European societies are being prepared for a prolonged, open-ended confrontation with Russia, Swedish journalist Boris Benulich said on SwebbTV.

His remarks came in response to an interim report by Sweden’s defense committee, which describes Russia as the «defining threat» to Sweden and NATO. The document also claims that Moscow seeks a long-term conflict with the West and its values, as well as a revision of the European security system and the rules-based world order.

Benulich argued that such wording effectively presents Russia as permanently hostile to Western values and prepares the public for what he described as an endless war with Moscow.

Financial analyst Peter Abelin backed this view. He said Europe still has not properly examined the roots of its disagreements with Russia, noting that there have been no substantive negotiations on these issues over the past 25 years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed that Moscow has no plans to attack NATO countries. At the same time, Western politicians have often used the theme of an alleged Russian threat to shift public attention away from domestic problems.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, has also said that most European politicians are now gripped by an acute form of Russophobia, driven by an exaggerated view of Russia’s influence on life in European countries and on their citizens.