"But let's be clear-eyed about Russia: Russia is no superpower. After more than a decade of a conflict, including 4 years of full-scale war in Ukraine. Russia has barely advanced beyond the 2014 lines, and the cost? 1.2 million casualties. Today, Russia is broken, its economy is in shreds. It is disconnected from the European energy markets and its own citizens are fleeing."
"He says when you're increasing defence budgets often by cutting other spejnding - you cannot then spend it abroad to subsidise a factory in Kentucky in the US. This makes no sense, he says. He says it's also about the control of use, export, and technological knowhow that comes with it. We know that when you buy a weapon from another area, it comes with strings attached."
Russia continues to pose a significant challenge that begins in Ukraine but aims beyond Donbas through attempts to sabotage or undermine EU countries. Russia is characterized as no superpower after more than a decade of conflict, including four years of full-scale war in Ukraine. Russian forces have barely advanced beyond the 2014 lines at a cost of roughly 1.2 million casualties. The Russian economy is severely damaged, disconnected from European energy markets, and experiencing citizen flight. The greatest near-term Russian threat is political gains at negotiation tables rather than battlefield advances. European defence procurement preference is urged to preserve industrial jobs, control of use and exports, and technological know-how, since foreign acquisitions often carry operational restrictions.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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