Military officials say Europe would not be able to sustain war of attrition with Russia 

Western military officials have warned that Europe could struggle to sustain a prolonged war of attrition with Russia if an all-out conflict were to break out, highlighting concerns over military readiness and public support for a lengthy confrontation.

Military advisers working with NATO and the European Union raised the concerns at a forum convened last week by the Munich Security Conference, according to The Guardian.

They said European governments and populations were not sufficiently prepared to sustain a long war and urged NATO and the EU to plan for a conflict that could be brought to a swift end.

Munich Security Conference President Wolfgang Ischinger said the private foundation was seeking to develop a military format that could strengthen European defence cooperation beyond existing NATO and EU structures.

Military planners said European publics currently had little appetite for a prolonged war with Russia, particularly amid energy shortages and a cost-of-living crisis. That could limit governments' ability to mobilise resources and maintain public support during a lengthy conflict.

Planners also expressed concern that Russia could be gaining ground in what they described as a hybrid conflict with Europe, potentially reducing NATO and EU options in the event of a wider military confrontation.

A British cabinet minister recently acknowledged that the West had been "crap" at explaining to the public the potential impact of hybrid conflict with Russia. A British diplomat said successive governments had failed to adequately explain the scale of the perceived Russian threat.

"The level of the debate has been at that of a kindergarten," the diplomat said.

British ministers face the difficult task of persuading voters to accept reductions in welfare spending and increased defence expenditure, the diplomats said.

The British government's failure to follow through on a recommendation in its 2025 Strategic Defence Review for a national debate on the military threat posed by Russia has further complicated efforts to build public resilience, they added.

Another British diplomat said the divisions left by the Cold War had allowed Moscow to exploit concerns among European voters on both the political left and right.

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The comments reflect broader concerns among European officials that Russia may be gaining an advantage in the so-called hybrid conflict, which includes political influence, disinformation and other activities short of conventional warfare.

The Munich Security Conference has also promoted closer cooperation among Europe's five main military powers — Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland — to improve defence planning.

The proposed grouping, known as the E5, could take on a greater coordinating role as the United States considers reducing its conventional defence commitments in Europe.

But rising support for populist parties in the five countries could complicate the initiative. Parties on both the political left and right have expressed support for ending the war in Ukraine and, in some cases, taken positions viewed as sympathetic to Moscow.

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