Brussels Event – Dealing with Russia (KAS)

Ending my last European defense tour for OPEWI – Geneva, Budapest, Munich, Brussels, Paris. Some thoughts:

1/ The European Union Military Service (EUMS) is ramping up activities and staff. War gaming, research studies, new building in Brussels. Also a good excuse to share this paper once again on the need for European defence concepts: https://lnkd.in/grfp4tpB

2/ As discussed with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Europeans are ten/twenty years behind in defence policy thinking and therefore in defence decisions. While many still live in the 1990s by focusing on “reconstruction”, or “conflict prevention” or hailing NATO as “the greatest Alliance in history” (despite Afghanistan, Syria, Libya…), we have a war that is doing badly in Ukraine. See more here.

3/ Regarding Ukraine, we should be talking about military options to secure Odessa, potential rear troops, urban guerilla tactics, border patrolling equipment, European private military companies… this is not happening because many Europeans assess that a Russian victory in Ukraine would mean negotiations and the end of Russian ambitions.

END.