Preparing for the next European war

European leaders are learning from the success of Ronald Reagan

Three years ago, over one hundred Russian missiles blitzed Ukraine’s cities and military bases. Sukhoi jets crushed air defenses. Paratroopers seized Hostomel Airport; amphibious forces stormed Mariupol.

Poland or Estonia could be next within a few short years.

Russia has waged a grey war against Europe for years—disinformation, cyberattacks, sabotage. Its intensity will grow. Undersea cables will snap, industrial accidents will multiply, railways will fail, GPS jamming will spread. Perhaps a deliberate atrocity—a long-range missile downing a Swedish or Finnish passenger plane—will test Europe’s resolve. Putin will goad:

И что ты теперь сделаешь? (“What are you going to do about it?”)

Mariupol, before and after, the Russian invasion. Might this be another city in Eastern Europe in just a few years? Credit: The Guardian / Google Maps

This isn’t new. Russia downed MH17 with BUK missiles in 2014 and an Azerbaijan Airlines plane with missiles and electronic warfare last year. Diplomacy, ener…