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"[Putin] does not stop stressing what he's really longing for, like, a renaissance of the Soviet empire," Pistorius said of Putin. "He wants to be the dominant power in Europe. [...]"
Germany's biggest defense contractor, Rheinmetall, and its subsidiaries have won a commanding share of recent government contracts.
Rheinmetall was one of Germany's major arms producers during WWI and WWII.
I don't think that something silly happening in the Baltics, Russia then invading say Estonia while the Americans decide to stay out of the fight directly, but continue to sell weapons to Europe and provide intelligence, is that unrealistic or outside the realm of possibilities. Unlikely, sure, but it's definitely something that can happen. If fulfills the ultimate Russian geopolitical goal of de-legitimising NATO by attacking it's weakest point, and testing just how committed Europe is to defending NATO's relatively new and smallest members. The US won't see the need to intervene directly unless there's a massive frontline collapse in eastern europe, but will be happy to sell weapons and grind away at Russia further, via European NATO instead Ukraine.
Outside of a "boots on the ground" type war, a long range conventional strike exchange between Russia and Europe is also within the realm of possibilities, and probably more likely than boots on the ground. Pakistan and India, two nuclear armed nations, had one this year. Israel and Iran have had multiple since April 2024, including a 12 day long one in June of this year. In both cases, more exchanges are probably inevitable before the decade is finished. Ukraine fires US and Anglo-French made missiles into Russia proper. Russia already flew decoy one way attack drones over Poland a few months ago. Styrofoam decoys with no warhead sure, but still very much an action taken.
the arrangement of an attack on a NATO country in a way that produced ignorable US losses would require downright collusion with Russia. US congress and people (as of 2025) would demand war for killing/capturing 10 yankee soldiers, nevermind a brigade or division
yeah, what's russia gonna do when one of the baltic states starts shelling their russian minority? cos that's what i fear is the next step here. i know estonia's been drooling to do that since the 90s.