Europe is capable of sustaining Ukraine’s resistance against Russia, even if the United States were to decide to completely halt its military support to Kyiv, the senior military official in charge of coordinating Germany’s arms supplies told Reuters.
Major General Christian Freuding said NATO’s European members plus Canada had already exceeded the estimated $20 billion worth of U.S. military aid provided last year to Kyiv.
They accounted for around 60% of the total costs borne by the Western allies, he said.
“The war against Ukraine is raging on our continent, it is also being waged against the European security order. If the political will is there, then the means will also be there to largely compensate for the American support,” Freuding said in an interview.
Considering that Russia is running low on missiles and other war material, and the shield that is Ukraine, Europe shouldn’t be too bloodied if it fights now. A Russia with US-supplied weaponry, possibly launched from a carrier fleet? That can definitely dig into France and Britain’s flesh.
Besides, the saboteurs that Russia uses is already damaging western nations. They destroy internet cables under surf and over turf, power lines, damage factories, hack systems, ect. Sooner or later, they will make a critical hit.
I would have agreed with you if I thought such a war could have been fought conventionally, but a single nuclear missile slipping through the air defenses would be too high a cost to pay for anything outside NATO.
Russia’s nuclear arsenal is likely unreliable, the Kremlin isn’t known for keeping their gear in good shape. That changes if the US supplies nukes or expertise in one form or another. Putin is weak right now, and should be tackled before he can tag Krasnov into the ring. Either the EU deals with Putin now, or has to worry about a stronger Russia down the line.
There is no good answer, just the ones with a less terrible outcome.