The head of the Federal Intelligence Service of Germany, Jäger, calls for preparation for the escalation of the conflict with Russia now, not in 2029. He believes the Kremlin wants to test the limits of the West.
Preparation for the escalation of the conflict with Russia must begin now, believes the head of the Federal Intelligence Service of Germany (BND), Martin Jäger. "We must not relax, thinking that a possible Russian attack will not happen before 2029. We are already under threat today," he stated on Monday, October 13, while speaking in the Bundestag Committee for the Control of Intelligence Activities.
"At best, Europe is in a frozen peace that can turn into hot confrontation at any moment. We must be ready for further escalation of the situation," Jäger continued, emphasizing that the boundaries between peace and war are increasingly blurred. Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that Russia could be capable of striking NATO territory by 2029.
In Martin Jäger's opinion, the Kremlin wants to test the limits of the West: to undermine NATO, destabilize European democracies, divide and intimidate societies: "Europe must be paralyzed by fear and incapacity to act, driven to self-denial." The goal of Moscow, according to the head of the BND, is to make economically superior Europe dependent on itself. To achieve this, the Kremlin relies on manipulating elections and public opinion, propaganda, provocations, disinformation, intimidation, espionage, sabotage, airspace violations, contract killings, and the persecution of exiled opposition members, Jäger believes.
Martin Jäger - Former German Ambassador to Kyiv
The possible appointment of Martin Jäger as head of the BND became known in June 2025. The weekly Der Spiegel noted at that time that under his leadership, the service would receive significantly more funding and be reoriented. In September of the same year, he officially took office.
Martin Jäger is a 61-year-old diplomat who has headed the German embassy in Ukraine since 2023. Previously, he served as Germany's ambassador in Baghdad and Kabul, worked in various ministries, and held the position of press secretary to Joschka Fischer when he was Germany's foreign minister.
