In Europe, defense forces have increasingly drawn public attention to the need to increase defense capabilities, an idea that politicians have not wanted to share. At the same time, everyone might be thinking about how to manage the first few days when, for example, there is no electricity or water. This is also part of strengthening the country’s defense capacity.
If at the end of last year it seemed that Western aid to Ukraine was pouring in from every corner, at least the European allies are getting their legs out from under their stomachs. The European Union is in the process of agreeing a 50 billion euro aid package, and countries including Britain, Germany and France have also promised to supply Ukraine with more weapons.
However, Europe’s excitement has also led to the realization that the situation is no longer as safe as it was two years ago. In particular, the commanders of the Nordic armed forces who talk about time windows stand out. According to the head of the Swedish army, Micael Byden, it does not matter what the exact assessment of the restoration of Russia’s military capabilities will be.
“It might take three years, it might take less, it might take more. It doesn’t matter because what I have to say and what I want people to understand is that there is a window of time to prepare and do what it takes. There wants. We have a window of time that is very important. I have no other judgment than what I hear from other countries,” Byden said.
Biden’s interview two weeks ago caused panic among young Swedes. The head of NATO’s military committee, Rob Bauer, came to his defense last week. According to him, this can have a positive effect.
“People are surprised by it and as a result they buy a radio and batteries. It’s great. It’s part of the package that the Swedish government talks about. You have to have water, a radio and batteries and a battery-operated flashlight to survive the first 36 hours These are simple things, but everything starts with them. You have to understand that not everything is planned, not everything will be better in the next 20 years. I’m not saying that everything will be bad tomorrow, but we must understand that it’s not something to be taken for granted, that we live in peace and that we have plans for that,” said Admiral Rob Bauer, head of NATO’s military committee.
According to him, in recent years the armies of NATO countries have changed a lot, but now the rest of society must also change its approach. Prominent military personnel, civil servants and politicians can tell the people.
In Estonia, several interviews of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas with foreign media have also attracted attention, in which there are different opinions on the warnings.
“I think that mutual conversations with the heads of state led to the fact that Germany, France and Great Britain very seriously began to support more. I think that Zelenskiy’s visits contributed a lot to this. I think the work of Estonian diplomats behind the screen he contributed very importantly to making sure that Russia is an aggressive country and must be stopped. He is also completely reasonable in the parliamentary debate. The question is whether the head of state should pour more fuel on the fire “, said MEP Riho Terras (Homeland).
“It’s a kind of balancing act. On the one hand, we shouldn’t increase our social stress and that of other Central and Eastern European countries by constantly reminding ourselves that something bad is about to happen. On the other hand, it’s a kind of balancing act. balancing act. Emotional political pressure on those who still seem too dazed to understand the danger facing Europe today”, said MEP Urmas Paet (Reform Party).
but how to do it? According to the head of the Estonian Defense Forces Martin Herem, in addition to warnings, we must also explain what we are doing.
“I think the best thing is to be honest and show what we are doing to mitigate it. There are countries in the world, like South Korea or Israel, where the danger is always present and close. As far as I know, these countries “We don’t have problems with investments. Especially because these countries take care of their own security,” said the head of the Estonian Defense Forces, General Martin Herem.
A good example of this balance came on Friday, when Finnish Prime Minister Peteri Orpo spoke about Russia.
“At the moment I do not see a direct military threat from Russia against Finland. We Finns sleep peacefully at night because we are well prepared. However, all members of the European Union and NATO must prepare for all kinds of scenarios,” said Orpo.
2024-01-22 19:43:00
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