[eptcyka]

I don’t believe the leadership sees Russia as an existential threat in Brussels. Baltics and Poland see it differently.

A pre-emptive strike would be expensive and immediately retcon into making Putin be the good guy - he’s long said NATO is the aggressor. Best to make invading EU to be too expensive to be worth it.

I think the bigger risk currently that Europe faces is the low and mid level corruption where Russian agents extend their tendrils into government structures in EU.

[TheOtherHobbes]

This has already happened. Just as in the US, all of the far-right "movements" in the EU are Russian fronts.

The two biggest targets are the UK and France, because both have an independent nuclear deterrent. If those are captured by puppets, expect nuclear explosions over European capitals.

This is not hyperbole. Russian government insiders have made it absolutely, unambiguously clear that Europe must be "crushed."

As a direct quote.

The real tragedy is oligarch complicity. Oligarchs and aristocrats in the US, UK, and EU have decided they have more in common with their Russian counterparts than with the native populations of their respective countries.

[actionfromafar]

Aristocrats pretty much always believed that.

[gnerd00]

How many armies in the world, have ever had a person in uniform demand that "the other army must be crushed" ? ok, is there any army that did not say that, to each other, or to an audience? Get a grip on the invective and do not blabber!

[redeeman]

> This has already happened. Just as in the US, all of the far-right "movements" in the EU are Russian fronts.

And you, singlehandedly have the supreme insight into all these people, to ascribe motive on them? Impressive

or perhaps its possible that some people just have their own opinions that is not yours, and MAYBE has some overlap with russian? (assuming that to be true)

I bet you share many opinions with Putin, for example, I believe he considers exercise to be healthy, why, by your previous logic, that would make your health advice a russian front?

[lugu]

> making Putin be the good guy

Come on. Who cares what he pretend?

> Best to make invading EU to be too expensive to be worth it.

How do you propose to estimate how much it is worth doing it?

IMO, it is best is to make the kremlin government collapse by all mean necessary. Including sabotage, assassination, propaganda, confiscation, corruption/trahison. And preemptive strike if needs to be.

[eptcyka]

This worked great in every other country where some other country believed the situation will be more stable if you just topple the current regime, didn’t it?