Europe Is Not Ready for a War of Attrition with Russia, Defense Officials Warn

Europe is not ready to sustain a long war of attrition with Russia, defense planners warned at a forum organized by the Munich Security Conference. They said European populations might not be prepared to support a prolonged conflict, potentially pushing NATO to plan for a relatively short war.

The warnings come alongside concerns that Moscow is gaining ground in hybrid warfare. European politicians fear that right-wing populist parties could advance next year in Poland, France and Italy. Most populist parties, including Germany’s Alternative for Germany, are described as favorable toward Russia and supportive of ending the war in Ukraine.

A former British official criticized the way Western governments have informed their populations about the Russian threat. A diplomat said governments had not sufficiently explained the scale of the danger. The discussion gained added urgency after the German government accused Russia this week of attempting a drone attack on Leipzig airport the previous month.

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Europe is stagnating at a moment when external threats are becoming truly very serious. These are huge and existential challenges that require greater integration in defense.

The Munich Security Conference is promoting closer cooperation among Europe’s five leading military powers. The initiative aims to place Britain, which is outside the European Union, at the center of European defense planning. The E5 group is already working on joint procurement for air and missile defense, precision strikes and early-warning systems.

Wolfgang Ischinger, the conference’s chairman, said, “Europe is stagnating at a moment when external threats are becoming truly very serious.” He called the challenges “huge and existential” and said they required greater integration in defense. Supporters say the E5 would not duplicate or undermine NATO, although some participants fear the United States could block a stronger European component within the alliance. One diplomat said, “Americans are better at talking about sharing responsibilities than sharing power.”

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Americans are better at talking about sharing responsibilities than sharing power.