German general: NATO must be ready to operate near Russian regions

Lieutenant General Holger Neumann, commander of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), said that NATO must be prepared to operate in multiple regions, including areas associated with Russia, in the event of a potential threat.

Speaking in an interview with The Telegraph, Neumann named Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, the Kola Peninsula, and the Black Sea among the regions where the alliance should be ready to act if necessary. He emphasised that NATO’s security framework cannot include areas with differing levels of protection.

“It must be clear, there are no zones of different security, that NATO is NATO, down to the last inch. I think we have to make a very strong effort to, in security terms, overwatch and, if required, act along certain regions,” he said.

Neumann added that the alliance should intensify surveillance measures and maintain readiness to carry out operational actions when required.

By Tamilla Hasanova