A pan-European survey has revealed that more than 50 per cent of the people living in Europe, including those from Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain, believe that a war with Russia is imminent.
The survey’s respondents said they are worried that the situation has escalated from the EU being ‘least likely’ to get into a direct conflict with Europe to now being ‘very likely’ to wage a full-fledged military conflict over its tensions with Ukraine.
Poland, which remains a frontline nation, sees 77 per cent of its residents agreeing on the possibility of a war with Russia, while 86 per cent people in France are in agreement.
An earlier poll conducted in November by a prominent French magazine, Le Grand Continent, revealed deep scepticism about Moscow’s intentions, with 81 per cent of the respondents saying Russia does not want peace with Ukraine.
Meanwhile, nearly 70 per cent others believed that almost the entire EU is underprepared, were a war to break out. Collectively, the NATO defence forces, apart from the US and Turkey, appear least powerful when compared to the Russians.
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Similar apprehensions were found in 87 per cent of Belgians, 85 per cent of Italians and 85 per cent of Portuguese; who all said they believe the possibility of a war is real.
Meanwhile, the traditionally pacifist Germany has also scored a high possibility with about 69 per cent of it people affirming that war appears to be a reality.
Interestingly, only 10 per cent of Europeans saw Donald Trump as a “friend” to the continent, while 48 per cent viewed him as an enemy, which was expressed by 62 per cent in Belgium and 54 per cent in Germany.
Similarly, in Poland, only 24 per cent viewed Trump as a friend and 47 per cent saw him as a hostile president.
On whether major powers “really want peace”, Russia scored the worst with 81 per cent saying they didn’t think so, while the EU scored best with 77 per cent saying agreeing to the thought.
Surprisingly, China scored better than the US amongst countries wanting peace in Ukraine, with 59 per cent hoping things de-escalate, while 57 per cent in the US said it was time for a truce.
The ECFR, the organisation behind the pan-European poll, said its report was co-authored by Richard Whitman, who said: “Europeans no longer see the Russia threat as distant or abstract.
The combination of battlefield stalemate in Ukraine, Moscow’s nuclear sabre-rattling and uncertainty over future US commitment has created a profound sense of vulnerability.”
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