German historian urges a closer look behind speculation about Russia
Translated from Lithuanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
Interview
Named sources
Context piece
- German historian Matthias Uhl says Russia lacks the resources to launch a major operation against NATO involving entire divisions or an army.
- Uhl calls smaller attack scenarios, such as a possible operation in Estonia’s Narva, theoretical, while stressing that the security situation remains dangerous.
- In a new book, he argues that Russia has overstated its military strength and does not possess the “miracle weapons” often promoted by Kremlin propaganda.
German historian Matthias Uhl says fears of Russia launching a large-scale military operation against NATO are overstated because Moscow lacks the necessary resources.
There is no need to fear that Russia will try to launch a major military operation against NATO, involving entire divisions or even the entire army. Russia lacks the resources for that.
Uhl makes the assessment in his new book, “How Strong Is Russia Really? The Truth About Putin’s Military Power,” which examines Russia’s military policy and the state of its armed forces using numerous Russian sources. The book portrays a country that seriously overestimated its strength in the war against Ukraine.
Asked by Die Welt how justified recent fears were, Uhl gave a clear answer: “There is no need to fear that Russia will try to launch a major military operation against NATO, involving entire divisions or even the entire army. Russia lacks the resources for that.” He described scenarios involving smaller operations, such as a move against the Estonian city of Narva, as theoretical discussions.
NATO would not abandon Estonia. And Russia knows that.
Uhl said NATO would not abandon Estonia and that Russia understands this. He also acknowledged that the current situation is highly dangerous, while pointing to the gradual expansion of NATO structures in the Baltic states and efforts to show regional partners that the alliance is prepared to defend them.
We must look behind the scenes.
He said NATO already has units ready to respond, even if they are not directly stationed in the Baltic states. Germany’s KSK special forces could be sent there as a signal of readiness, he said. Uhl urged Western countries not to follow a program imposed by Russian propaganda or repeat Kremlin fears. “We must look behind the scenes,” he told t-online, arguing that Russia has repeatedly presented itself as stronger and more powerful than it is. He also questioned the image of weapons such as the Kinzhal missile and the T-14 Armata tank as revolutionary systems.
Putin does not have the ‘miracle weapons’ with which the Russian army could defeat us.
About this summary
Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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