"Through the early years of our careers, Europe was emerging from the shadow of the cold war. Governments of all political colours chose to take what was known as the peace dividend investing in public services and reducing spending on defence. That was an understandable choice at the time. Now it's clear that the threats we face demand a step change in our defence and security."
"As military leaders, we see every day from intelligence and open sources how Russia's military posture has shifted decisively westward. Its forces are rearming and learning from the war in Ukraine, reorganising in ways that could heighten the risk of conflict with Nato countries. This is a reality we must prepare for; we cannot be complacent. Moscow's military buildup, combined with its willingness to wage war on our continent, as painfully evidenced in Ukraine, represents an increased risk that demands our collective attention."
Europe emerged from the shadow of the Cold War and many governments redirected resources from defence into public services as a peace dividend. Current security conditions require a step change in defence and deterrence. Russia has shifted its military posture westward, rearming and reorganising based on lessons from the war in Ukraine, increasing the risk of conflict with NATO countries. NATO leaders committed to spend 5% of GDP on defence and security by 2035. Achieving that target requires hard political choices, prioritisation of public spending, clear communication of the threat, and strengthened collective deterrence to avoid perceptions of disunity and weakness.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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