Europe's defence: These Western European countries think World War III is imminent

Published connected 23/05/2025 - 16:33 GMT+2•Updated 17:55

A caller YouGov study has recovered that betwixt 41% and 55% of respondents successful Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain deliberation different world warfare is apt to hap wrong nan adjacent 5 to 10 years.

The immense mostly expect that specified a conflict would impact nan usage of atomic weapons.

The investigation interviewed 7,095 group successful nan 5 European countries successful nan first 2 weeks of April.

If different world warfare did break out, nan respondents expect that their federation would beryllium involved, ranging from 66% successful Italy to 89% successful Great Britain.

Yet location is besides a clear consciousness that European militaries are not prepared for a world conflict.

Only France believes that its equipped forces could efficaciously take sides nan state successful nan arena of World War III, astatine 44%.

The different 4 countries deficiency assurance successful their equipped forces' expertise to take sides their country, particularly Germany, wherever only 16% person assurance and Italy, pinch 20%.

However, study respondents were apt to return portion militarily if different world warfare did break out.

Britain had nan highest percent of participants astatine 89%, while Italy had nan lowest astatine 66%.

Where mightiness nan adjacent threat to European countries travel from?

Russia tops nan database arsenic nan biggest obstacle to bid successful Europe, pinch up to 82% of Western Europeans seeing it arsenic a awesome aliases mean threat connected nan continent.

Islamic coercion is nan 2nd biggest threat, pinch Germany being nan European state astir concerned astir this rumor astatine 78%.

As Donald Trump continues to make arguable overseas argumentation moves, much than half of nan surveyed group successful Spain, Germany and France spot tensions betwixt Europe and nan US arsenic a awesome aliases mean threat to continental peace.

Since nan commencement of his 2nd term, Trump has made threats against Greenland, and caused disorder pinch his shifting stance connected nan warfare successful Ukraine.

Greenland is location to astir 40 of nan 50 captious minerals that nan US considers captious to its nationalist security.

These minerals, which see uranium and graphite, are basal for manufacturing and world proviso chains, though Greenland's resources stay mostly unexplored.