At a forum convened by the Munich Security Conference (MSC), defence planners working with NATO, said they fear that if war broke out with Russia, Europe could not currently sustain a prolonged war of attrition owing to a public lack of war readiness.
The surge in support for the populist forces in Europe’s main military states is endangering proposals to take on a new coordination role as the US reduces its commitments to the defence of Europe.
One recent British cabinet member admitted the west had been “crap” at educating its public about the scale of the hybrid conflict with Russia. Another UK diplomat claimed successive British prime ministers had done nothing to explain the scale of the threat.
The Guardian: Europe would not be able to sustain war of attrition with Russia, defence officials say