Europe Gears Up for War, Part 4 – EU Leaders Raise Specter of Nuclear Arms

Mass conscription of women, sending Western troops to support Ukraine, and striking targets inside Russia — these are just a few of the increasingly pro-war statements made by leaders of EU member states. Magyar Nemzet continues its series on European rearmament, which may also reflect an intention to prepare for a potential future war. In this fourth installment, we highlight how statements advocating for the continuation and expansion of the Russia–Ukraine war risk becoming self-fulfilling prophecies, jeopardizing the entire continent's security.

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk visiting Polish border guards on March 22, 2025. (Photo: Aleksander Kalka / NurPhoto / AFP)

"Ukrainians must be able to strike Russian territory, supply lines, and military units preparing to attack Ukraine, he said, also calling for the return of Western military trainers to Ukraine to accelerate the training of new troops.

Britain's War Fever

Statements by British politicians also indicate that the country's leadership is similarly suffering from war fever. Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently stated that the UK was prepared to deploy both ground forces and air assets — "boots on the ground and planes in the air" — to support Ukraine. Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Rob Magowan, Deputy Chief of the British Defense Staff, said the British military would immediately swing into action if Russia invaded Eastern Europe.

"If the British Army were called to fight tonight, it would fight tonight,"

Magowan declared before Parliament’s Defense Committee 

Various think tanks are also fueling war panic. Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Service warned in a February report that Russia could launch a war against EU countries within the coming years. The report suggested that if Russia perceives NATO as militarily weak or politically divided, a large-scale war in Europe could break out within five years — and even in the nearer term, a regional conflict around the Baltic Sea is possible within two years.

A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

However, the spread of war panic risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, warns Professor Bart Cammaerts, a communications expert at the London School of Economics. He pointed to historical examples showing that when nations prepare for war “in the name of peace,” it often ends up triggering the very conflict they hoped to avoid. Alarmingly, an Atlantic Council survey found that over 40% of security experts believe a multi-front war among major powers could break out by 2035.

Sanity Among the Public

Despite these escalating political tensions, most Europeans are still maintaining a rational outlook. Two major international surveys conducted last year found that a majority of people across Europe favor a negotiated settlement in Ukraine — even if that means Russia retains control over some Ukrainian territories. A YouGov poll in seven Western European countries revealed a strong increase in support for diplomacy. Similarly, the European Council on Foreign Relations’ survey across 15 European countries found that most citizens prefer negotiations over prolonged conflict.