German minister warns of Russia-NATO confrontations

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has warned of growing confrontation between Russia and NATO, in an interview with the Handelsblatt newspaper published on Sunday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin no longer has any scruples, according to Faeser, and has become more aggressive towards NATO members like Germany since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"Since the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, we have experienced a turning point in internal security. Russia is waging a hybrid war in Europe. It is obvious that disinformation campaigns, acts of sabotage and cyberattacks are state-controlled," she said.

But Faeser urged restraint and judiciousness in response, saying that she did "not hope that the threshold for a NATO alliance case will be crossed. We must continue to act decisively, but at the same time prudently."

Chancellor Olaf Scholz had always acted to prevent Germany from falling into such a scenario - "but of course we can see that the hybrid threat situation is increasing. That's why we have to position and protect ourselves completely differently," she said.

Before the European Parliament elections in June, Germany's security services and other EU partners uncovered a massive Russian campaign of influence and lies, Faeser noted.

German authorities will take the necessary steps to counter any such efforts to influence Germany's upcoming early elections slated for February, and the country's domestic intelligence agency has set up a task force, she said.

When asked whether Russia had intensified its sabotage activities, Faeser said: "We are registering a significant increase. That is why critical infrastructure must be better protected."