On the brink of war? Europe's leaders press on towards confrontation with Russia

Germany counted hospital beds for wounded troops, Lithuania mapped escape routes and Britain asked households to stock tinned food.

In the space of a single week, capitals from the Baltic to the Alps have taken steps that were barely discussed in public before 2022.

Taken one by one, each measure has an official explanation. Taken together, they point to something larger: The steady preparation of European societies, psychologically and financially, for a conflict with Russia.