Europe: Russia is a threat, but let's do nothing about it

Posted By Blake Hounshell Tuesday, September 23, 2008 - 12:09 PM Share

Here's an interesting graphic from today's Financial Times, related to a Harris opinon poll conducted for the paper after the war in Georgia. It seems that an increasing number of Europeans in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain see Russia as a threat, but few of them want to increase defense spending as a result.

Plus, Vladimir Putin is no doubt pleased to have confirmation that although the Baltic states are NATO members, in none of the countries surveyed would a majority sending troops to defend them against Russia if that country "were to take military action against them."

 

 

EXPLORE:EUROPE, MILITARY, RUSSIA
 

EUGENESUCKS

12:49 PM ET

September 23, 2008

As a sub-story to this it's

As a sub-story to this it's very interesting that EU respondents still consider the US the greatest threat to global stability and even American respondents consider themselves a greater threat than Russia.

 

CEOLAF

1:23 PM ET

September 23, 2008

Misreading the charts

Mr. Hounshell is correct that EU countries are not in favor of increased military spending, but that is not all that these charts indicate.

For example, in none of the surveyed countries did majority OPPOSE sending in their own troops to defend Baltic states, and in Great Brittain and France plurlalities supported the idea.

So, many of them want greater action, but rather few of them want to pay for it. Sound like any other nation we can think of?

Another interesting one: Respondants in the EU see the US as a greater threat to global stability than US responants see Iran being, and now the EU sees Russia as a greater theat than Iran.

 

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