9mo ago

Europe must get ready for looming war, Donald Tusk warns

www.theguardian.com Europe must get ready for looming war, Donald Tusk warns

Polish prime minister urges countries to step up defence spending after Russian missile bound for Ukraine breaches airspace

The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, says Europe is entering a “prewar” era, cautioning that the continent is not ready and urging European countries to step up defence investment.

In an interview with a group of European newspapers reported by the BBC, Tusk said: “I don’t want to scare anyone, but war is no longer a concept from the past. It’s real and it started over two years ago.”

Tusk’s comments came days after a Russian missile briefly breached Polish airspace during a major attack on Ukraine, prompting Warsaw to put its forces on heightened readiness. Ukrainian officials have said large-scale Russian missile and drone attacks had targeted energy infrastructure.

Tusk has been using his platform to try to add a sense of urgency to Europe’s debates about defence and aid to Ukraine, amid fears about the future of American assistance and concerns about defence industrial capacity.

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35 comments

These war mongers instantly getting the billions that supposedly never existed for climate change.
- Confused why you think security from being invaded should be tied to climate change?
  
  you're both making valid points - but I think Linker's point was that "we simply don't have the money to fight climate change" loses a bit of credibility when it suddenly appears to fight the bogeyman.
  
  Fighting climate change takes systemic change, as to truly solve it we need to do away with extractive capitalism. Turning on the money taps to fund the military industry fits neatly within the current system.
  
  Not confused.
  Many European countries have reduced their military spending because of the tax-wallet, and Tusk is right to increase it.
  Yet, the bigger threat of losing livable planet is still in a negotiation phase when it comes to funding; projects that will need to be paid by the ( inescapable ) the tax-wallet.
  
  Climate change is also an imminent emergency. The conparison is apt. Funding was always the problem. If it was cheaper or same cost to be green, everyone already would be. Both are a threat. It just happens that a threat involving enrichment of entrenched companies in the military industrial complex is easier to approve than those portrayed as tree hugging hippies.
  
  The military is pretty damn green for what they do, at least here in the USA. We also get a lot of innovation from military spending, not just on the green front but medical as well. Wars are about as anti-green as it gets so ignoring one that could potentially cause major issues, seems the opposite of what you want to be doing.
  
  One is a real threat that will likely kill us all. The other is unrealistic fearmongering that has been going on for decades. Nobody is going to attack Europe.
  More money for war crimes to start shit in the middle east doesn't help. Let our governments find some diplomatic solutions for once.
  
  Wtf is happening in Ukraine right now? Or is that not Europe enough?
  
  An endless war that Europe never sent enough weapons for to win but just drags on for years and now Putin is starting to win it.
  Putin will still never invade a NATO country. The reason he attacked Ukraine in the first place is to prevent NATO expansion.
  
  Putin will not take Ukraine, the people are way to strong for that, and they're way to well armed at this point to try and occupy them.
  You do sound like a russian troll though. Thinking a mad man with nukes and a bunch of brainwashed ignorant people who back him wouldn't try and attack another EU country is hilarious.
  Also br attacked Ukraine and NATO got two new members...worked out really well for him didn't it.

35 comments