If there is going to be peace, why are we witnessing the largest military buildup in Europe since the end of the Cold War?
When it comes to the key players on the geopolitical stage, it is far more important to watch what they do than to listen to what they say.
And right now, the actions being taken by the major European powers show us that they are preparing for a massive war with Russia.
Ukraine was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle for the European Union.
It is a vast territory, and it is absolutely full of natural resources.
For most European leaders, it is unthinkable that Ukraine should return to Russia’s hands, but right now more and more territory of Ukraine is being occupied by the Russians.
In fact, it is reported that the city of Siversk has just fallen.
Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, stated that the “Southern” group of troops took control of the city of Siversk in the DPR.
“The city of Siversk has been liberated,” Gerasimov said during his report to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Every time the Russians advance, European leaders feel even greater pressure to send troops into Ukraine.
It appears that the British already have at least some soldiers in Ukraine, because one of them has just died.
The British soldier killed in Ukraine on Tuesday was named L/Cpl George Hooley, 28 years old, from the Parachute Regiment.
Keir Starmer told the House of Commons on Wednesday that Hooley died in a “tragic accident” far from the front lines while observing a test of a “new defensive capability” together with members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“His life was full of courage and determination,” Starmer said.
“He served our country with honor and distinction all over the world in the cause of freedom and democracy, including as part of the small number of British soldiers in Ukraine.”
Did you notice that Starmer was deliberately vague about the number of British soldiers in Ukraine? Is it 100? Is it 1,000? Is it 10,000? We would like to know.
Meanwhile, we are told that plans are being prepared for a significant expansion of the French army.
France will this week become the latest EU country to announce plans to expand its army, with Emmanuel Macron expected to announce on Thursday that military service will be restored, albeit on a voluntary basis, nearly 30 years after the end of compulsory conscription.
Faced with the threat from Russia and uncertainty over the United States’ commitment to defending its transatlantic allies, Europe is rushing to strengthen its defense industry and its deployment capacity after drastic cuts since the Cold War.
Why would the French need a much larger army if they were going to negotiate a peace deal with the Russians?
And why have French hospitals been instructed to prepare for tens of thousands of casualties?
French hospitals have been told to prepare for a potential armed conflict in Europe by next year, local media reported.
In a letter sent to regional health authorities, revealed by Le Canard Enchaîné, the Ministry of Health asked hospitals to prepare for a “major (military) conflict” by March 2026.
The newspaper warned that between 10,000 and 50,000 people are expected to be hospitalized over a period of 10 to 180 days.
Something does not add up.
We are being told one thing, but plans are being made for something else.
Other European countries are also making plans for major military conflict.
Denmark’s conscription system was expanded to include women and service was extended to 11 months from four in June.
Estonia has universal male conscription, while Latvia and Lithuania, like Denmark, select reservists by lottery if there are not enough volunteers.
Elsewhere, Croatia, which abolished compulsory military service 17 years ago, recently reinstated it, while Poland is preparing a plan for large-scale military training for every adult man, aiming to double its army.
Is this a coincidence?
Is it a coincidence that all these countries are suddenly making these moves at the same time?
In Germany, military spending is set to skyrocket to unprecedented levels.
As the Russia–Ukraine war continues and peace efforts under Trump have failed, mainly because Zelensky and his supporters refused any territorial compromise, Germany is transforming its military with the aim of increasing the size of the Bundeswehr and meeting NATO targets.
This news dominated the headlines of mainstream media, but Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that the troop expansion will coincide with major technological and equipment development, as lawmakers are expected to approve a record €52 billion (about $61 billion) in military equipment contracts next week.
This would mark the largest annual investment in defense equipment in the country’s history, underscoring Berlin’s renewed push to modernize its armed forces amid growing confrontation with Russia.
As for the figures for 2025, previous approvals brought total defense commitments for this year above €33 billion.
Thus, next year they could double based on new projections.
If there is going to be peace with Russia, this level of military spending makes no sense at all.
But if there is going to be war with Russia, this level of military spending is easily explained.
On Thursday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte ominously warned that “we must be prepared for the scale of war that our grandparents and great-grandparents endured.”
Rutte called on member states to do more to prepare for the possibility of large-scale war, warning that Russia could be ready to attack the alliance within five years.
“We are Russia’s next target. And we are already at risk,” Rutte said on Thursday in Berlin.
“Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war that our grandparents and great-grandparents endured.”
While welcoming the decision of NATO members to increase total military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, Rutte argued that more action is needed, saying that member states must shift to a “wartime mindset.”
Which wars did our grandparents and great-grandparents endure?
He was obviously referring to the First World War and the Second World War.
In other words, he is telling us that we must prepare for the Third World War.
What the Russians want
But the Russians have told us again and again that they have no intention of fighting Europe.
In fact, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov used those exact words earlier this week.
However, he warned that there are some “red lines” that would force Russia to respond if they are crossed.
“As President Putin has emphasized, we have no intention of fighting Europe,” Lavrov said.
“We have no such intention. But we will respond to any hostile actions, including the deployment of European military forces in Ukraine and the confiscation of Russian assets.”
Sending large numbers of European troops into Ukraine would be truly foolish, because the Russians would start shooting at them.
And once that happens, we would be dangerously close to a nuclear conflict.
This is discussed constantly on Russian television.
Commenting on the death of the British soldier in Ukraine, one of the most prominent Russian presenters boldly stated that “a nuclear strike against Britain is inevitable.”
Top pro-government figure Vladimir Solovyov told viewers on his nightly show, “Now a nuclear strike against Britain is inevitable.”
Historian Andrey Sidorov, another supporter of Putin, said, “This incident should be considered a casus belli, when the British Ministry of Defense officially acknowledged the death of its active-duty military personnel on Ukrainian territory.”
He demanded that the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summon the British ambassador Nigel Casey or the chargé d’affaires “to explain what an active-duty serviceman was doing there.”
This is insane.
But this is how they see the world.
We must try to avoid the worst-case scenario while we still can.
The confiscation of Russian assets is another red line for the Russians, and it appears that the Europeans are determined to cross that one as well.
At present, EU member states are rapidly advancing a plan to permanently freeze up to €210 billion ($244.38 billion) in Russian state assets to finance Ukraine for at least two years.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is seeking to exploit a legal loophole to fast-track this move, invoking emergency powers to permanently seize the assets rather than holding them under rolling six-month renewals that require unanimity from all member states.
The plan envisages that €90 billion (about $104.71 billion) will be released over the next two years.
Von der Leyen’s plan would allow it to pass by simple majority, without being blocked by the veto of a single state.
Countries such as Germany and Spain have already indicated support.
This is a very bad idea.
But the Europeans appear determined to do it anyway.
Meanwhile, the United States continues to provoke the Russians by interfering with their closest ally in South America.
Yesterday, I published an article about the oil tanker seized by the United States as it approached Venezuela.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demanded explanations.
Sergey Lavrov on Thursday demanded that the Trump administration explain why US forces seized a Venezuelan tanker.
“I sincerely hope that the United States, even though it believes it has the right to conduct such operations, will explain, out of respect for other members of the global community, what facts led to these actions,” he said during a roundtable of ambassadors on resolving the Ukrainian crisis.
And Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly showed his support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone with Nicolás Maduro on Thursday to reassure him of Moscow’s support for his government, shortly after the United States seized a large tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
Maduro is under increasing pressure from the Trump administration to step down, while the United States is undertaking ever-greater military deployments in the Caribbean.
Tensions escalated on Wednesday with the US seizure of the tanker.
The Kremlin said that Putin and Maduro discussed a strategic partnership agreement and cooperation on various joint projects involving the economy and the energy sector.
A regime-change operation in Venezuela would severely damage our relations with the Russians.
But officials in Washington seem not to care.
In fact, the White House announced that the United States may soon seize even more tankers.
President Donald Trump is willing to seize more tankers off the coast of Venezuela, a White House official told CNBC on Thursday.
The United States seized a tanker on Wednesday that was allegedly carrying oil from Venezuela to Iran.
This action comes as Trump increases pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.
I feel like I am watching a slow-motion train wreck that I cannot stop.
I have been writing about these wars for so long, and now they are unfolding right before our eyes.
Personally, I have no idea why so many well-known voices are cheering for war.
War is not a game.
And this is especially true when nuclear weapons are involved.
The fate of billions of people hangs by a thread, and we must step back from the edge of the cliff before it is too late.
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