German spy chief warns Russia won't shy from military confrontation

BERLIN — Germany’s foreign intelligence chief warned Monday that Russia posed a direct threat and the current “icy peace” with the European Union could erupt at any moment into “heated confrontation”.

Martin Jaeger, the head of Germany’s BND spy service, told lawmakers that Russia was determined to expand its “sphere of influence further westward into Europe”.

“To achieve this goal, Russia will not shy away from direct military confrontation with NATO if necessary,” Jaeger, who took his post last month, said at a public briefing with members of parliament in Berlin.

Jaeger was joined there by the leaders of Germany’s domestic and military intelligence agencies. Although they mentioned other threats facing Germany, such as political and religious extremism, it was Russia that dominated t