Experts warn West is not ready for possible war with Russia
Illustrative photo: NATO has little time to prepare for war (Getty Images)
Western countries are facing the threat of a global conflict, but they are completely unprepared for it. Hybrid warfare is already underway, Russia is preparing to attack NATO within the next few years, and the state of military preparedness in the West is described as catastrophic, CNN reports.
Leading defense experts, as well as military and intelligence officials from Western countries, reached this conclusion during a closed-door meeting in London organized by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). They warned that Russia is preparing for an active confrontation with Europe. The timeline is no longer measured in decades, but in years.
According to some assessments, the Kremlin could attack NATO no later than 2029. However, the Baltic states could face Russian aggression even earlier — in 2027 or 2028. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has also warned of a possible future Russian attack, while cynical statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin demonstrate that Russia wants to attack.
Russia has already started a hybrid war against Europe, carrying out sabotage operations, launching drones into NATO airspace, and jamming GPS signals.
"We see drones outside airports, and I think that there is a growing sense that it is probably only a matter of time before one of these drones brings down an airliner," one expert said.
Meanwhile, the response from Western countries remains weak. NATO's plans do not reflect current realities, and even existing plans are not being implemented at the pace required. For example, the UK would be ready for war at best in about ten years, while the actual window may be only three to five years.
The report notes that Europe has spent decades at peace, cutting military spending while expanding social programs. That period is now over. Europeans are being urged to prepare for the worst. Finland and Sweden have already distributed civil defense and survival guidelines, while France is preparing society for potential wartime casualties. The era of reassuring citizens is over for good.
Russia prepares for war with NATO
As early as September 2025, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that the threats posed by Russia concern the entire Western world. Russia is shifting its economy onto a war footing, expanding weapons production, and increasingly mobilizing manpower to be ready for a war with NATO by 2030.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe Moscow is intensifying its covert attacks against Europe and has already entered the Phase Zero of preparations for a possible war with NATO.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged the Alliance to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP to avoid a situation in which Russia suddenly becomes significantly stronger than the entire Alliance.
