The West must step up! Russia's military superiority continues to grow

The military superiority of Russia over Ukraine will continue to grow if Western countries do not act quickly, writes the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, citing a representative of the intelligence.

"The invasion of Moscow's troops into Ukraine suddenly made Europe aware of the need to maintain large, capable armies. European intelligence officials say Russia is preparing for conflict with NATO in the next decade and aims to have a standing army of 1.5 million by the end of 2026, the editorial notes.

It is recalled that earlier Vladimir Putin defined the warnings of a potential Russian attack against NATO member countries as "complete nonsense". In early 2022, however, the Kremlin used similar language to ridicule American warnings that Russia was planning to invade Ukraine.

The WSJ recalls that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that Europe must prepare for a possible war with Russia by the end of the decade. He also called the abolition of conscription in Germany in 2011 a mistake and demanded that it be brought back.

Sweden, except for a brief hiatus in 2010, has relied on conscription to fill its army for more than a century. This year, of the roughly 100,000 young Swedes expected to sign up, only 6,200 passed conscription, meaning the annual increase was just over 10%. The country aims to recruit 8,000 military personnel next year and 10,000 soon after. Selection is based on physical and mental fitness, intelligence tests and motivation to serve, the article explains.

Evading military service in Sweden is reportedly punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to one year.