Russia violated Poland’s airspace early on Sunday with a cruise missile launched at targets in western Ukraine, Poland’s armed forces said.
Russia launched 57 missiles and drones on Ukraine in the early hours, including attacking Kyiv and the western region of Lviv that is near the Polish border.
Most central and western European citizens, sure. Definitely not eastern Europeans, though - specifically, the former Warsaw countries are 100% fully aware of Russia’s dirty tricks playbook because many of them were subjected to it for the better part of the last century, as well as intermittently for several centuries before that.
Europe’s not a monolith. Western Europe just went in really hard for the peace dividend - and honestly, who can blame them for wanting to leave the bad old days in the past? Most people thought it was the dawn of a new geopolitical era where military might didn’t really matter anymore. Unfortunately, it seems clear now that that was a dangerously myopic policy.
Or, more succinctly: problems - predictable or otherwise - don’t need your consent to ruin your day. Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
Agreed. I don’t blame those countries for not spending tons of money on a military they didn’t think they needed.
Now, I’m looking at France cutting it’s social programs to cover increases in military spending. Agree or disagree with the spending or their PM’s choices, I hugely respect the idea that they keep a budget or try. The US hasn’t done that for…25 years?
I saw a good video analysis about France spending lately. I’m going to edit that in.
Edit: https://youtu.be/s1iS6ib45Z8?si=Q3EoIyBvAQp545uI
It’s just another opinion, but I learned a lot.
That video is really long, takes way longer to watch than an article. Further, it has loads of errors. The person really should’ve researched things more. E.g. the bit about the EU.
Didn’t notice the bit about social programs. But there’s quite a bit of lack of critical thinking. E.g. video mentions that the US doesn’t have universal healthcare because of it’s military spending. Which is not correct, universal healthcare is significantly cheaper.
Current government is pretty right wing. They love finding reasons to cut social programs. Then when on a longer term this causes problems they’ll blame it on everything other than admitting that social programs can actually be a cheap way to do things.
Well, it was done by someone who doesn’t live there.
Plus it was a former military member, as such, tend to be more supportive of military spending.
I hopefully didn’t suggest that the video is perfect.
It was more than I had seen regarding western EU nations and their complimentary efforts/spending.
There will likely never be consensus on a nation’s spending. Best we can hope for is not too ridiculous…😀
Well I do blame those countries as their complacency, naivete and sponsoring of Russia is what caused the war in the first place. Now they’re caught with their pants down with a massive war on their doorstep and they have little else to blame but themselves.
Well, there was a huge push after the cold war for globalization. It was supposed to be the next peace plan and war deterrent. It was for a while.
I would have disagreed with you, but after Russia started acquireing land in 2014?, I would have been concerned. Then they kept up their moves towards where we are today.
Now, I think everyone is a little late and reactionary.