George Friedman, founder of the analytical platform Geopolitical Futures, declared that Russia's hybrid warfare - drones over airports, cyberattacks, election interference - is a sign of weakness, not hidden power.
The analyst reached this conclusion on the Geopolitical Futures podcast following the Munich Security Conference, "Hvylya" reports.
"Hybrid warfare means: 'I cannot wage a real war, so I'll cause minor mischief on the periphery,'" Friedman stated. Europeans, he argued, deliberately substitute genuine threat assessment with invented dangers that are actually easy to handle. The Munich Security Report identified a surge in Russian sabotage and cyberattacks within the EU.
Asked whether European nations could counter hybrid threats on their own, Friedman responded bluntly: "If Europeans can't cope with this, they have no right to be independent states. They should be turned over to UN management and treated as third-world countries."
The analyst emphasized that one way Europeans dodge hard choices is by denying reality. Rather than acknowledging Russia's weakness and taking responsibility for their own defense, they manufacture threats that allow them to keep demanding American protection. The EU has meanwhile stepped up its response, targeting Chinese and Turkish firms in a milestone 20th sanctions package.
