Top NATO official calls on businesses to prepare for 'war scenario'
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The chairman of NATO’s military committee urges businesses to be less dependent on Russia and China as a potential war in the region looms.
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NATO's Chair of the Military Committee Admiral Rob Bauer listens during the plenary session of the Seoul Defense Dialogue in Seoul, South Korea, on September 11, 2024. (AP)
A senior NATO military official advised businesses on Monday to brace for a potential "wartime scenario" by bringing their production back home, instead of depending on China and Russia, which could cut off access during a conflict.
Speaking at an event organized by the European Policy Centre in Brussels, Admiral Rob Bauer, the chairman of NATO’s military committee, stressed that businesses need to prepare for a "wartime scenario" and adjust their production and distribution lines accordingly. He added that while the military may win battles, it is the economies that win wars.
Stressing that deterrence is not only about military capacity but that all available tools can be used as weapons, he said, "We're seeing that with the growing number of sabotage acts, and Europe has seen that with energy supply.”
"We thought we had a deal with (Russian energy company) Gazprom, but we actually had a deal with Mr. Putin,” he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“And the same goes for Chinese-owned infrastructure and goods. We actually have a deal with (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping)."
Bauer also cautioned that businesses in Europe and the US must understand that their commercial decisions have strategic implications for the security of their nations.
This comes as NATO and Ukraine are set to hold an ambassadorial meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.
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Bauer's statement comes amid rising tensions in the region, fueled by NATO members' deployment of weapons to Ukraine, signaling a clear intention to escalate the conflict.
In response to the US' recent deployment of ATACMS to Ukraine, Russia may consider deploying shorter- and intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region, affirmed Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, TASS reported.
Speaking to journalists, Ryabkov said this option remains on the table as a potential military-technical response to US missile deployments in any region of the world.
"Our further steps, including in what concerns our military-technical response, will depend on the deployment of corresponding US systems in any region of the world," the top Russian official stated.
He stressed that the responsibility for the current situation and any potential escalation lies solely with Washington and its European allies, whom he accused of supporting Kiev's "ephemeral ambitions and most criminal designs."
The Russian official also warned that any escalation resulting from missile deployments would have serious consequences for global stability.
He criticized Washington's "inhumane" policies and accused it of undermining arms control frameworks, further escalating tensions in strategic regions such as Asia-Pacific.
