Is Europe Preparing for a Wider Conflict With Russia?

Recent media reports and governmental actions suggest that European Union and NATO member states might be readying themselves for a war against Russia.

Government Actions: Outlets across the spectrum noted a litany of recent warnings and security measures from NATO governments. Among them were:

• Bloomberg (Center bias) reported that Germany is preparing its hospitals for war.
• The Guardian (Left) reported that anonymous EU intelligence officials said Russia could attack NATO in the coming months.
• Poland said Russia has "plans for hybrid strikes using drones and missiles against countries supporting Ukraine, including Poland."
• Lithuania said it has planned evacuation routes for its citizens.
• France announced additional security measures for key infrastructure and cyber entities in the face of a "Russian hybrid threat."
• The US called off meeting with Poland's defense minister, reportedly because of more pressing NATO matters.

'Fear-mongering' or 'Failure': Lily Lynch (Center) criticized "media and governments" for waging "psychological warfare" that "treats war like an unavoidable natural disaster." Lynch criticized European leaders for showing an "unwillingness – or an inability – to engage in diplomacy" and making Europe "less safe" as a result. Russia, she said, is making the same "reckless choices" as well. Lynch concluded by saying the recent media reports and governmental positions are most likely "fear-mongering" aimed at racking up more support for Ukraine. If it's not the case, she said European leaders "have a duty to do everything they can to stop it. And if they don't demonstrate a desire to stop it, then that can only be because they want it."

Show of Force: An opinion by Brett H. McGurk of CNN Opinion (Left) framed the recent heightened stance in Europe as a response to a potentially emboldened Russia. In addition to a recent Belarusian military drill near southern Lithuania, McGurk highlighted that the US charged five people for working with Russian intelligence last week and that Germany blamed Russia for a "drone attack" at Leipzig airport in August. McGurk said "one reason for the slew of headlines" about escalation with Russia is because NATO nations are trying to show Putin "that his aggression won't work." He concluded, "The best way to prevent a widening war is to make certain Putin believes it will fail. And judging by the urgent moves now underway across European capitals, there is growing concern that he may believe the opposite."

Normalized War Footing: Antonio O'Mullony of Brussels Signal (Lean Right) wrote in an opinion that the recent developments constitute a "steady preparation of European societies, psychologically and financially, for a conflict with Russia." O'Mullony argued, "Each announcement, framed as prudence, makes the idea of a European war with Russia sound a little more ordinary. What is harder to find is a convincing explanation of why Moscow would start one." He cited Moscow's reported slow gains in Ukraine as a compelling reason why it wouldn't logically invade a NATO state and criticized European leaders for not saying much about "what diplomacy is under way to ensure none" of the recent preparations are "ever needed." O'Mulloney concluded, "Russia says it has no plans to attack NATO. Whether or not Europe's leaders believe that, they are making sure their citizens no longer find the alternative unthinkable."

Misinfo Watch: Several major outlets, including CNN, BBC News (Center), and The Independent (Lean Left) have reported that the United Kingdom has issued warnings to its citizens to stockpile food in preparation for war, though AllSides was unable to verify this. O'Mulloney of Brussels Signal wrote in his opinion that the government's "official advice dates back to 2023 and covers floods, power cuts and cyber attacks."

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