Former Finnish military intelligence chief Pekka Toveri has warned of extreme tension in a world where dictatorships like Russia and China see an opportunity for aggression. Europe, he says, can defend itself independently, despite the possible absence of the United States. He said this told in an interview with "Espresso".
Pekka Toveri said the world is sitting on a “geopolitical powder keg” due to the United States and the West’s display of weakness. Dictatorships like Russia and China see this as an opportunity to seize what they need.
“Tensions are extremely high right now, and we are sitting on a geopolitical powder keg,” Towery emphasized.
One possible scenario, according to Towery, is a Chinese attack on Taiwan, which Beijing has been preparing for decades. Such aggression would tie up US forces in the Pacific, especially against the backdrop of rising tensions in Europe.
Even if the US military can't help Europe, Towery is not pessimistic. Europe has three times as many fighter jets, several times as many armored vehicles as Russia, and its troops are better trained and motivated.
"Europe is capable of defending itself without the Americans. We are mature nations with sufficient resources – we can handle it on our own if we make such a decision," he concluded. Without US leadership, defense will be more difficult with higher casualties, but possible.
