The head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service (BND), Bruno Kahl, recently stated that Moscow aims to divide NATO and alter the current world order. During his address to MPs at the Bundestag on Monday, Kahl noted that Russia has surpassed European states in terms of military spending amidst its conflict with Ukraine. The top spy warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin would “continue to test the West’s red lines and further escalate the confrontation,” as direct military confrontation with NATO has become a possibility for Moscow.
Last month, Putin announced changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine in response to potential escalation stemming from US military aid to Ukraine. This change was made amidst increasing pressure on Western countries from Kiev, urging them to allow the use of foreign-supplied weapons for strikes deep within Russian territory.
Kahl believes that Putin’s ultimate goal is “to push the US out of Europe” and restore NATO back to its late 1990s borders. Moscow aspires to establish a “Russian sphere of influence” and create a “new world order.” Russia has pointed to the ongoing expansion of NATO towards the east as one of the primary causes of the conflict, along with the bloc’s military cooperation with Ukraine.
Putin has emphasized that Russia prefers a new multipolar model of international relations free from Washington’s “unilateralism.” During a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) leaders earlier this month, Putin stated that Russia and its allies are advocating for the establishment of a fair world order based on universally recognized principles of international law with the pivotal role of the UN. He went on to say, “A new world order is emerging that reflects the world’s diversity. This process is inevitable and irreversible.
Despite these claims, Putin has also maintained in the past that Russia would not attack a NATO member state unless it was first attacked by Russia. As tensions continue to rise between Moscow and the West, concerns about potential direct military confrontation with NATO are growing.