The West is waiting for a big war with Russia, and Britain is already preparing for it
6 May 14:38
European countries and the United States are increasingly taking the threat of a new world war, primarily related to Russia, more seriously. According to a recent poll released on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day in Europe, a significant portion of the Western population believes that World War III could break out in the next five to ten years. Against this backdrop, the UK is developing emergency measures to prepare for a potential attack by the Kremlin, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
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Most are waiting for the “nukes”
According to The Guardian, a poll conducted by YouGov among residents of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain showed that 41% to 55% of Europeans and 45% of Americans believe a new global war is quite or quite likely in the next 5-10 years. At the same time, 72%-82% of respondents in Western Europe and 69% of Americans named Russia as the main trigger of such a conflict.
Even more alarming are the data concerning the possible scale of the future war: 68% to 76% of respondents assume the use of nuclear weapons, and 57% to 73% believe that the third world war will lead to even more victims than the war of 1939-1945.
It is noteworthy that despite the general anxiety, the level of trust in their own armed forces among Europeans is low. For example, only 16% of Germans and 20% of Italians are confident that their armies are capable of defending the country in the event of a major war. For comparison, in the United States, this figure reaches 71%.
Sociology has also shown that most Westerners believe it is important to preserve the memory of World War II. About 82%-90% of respondents are convinced that the history of this war should be taught in schools. More than half (up to 60%) express fears that crimes like those committed by the Nazis could be repeated in another Western country or even in their own.
Britain is preparing in earnest
Against this backdrop, the UK has already begun specific military preparations. According to The Telegraph, the government of Keir Starmer is updating old 20-year-old contingency plans to prepare the country for a possible Russian attack. The document provides for everything from protecting the royal family and government members to stockpiling resources and emergency broadcasts on the BBC.
London pays special attention to the vulnerability of critical infrastructure: gas terminals, nuclear power plants, undersea cables and transportation hubs. Government reports warn that an attack on these facilities could have catastrophic consequences for security, the economy, and public health.
At the same time, British military officials have raised the issue of creating their own analog of Israel’s Iron Dome system to strengthen protection against missile attacks. In addition, the new British strategy for the first time systematically takes into account cyber threats, a key factor in modern warfare that has become especially relevant after the intensification of Russian cyber attacks in connection with the war against Ukraine.
Given the situation, the UK is also conducting a strategic defense review, which assesses not only the army’s defense capabilities but also options for strengthening air defense and increasing combat readiness amid the reduction in troop numbers over the past decades.
It is worth noting that the British government has officially named Russia as the main threat to national security for the first time in history, despite previous attempts by the West to resolve the situation diplomatically.
Thus, the West is not only expecting a potential war, but is also actively preparing for the worst-case scenarios. Massive public opinion polls and governmental steps show that the topic of a new great war is no longer just a hypothetical one and is increasingly influencing the policies and security strategies of the world’s leading powers.
