A top NATO official has called on business leaders to start planning for a "wartime situation" amid escalating global tensions. This comes as Germany announced it was drawing up a list of bunkers and underground shelters that could provide shelter for civilians in case of an attack.
Speaking in Brussels, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer emphasized the importance of NATO nations reorganizing their production and supply chains to reduce susceptibility to coercion from nations like Russia and China. The chair of NATO's military committee said: "If we can make sure that all crucial services and goods can be delivered no matter what, then that is a key part of our deterrence."
Chilling Warning of Looming War
While speaking at an event hosted by the European Policy Centre think tank on Sunday, Bauer said that deterrence extends well beyond military strength, as every available tool could and would be used in a time of war.
"We're seeing that with the growing number of sabotage acts, and Europe has seen that with energy supply," Bauer said.
In the meantime, Germany is exploring ways to protect its civilian population in the event of a conflict.
This includes plans to reopen 579 bunkers from World War II and the Cold War, as well as converting underground parking garages and metro stations into shelters.
Germany is also preparing to launch an app to help the public in locating emergency shelters during a potential attack. According to The Guardian, a digital database of bunkers and shelters will be created, enabling people to find them quickly through the planned mobile app.
These measures come amid growing tensions between the West and Russia over the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In October, German intelligence officials warned that Russia might be capable of launching an assault on NATO by 2030.
Bauer has also highlighted the threats posed to the West by China. "We thought we had a deal with Gazprom, but we actually had a deal with Mr Putin. And the same goes for Chinese-owned infrastructure and goods. We actually have a deal with (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping)," he said.
China, Russia Biggest Threats
Bauer underscored the West's reliance on Chinese supplies, noting that 60 percent of the world's rare earth materials are produced in China, with 90 percent processed there. He argued it would be "naive" to assume China would not leverage this dependency for its own benefit.
"We are naive if we think the Communist Party will never use that power. Business leaders in Europe and America need to realise that the commercial decisions they make have strategic consequences for the security of their nation," Bauer stressed.
"Businesses need to be prepared for a wartime scenario and adjust their production and distribution lines accordingly. Because while it may be the military who wins battles, it's the economies that win wars."
Global tensions have intensified after Ukraine began deploying American and British missiles to strike targets in Russia's Kursk region.
In a November 20 attack, reportedly involving British Storm Shadow missiles, top Russian general Lt-Gen Valery Solodchuk and 500 North Korean soldiers were killed.
Russia's ambassador to the UK stated that Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow missiles on Russian soil signified Britain's "direct involvement" in the conflict.
The comments came as British and European leaders condemned Vladimir Putin for a "clear and deeply concerning escalation" in the Ukraine war, following a Russian strike on the city of Dnipro last Thursday using a hypersonic ballistic missile never seen before.
