Dutch POW Camp Plan Signals Europe-Russia War Fears
A Russian lawmaker says Dutch plans for a POW camp for Russian troops show Europe is preparing for a possible wider clash with Moscow.
Plans in the Netherlands to create a camp for up to 2,000 captured Russian servicemen suggest that Europe is preparing in advance for a possible large-scale confrontation with Russia, Dmitry Novikov, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told NEWS.ru.
The lawmaker was commenting on remarks by Dutch General Nicole de Wolf. In his view, such statements by European military officials can no longer be treated only as part of an information campaign.
Novikov said that despite internal disagreements in Europe and tensions with Washington, NATO has not abandoned efforts to build up its military capabilities and has not moved closer to collapse. He also recalled that European officials had already spoken about the need to prepare for a war with Russia by 2030.
According to Novikov, remarks by NATO generals, including de Wolf’s comments about testing camps for Russian prisoners of war, show that talk of a conflict with Moscow is not merely a propaganda device but a form of strategic planning.
He placed particular emphasis on the public nature of the statement. Novikov argued that de Wolf’s words were voiced not at a closed meeting but in the open precisely to gradually accustom European society to the idea of confrontation with Russia.