Kremlin's 2026 vision: Regions under occupation, NATO on alert

The Kremlin aims to completely occupy the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions by 2026, reports "Die Welt." German General Christian Freuding points out that the extensive arming of the Russian army indicates preparations for potential conflict with NATO. The Russian army is acquiring even more tanks, ammunition, missiles, and drones, lists the military.

"Even if Donald Trump persuades Moscow to halt activities in Ukraine, Russia will continue to pose a serious threat to Europe in the coming years," states "Die Welt."

In October 2022, the Russian leader signed the "accession law," which effectively meant annexing four Ukrainian regions after pseudo-referendums.

The German general emphasizes that while Russia is not currently planning a direct conflict with the West, it is preparing for war with NATO. According to data from the German military, Russia recruits about 30,000 soldiers every month, offering high salaries. "Russia has an impressive number of soldiers and a wide range of powerful equipment," says the head of the European Parliament's Security and Defence Committee, Marie Agnes Strack-Zimmermann.

Putin has literally tasted blood. If you want to maintain peace, you must be able to defend yourself. "If we do not understand this, and Putin succeeds in Ukraine, attacks on one of the NATO countries in four to five years will be more than likely," says Strack-Zimmermann.

Military analyst Nico Lange warns not to focus solely on numbers. "Russia has the will to use brutal military force and is ready to incur heavy losses. This makes it extremely dangerous," says Lange. The expert also warns against direct and hybrid attacks by Russia on Poland and the Baltic states.