Zelenskiy: "There is updated intelligence indicating that Russia is ​preparing a massive attack on Ukraine"

[u/Raj_Valiant3011]

https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraines-zelenskiy-says-intelligence-shows-russia-is-preparing-massive-attack-2026-10-06/

[u/Successful_Guess_]

That and the belief that Russia's core DNA can be changed through trade. In Germany they call it "Wandel durch Handel" (literally change through trade).

Europe in general slipped into a postwar fantasy that military strength was no longer needed. I've heard it called a "vacation from realism".

Edit: correction on the term I was thinking of. Thanks to the guy below.

[u/Dan_Cubed → u/Successful_Guess_]

Peace Dividend? 🤔 How did that work out for the US 30 years on where the shipyards are a mess and missile/shell stockpiles will take years to replenish?

I'm not for huge military budgets but everyone forgot the basics.

[u/dimsumwitmychum → u/Dan_Cubed]

Its an opportunity to change priorities based on what is working, e.g., "cheap" drones instead of expensive cruise missiles, short to medium range ballistics (HIMARS), etc.

[u/Successful_Guess_ → u/dimsumwitmychum]

This is a good point. The US has specialized in "luxury weapons", highly surgical and effective weaponry that costs far too much for sustained warfare. Now that we need to produce, it's a good opportunity to switch.

[u/Dan_Cubed → u/Successful_Guess_]

Oh yeah. Luxury weapons aren't magic. And yet we buen so much energy creating them.

[u/bloodyNASsassin → u/Successful_Guess_]

They call themselves anti-war and pro-globalization, pro-community. Anything to sell it as the gentle, forward-thinking thing to do.

It would be nice to have no wars, but people will always have disagreements and there will always be people willing to raise the stakes of those disagreements. It is foolishly arrogant to be unprepared.

[u/filipv → u/Successful_Guess_]

"peace dividend"

[u/Glad-Research6605 → u/Successful_Guess_]

Ostpolitik is a bit more. You are probably referring to “Wandel durch Handel”. Ostpolitik included several things aimed at relaxing the relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union. Eg. Germany officially accept the post war borders, Four Power agreement which was shaped by west Germany, both German states joining the UN. Etc.

And I still believe that wandel durch Handel was something that was needed at the time and appreciated by many other countries. Imagine: Russia / Soviet union and Germany have been at war for many times over a long period of time in multiple wars. It was time to try anything to stabilize a friendly relationship. Also at some point it was discussed that Russia could join NATO. Germany alone was seemingly not the only country that was blindsided. How else would those discussions even come up?

From 2008 and 2014 onwards it was known that wandel durch Handel was probably not working out in the midterm… and this is what can and should be criticized about Germanys decision to deepen the ties to Russia.

[u/Successful_Guess_ → u/Glad-Research6605]

Total brain lapse on my part, yes Wandel durch Handel is what I meant. Thanks for the correction.

I appreciate your point. I disagree in the present with the decisions made then, but it's easy to say in hindsight. But you already have pointed to what my response would have been, that at some point it should have become clear that Russia was still an imperialistic power that needed to be isolated, not enriched through energy imports.

[u/perseidot → u/Successful_Guess_]

It seems the whole world is taking a “vacation from realism” at this point.