PETER APPS: Russia and Europe - the military scenarios
'In the event of an invasion, the plan is for many of their troops - mostly conscripts - to withdraw into forests and mount hit-and-run attacks against Russian troops'
This month’s G20 meeting in Hamburg showed Western countries still struggling for a strategy to stop suspected Russian meddling in their politics and hacking their elections. Behind the scenes, however, the U.S. and European militaries have been more effective in adapting to the actions of President Vladimir Putin and Moscow’s aggressive new military doctrine. It’s now just over three years since Russia’s war in eastern Ukraine redefined how Western states see conflict. The result increasingly looks set to revolutionize the U.S. and European armed forces as much as any combat lessons learned in Iraq or Afghanistan. The process is still in its infancy. Still, troops, aircraft and warships from leading NATO states - most importantly the United States - have become a permanent presence in much of Eastern Europe. And for all the worries about President Donald Trump’s possible Russia links and lukewarm commitment to NATO’s Article 5, U.S. military and diplomatic leaders have been robust ...
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