NATO-Russia struggle bigger than ‘Cold War 2.0’ – top general

The standoff is leading to a new world order, General Christian Badia has claimed

NATO and Russia are engaged in a hybrid conflict that is already worse than a second Cold War, a senior official in the US-led military bloc has claimed. 

Gen. Christian Badia, deputy chief of the Allied Command Transformation (ACT), who previously served in the German Air Force, made the remarks in an interview with the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, published on Tuesday.

“Russia is waging a hybrid war against the West,” Badia stated, warning the conflict could escalate in an uncontrollable manner at any moment. “There are too many grey areas and a resulting miscalculation is the biggest risk,” he said.

The standoff has grown out of proportion and should not be viewed as a mere re-run of the Cold War, an analogy often being made, the general argued.

“The confrontation with Russia is not just ‘Cold War 2.0.’ Here we are talking about a new world order,” he said.

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Moscow is backed by China, North Korea, and Iran, Badia claimed. He went on to allege that opponents of NATO are jointly developing hypersonic weapons and satellites, and making advances in cyberspace. The deputy commander did not substantiate the claim, but noted that Russia is being supported by nations that “want to challenge Western dominance.”

Badia’s assessment echoes remarks made by top Russian officials, who have described the global situation as a hybrid war, particularly referring to Western sanctions and military support for Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly rejected claims by top officials from NATO countries that the bloc is not a direct party to the Ukraine conflict, despite its clear and active involvement. 

“NATO is already waging a war against Russia, but it is a hybrid war using the hands of Ukrainians,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in September.