In an interview with Preussische Allgemeine Zeitung published today, former Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr (2000-2002) and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee (2002-2005) Gen. Harald Kujat (ret.) again voices deep concern about the fact that, beyond its current support for Ukraine, the West has no real strategy for the war against Russia. It rather looks as if, for the time being, the West is opting for a longer conflict over Ukraine.
There have been several recent contacts between the U.S. and Russian governments, very specifically regarding the risk of nuclear escalation, Kujat says. There have been telephone conversations between the defense ministers and the chiefs of staff of Russia and the United States. In them, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov emphasized that Russia will behave as its nuclear strategy says it will. This envisages nuclear use only if Russia is attacked with nuclear weapons, or if a conventional attack poses an existential risk to the country or the Russian population.
Of course, Kujat warns, this does not banish the risk of nuclear escalation. Much depends on how the war continues—including how the West responds. The NATO countries are supporting Ukraine with more and more weapons systems. However, he says: “Sooner or later, the point will come when Western arms deliveries can no longer compensate for the material and, above all, personnel losses of the Ukrainian armed forces. Will our weapons then be followed by our soldiers? That would be an enormous risk of escalation and could result in a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.”
