NATO official urges businesses to prepare for wartime scenarios

A senior NATO military official called on business leaders to brace for a potential wartime scenario and adjust their production and distribution systems to minimize vulnerability to geopolitical pressures from nations like Russia and China.

In remarks made in Brussels, Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of NATO's military committee, emphasized the importance of ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of essential services and goods as a key element of deterrence, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

 He highlighted that deterrence is not solely about military strength, but also about securing critical infrastructure and resources from foreign influence and disruption.

Bauer pointed to the growing trend of sabotage, particularly within Europe’s energy sector, as an example of how economic vulnerabilities can be exploited. He noted that, for instance, agreements with companies like Gazprom were essentially agreements with the Russian government, and similarly, deals involving Chinese-owned infrastructure and products are ultimately tied to Chinese President Xi Jinping's leadership.

Bauer also drew attention to the West's dependency on China, citing that the country produces 60% of rare earth materials and processes 90% of them. Additionally, China supplies essential chemical ingredients for various medicines, including sedatives, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs.

He warned that it would be naive to assume that China would not leverage its control over these critical resources for political or strategic advantage. Bauer urged business leaders in both Europe and the US to recognize that their commercial decisions could have significant national security implications.

In conclusion, Bauer stressed that businesses must adapt to a potential wartime environment by reevaluating their supply chains and ensuring they are not overly reliant on adversarial powers, as economic resilience plays a crucial role in winning wars, not just military capabilities.

By Vafa Guliyeva