The head of the German armed forces, Inspector General Carsten Breuer, has called for a rapid build-up of missile defence against potential threats from Russia. “We have five to eight years. We must set up a missile defence system within this period. There is no alternative,” Breuer told the Funke Mediengruppe newspapers on Friday. “We believe that Russia will be able to wage war against NATO states within a time frame of five to eight years. Until then, we in Germany must also be in a position to fend off such an attack,” he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin makes no secret of his intent…