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Absolutely. The EU is now finally but rapidly adapting to these geopolitical changes. Defense budgets are now far higher than the 2% that used to be the goal th
by mcv 7mo ago
Absolutely. The EU is now finally but rapidly adapting to these geopolitical changes. Defense budgets are now far higher than the 2% that used to be the goal that nobody met.
In the 1990s everybody was eager to believe that war was finally and forever over. Some held on to that delusion for a bit too long, but not anymore.
- jacquesm 7mo agoMerkel has a lot to answer for. Handel durch wandel... pull the other one. After Grozny there should have been absolutely no doubt.
- mcv 7mo agoEastern European countries warned us, but western Europe, Germany in particular, but other western European countries too, assumed Russia was now a normal country we could just trade with. Under Yeltsin we might have been heading in that direction, but Chechnya should have been a warning. Putin's comment about "countries that don't matter" was a warning. Russia taking chunks out of Georgia should have been the alarm. We continued trading even after he took Crimea and Donbas. We have been way too naive.
- jacquesm 7mo agoPolitically, absolutely. Fortunately the intelligence communities are not as stupid as the politicians they serve.
- closewith 7mo agoThat's not true. Even including military aid to Ukraine, EU average defence spending remains at 1.9%. It's also the most expensive region in the world to raise a military.
- jacquesm 7mo agoThat was the 2024 figure. In 2025 it rose to 2.1% and this year it is expected to rise further. And that's just the direct allocation, not the under water part including venture funding of some of the defense industry (obvious overlap: anything including AI & drones, it's pure VC bait).