Europe is not ready for a long war with Russia: key factors weakening security

European countries are not currently prepared to wage a protracted war of attrition with Russia due to the lack of psychological and practical readiness of societies for a large-scale conflict. NATO fears that the rise of far-right sentiment and citizens’ reluctance to cut social spending for the sake of defense could weaken European security.

This is reported by The Guardian .

According to analysts and NATO planners, the threat is compounded by the Kremlin’s gradual victory in hybrid warfare. Russian disinformation operations, cyberattacks, and provocations are fueling the rise of far-right and populist forces in France, Germany, Italy, and Poland.

According to participants in a closed discussion under the auspices of the Munich Security Conference, most of these political movements are sympathetic to Moscow and advocate an immediate end to support for Ukraine.

British and Italian diplomats also criticized their own governments’ actions, saying Western politicians had “failed to explain” the true scale of the threat to their citizens.

As a result, they say, the average voter is not ready to agree to cuts in social spending in order to increase defense funding.

Previously, NATO intelligence sources have warned that Russia may resort to military provocations in the Baltic states or Poland if it senses the approach of the front to Moscow and St. Petersburg. According to Western sources, this is not a full-scale attack, but a possible hybrid attack.

At the same time, a number of European countries have agreed to develop a joint plan for evacuating populations across land borders in the event of war. Representatives of 10 countries — Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Germany and Sweden — have signed an agreement on the protection of civilians in the Baltic Sea region and Northern Europe.

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