В США и Европе допускают начало Третьей мировой войны через 5-10 лет – The Guardian

Residents of the United States and Western European countries believe that World War III could begin within the next 5-10 years. These are the results of an international survey conducted by YouGov on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, writes The Guardian.

According to the study, between 41% and 55% of respondents in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain believe global conflict is likely, and 45% of Americans share this opinion.

The majority of those surveyed – from 68% to 76% – believe that in the event of war, nuclear weapons will be used, and the scale of casualties will exceed even the events of 1939–1945. Up to 44% believe that it could destroy most of humanity.

The main threat to peace is cited by the majority of respondents (72–82% in Europe and 69% in the US) as Russia, followed by Islamic terrorism. However, some Europeans also consider the US a potential threat to stability: in particular, in Spain – 58%, in Germany – 55%, and in France – 53%.

Regarding post-war politics, 46% of Germans believe their country has dealt well with its wartime past, although almost as many (47%) believe that excessive attention to the Nazi past has hindered decisive action in the present.

NATO, according to the majority (52–66%), has done the most to preserve peace after 1945. Also, from 44% to 60% believe that the UN has made a significant contribution, and 45–56% believe that the EU has made a significant contribution.

• On February 5, President Zelenskyy said that in 2025, Russian dictator Putin would deploy his troops in Belarus to draw Poland and the Baltic states into the war.
• On April 4, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry reported that NATO is ready to respond to the Zapad-2025 military exercises of Russia and Belarus , if necessary.
• On April 28, the Polish Ministry of Defense promised an "adequate" response to the joint exercises between the Russian Federation and Belarus.