VLADIMIR Putin has his evil eyes set on invading Nato, the chief of Germany’s MI6 has warned.
Bruno Kahl, head of Berlin’s Federal Intelligence Service, says the war in Ukraine is just the beginning for the Russian despot.
It’s after his team obtained intel suggesting Russia is plotting to test the resolve of the alliance in the coming years, Kahl claims.
A similar warning was issued by Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday.
He warned people in Britain “better learn to speak Russian” if Sir Keir Starmer doesn’t increase defence spending immediately.
Rutte also said in a speech in London that Russia could be in a position to attack Nato by 2030.
Europe is continuing to battle Russia’s increased aggression against Ukraine.
Many Nato nations have imposed sanctions on the Kremlin to force Putin on the negotiating table with Starmer, France‘s Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump putting pressure on the tyrant to end the war.
Despite this, Putin is yet to stop his nightly attacks on Ukraine.
Russia directly struck Kyiv with 315 drones and missiles and demolished large parts of the southern port of Odesa overnight.
It is now believed over 500 drone strikes are launched across Ukraine every night.
And Kahl fears this is only the start of Putin’s sick plans to take over Europe.
He told Table Media this week: “We are quite certain, and we have intelligence showing it, that Ukraine is only a step on the journey westward.
“That doesn’t mean we expect tank armies to roll westwards but we see that Nato’s collective defence promise is to be tested.”
Kahl believes twisted Russian officials want to see how the US would react to direct confrontations with fellow Nato members which – under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty – have a mutual obligation to defend each other when under attack.
These would fall short of full military engagement but would give the Kremlin an insight into where Trump stands.
Kahl says this could be achieved through Putin’s “little green men” being shipped off to Estonia – a reference to Russia’s barbaric annexation of Crimea in 2014.
At the time, Putin took control of dozens of buildings and offices through the use of soldiers in unmarked uniforms and civilian clothes.
Moscow initially denied the men’s identities which meant they became known as “little green men”.
What is Nato?
THE North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is a political and military alliance of countries from North America and Europe.
It was founded in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union with Cold War tensions rising.
Among articles in its found treaty is the principle of collective defence – the idea that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all of them.
Nato takes decisions by consensus but the political and military strength of the United States means that it is by far the most powerful country in the alliance.
Its nuclear arsenal is seen as the ultimate security guarantee.
Nato has 31 members – most of them European nations, plus the United States and Canada.
The newest member is Finland, which joined last April in reaction to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden applied to join along with Finland but is waiting for Hungary to ratify its application as the final major step before membership.
Kahl’s beliefs have been echoed by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) who say Putin may deploy his army onto a “war footing” and try to test Nato by evoking Article 5.
This could see Putin commit to an attack on Nato states in the Baltics.
Poland and neighbouring countries have already been rumoured to be next on the despot’s hit list should he ever get through Kyiv.
And worrying satellite images last month revealed the tyrant is assembling Russian hardware, troops and building bases as little as 35 miles from the border with Finland.
Photos show increased military activity at four locations inside Russia – Kamenka, Petrozavodsk, Severomorsk-2 and Olenya.
Any attack could take place within two years of a ceasefire, the IISS has warned.
Many of these fears stem from whether the US and Trump decide to withdraw support from Nato – leaving Europe to defend itself.
