NBC News draws attention to the fact that in various countries in Europe, signs can be seen that the continent is preparing for a potential invasion by the aggressor country Russia.
Points of attention
- European leaders are warning about Russia's active preparations for a possible war with the West.
- Currently, there are differences in the perception of these threats between countries closer to Russia and those further away.
Europe is still preparing for war with Russia
According to journalists, Lithuania is preparing to mine bridges leading to the Russian Federation.
Moreover, in the Baltic Sea, Alliance ships are hunting the Russian "shadow fleet", which is accused of cutting underwater communication cables.
It also recently became known that they want to build a large missile defense system in the skies over Europe, which will be similar to the Israeli "Iron Dome".
All of these facts indicate that European leaders and citizens are actually afraid that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin might move further if Ukraine falls.
There is also widespread nervousness that the new US president, an isolationist, has suggested that he might not defend America's historic NATO allies if they come under attack from Russia.
Russia's neighbors are at risk
For a long time, European leaders have been warning that Russia is actively preparing for war with the West.
As retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, a former commander of the US Army, noted, EU countries are indeed aware of the risks and threats.
The countries of Eastern Europe, which are closer to the Russian border, "know that this is real because they live there."
However, the problem is that people who live in Western Europe or the USA, that is, far from Russia, continue to claim that Putin is bluffing and there will never be a war.
"Europe must be prepared for unthinkable military contingencies. Simply put, to prevent war, we must spend more. If we wait longer, it will cost us more," said an EU insider.
