, as quoted by Reuters.