 NATO to prepare for worst-case scenario. Russia could attack. Speaking about the possibility of war with Russia, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called on Europe and NATO to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Pistorius explained that he could not know for sure whether Russia would attack the EU but noted that if it did, Moscow would need less than a decade to do so. I don't like to look into a crystal ball. I can't predict if and when an attack on NATO territory might occur, but it could happen in five to eight years, he said. Admiral Rob Bauer, the head of NATO's military committee, said that the alliance needs to be transformed and the West must prepare for an era in which anything can happen at any time, including the outbreak of war. His statement came against the backdrop of delays or restrictions on military aid to Ukraine from the United States and the European Union. On January the 16th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the West's wavering support for Kiev and fears of an escalation of the war with Russia could prolong the fighting for years. Earlier the German publication BUILD wrote that NATO intends to hold large-scale exercises in February with the participation of about 90,000 troops. The scenario of the exercise is a Russia attack on the territory of the alliance.