Europe could be far less secure than it imagines, warns British expert

Europe may be significantly less secure than it imagines, with a British war expert warning of a potential Russian attack within weeks.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a British military expert, pointed to recent U.S. intelligence warnings suggesting Russia could launch an offensive against Europe in the very near future. He highlighted the risk posed by Russia's development of new, often secret, drone launch bases designed to strike deep within NATO countries.

De Bretton-Gordon cautioned against assuming Moscow would refrain from opening a new front due to its involvement in Ukraine. He believes the primary driver is not military strategy but Vladimir Putin's own political survival. "Putin is fighting for his political survival," he stated, explaining that Russia's international standing has weakened considerably after more than four years of war in Ukraine and forced withdrawals from Syria, where Moscow lost crucial naval and air bases.

The expert noted that Russia's attempts to test NATO's strength are becoming increasingly plausible. Russia has long engaged in hybrid warfare, including cyberattacks, espionage, and sabotage. A direct military confrontation with a NATO state would be even more dangerous, with the Baltic states, particularly Latvia and Estonia, identified as potential targets. An attack on Estonia could directly impact the United Kingdom, as British troops are stationed there as part of NATO forces.

De Bretton-Gordon theorizes that a limited Russian assault could force the West into a difficult choice: respond with military force and risk escalating the conflict, or fail to react decisively and undermine the credibility of NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause. While acknowledging that Putin might be bluffing or bogged down in Ukraine, the expert stressed that if Russia is preparing an attack, NATO must prepare in response rather than ignore the threat.

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Putin is fighting for his political survival.