this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2025
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[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (6 children)

Can someone help me get my head around Europe's fear of Russia? I've commented, many times, that the EU needs to get off their ass and take their neighbor seriously, but why are so many military and political leaders expecting an all out war?

Russia is struggling to kick their little cousin's ass. Even if they steamroll Ukraine next week, they seem seriously weakened, mainly in manpower, but also in steel and tech.

What am I not seeing? Why do these leaders think Russia could prosecute a war against NATO any time soon? I know we Americans are off the table, at least as far as trust is concerned. But NATO vs. Russia?!

[–] tomi000@lemmy.world 2 points 54 minutes ago

Its probably Russia + China or Russia + USA, both want the EU dead and their population opposing it doesnt mean shit

[–] Zabjam@feddit.org 21 points 1 day ago

I think Russia has shown that just because they couldn't doesn't mean they don't try anyway.

[–] gian@lemmy.grys.it 12 points 1 day ago

Can someone help me get my head around Europe’s fear of Russia? I’ve commented, many times, that the EU needs to get off their ass and take their neighbor seriously, but why are so many military and political leaders expecting an all out war?

Probably because they know that a war (big or small that it is) is the only way for Putin to stay in power. And Russia already shown that every treaty they sign is worth less than the paper used to write it.

[–] saimen@feddit.org 1 points 16 hours ago

I think because it is not only Russia. There is a new block building and China could try a proxy war via Russia.

[–] CAVOK@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

NATO is mainly the US + supporting acts atm. And the US has proven to be an unreliable ally, so...

Even without the US I'd still expect NATO to win, but you want to be so strong that the enemy won't even consider attacking.

[–] commiunism@lemmy.dbzer0.com -3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

EU countries bought a ton of weapons already, it'd be a waste not to use them.

Also just the rule of capital loving war - we're currently in a profit rate crisis, and war is really good to prop up the economy.

Also, having millions of working class soldiers and conscripts get put in the meaningless meat grinder is a sport for many nation-states.

[–] Noja@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 hour ago

WOW we bought weapons! It's almost like we have a gigantic threat looming over us! We, unlike Russians, don't start wars anymore. We live in democracies where war is extremely unpopular. It's insane to say that we would start a war just to use the weapons we bought for safety.

[–] Paragone@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago

THEN .. the EU's people & future-generations are going to be ground-meat, because Putin isn't going to wait until then, fools..

This isn't an institutional-reorientation exercise, this is survival, against a psychopathic sadist & machiavellian, with an army.

grrrr..

[–] EarthshipTechIntern01@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (3 children)

What army will Russia have in 5 years? Seems they're done conscripting civilians, they're halfway through the prisoners being conscripted.

I'll kind of be surprised if Russia's still a nation in 5 years. Putin may have put dtRump in office in the US to destroy democracy, but he's doing a fairly monumental job of destroying Russia himself.

[–] Kornblumenratte@feddit.org 1 points 1 hour ago

Putin just passed a decree that the active reserve can be used for counterterrorist action outside of the federation. This unlocks 5 million reservists. Whether his economy will be able to sustain this army after being stripped of 5 million workers, though?

[–] leriotdelac@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago

It'll still have plenty. It still trades outside of the West, it still has enough manpower. Russia would probably solidify it's decline for decades, but it still have enough resources to squeeze for the rest of Putin's lifetime. And, you don't need to be a superpower to cause a lot of harm, if the intention is there.

[–] plyth@feddit.org 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

they’re done conscripting civilians

Volunteers. They can only do conscripting for official wars. As we know, Russia officially calls it a special military operation.

Putin may have put dtRump in office in the US

The US was beaten at their own game? Where is the impeachment organised by the billionaires who are not in Russia's pocket?

[–] Melchior@feddit.org 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Russia has done large scale conscription, but it was extremely unpopular. As in a lot of young Russians left the country.

[–] plyth@feddit.org -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

What army will Russia have in 5 years? Seems they’re done conscripting civilians

OP must have meant conscrips for Ukraine.* You are right, there are conscripts. But they are not done because they are conscripted every year.

* the war in Ukraine

[–] floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 23 hours ago

Putin can't die soon enough

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 9 points 1 day ago

why 2030, russia is already doing assymetrical war with the west, due to cyberterrorism, aka propaganda and funding far right groups

[–] vane@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The actual documents https://commission.europa.eu/topics/defence/future-european-defence_en
https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/white-paper-european-defence-readiness-2030_en

In short they plan to print up to 150 billions euro with European Central Bank. There is nothing really about defense.

[–] Kyrgizion@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

That will be 4 years too late...

[–] finitebanjo@piefed.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Idk about how ready Russia will be, but China just finished building a partially underground military city and bunker 10x the size of the Pentagon in an 8 month project they were hoping nobody would notice.

They also specifically replaced all US based processor tech and cut off exports of rare earth metals useful in military tech such as platinum and palladium in the last year.

They're ready now.

[–] plyth@feddit.org -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] finitebanjo@piefed.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't really condone weaponizing space, and can you really trust the USA will be on the side of the EU?

[–] plyth@feddit.org 1 points 1 day ago

I don’t really condone weaponizing space,

It will be a nuclear war. China went to the moon for the same reason as the US. The satellites can help to reduce the number of successful ICBMs.

can you really trust the USA will be on the side of the EU?

Yes, because the EU will be on the side of the US. However, the loss of parts of Europe could be a sacrifice that the US is willing to make.

[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

How so? Or is this just an attempt at sounding sassy? One could argue it‘s 16 years too late but I would like to know what you think makes 2026 so important?

[–] plyth@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago

In 2024, the majority of MIC 2025's goals were considered to be achieved, despite U.S. efforts to curb the program.[

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Made_in_China_2025

China is taking over technological leadership. We have to fight the war as early as possible.

The Polish Prime Minister referred to a similar assessment by the head of the US European Command (USEUCOM) and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexis Grinkiewicz, with whom he had spoken shortly before. According to this assessment, by 2027 Russia and China could become strong enough to seek a coordinated confrontation with NATO and the United States.

https://feddit.org/post/16373509

They already seem to have shot down a French plane.

If true, would first time that a French-origin Dassault Rafale has been lost in combat, reportedly having been shot down by the Chinese-origin Chengdu J-10.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_India%E2%80%93Pakistan_conflict

In 5 years, how does the West want to outproduce China?

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/annual-industrial-robots-installed

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

So... too late?

Just in time