The military leadership of the Netherlands has warned the population of a serious threat of war with the Russian Federation. The public is urged to start preparing for such a development.
The Dutch Army Commander-in-Chief Martin Weinen, who will leave his post in a few days, said this in an interview with De Telegraaf, writes NL Times.
"The Netherlands should be seriously afraid of war and our society should prepare for it," Weinen emphasized.
He is convinced that The Hague has to follow the example of Sweden, Finland and the Baltic States, which border Russia or are close to the borders, and are therefore better prepared for the outbreak of a possible war.
"The Netherlands must realize that the whole society must be prepared if something goes wrong. We shouldn't think that our security is guaranteed just because we are 1,500 kilometers away," he is convinced.
He also said that the civilian population must have stocks of food and drinking water in case of emergencies.
Russia continues to increase its military force, so the country's powerful army is necessary as a deterrent.
"There is only one language Russia understands, and that is the language of a strong army," he believes.
With this in mind, the country must eliminate the shortage of personnel in the army. He has high expectations from an initiative of one year of voluntary service for young people, introduced after a similar program in Sweden. He hopes to involve two to three thousand young people every year, a third of whom can start a career in the army, and a third - to become reservists.
We shall remind you that earlier, Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, in response to a drone attack on an airfield near Pskov, called for the Baltic States to be "wiped off the face of the Earth" because, according to him, the attack was carried out from that very side.