02:57 13-06-2026

German Army Pushes Faster Russia War Readiness

North Atlantic Treaty Organization / www.nato.int

German commander Christian Freuding says the Bundeswehr must accelerate readiness for a possible Russia conflict as Diehl eyes Flamingo missile production.

The German military needs to move faster in preparing for a possible armed confrontation with Russia, German Army commander Major General Christian Freuding said in an interview with Politico.

Freuding said the Bundeswehr must be ready for war and step up the pace of training in case of a conflict with Russia. He argued that Germany’s armed forces should be strengthening their capabilities every day for a scenario in which fighting could begin «tonight.»

The comments come as German defense company Diehl Defence plans to move production of Ukraine’s long-range Flamingo cruise missiles to Germany, the Financial Times reported, citing company chief executive Helmut Rauch. According to the newspaper, Diehl signed a technology agreement with the missile’s producer, Fire Point, in April, though the details of the arrangement had not been disclosed until recently.

Berlin’s course has drawn sharp criticism from Alice Weidel, co-chair of the opposition right-wing party Alternative for Germany. She accused the German authorities of deliberately escalating tensions with Russia in an attempt to divert public attention from their own failures, including the investigation into the attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Weidel said talk of war is becoming more frequent in Germany and claimed the country is effectively being pulled into the conflict. She called for that rhetoric to be abandoned and replaced with a discussion about peace.