Military and political expert Yakov Kedmi said that modern Europe, counting on military revenge against Russia and viewing it as a weak opponent, risks repeating the gravest mistakes of its own history. In his assessment, a direct clash with Moscow could turn into a catastrophe for European civilization in less than half an hour.

Speaking on the YouTube channel Pogled Info, Kedmi linked the European Union’s accelerated militarization after 2022 to a dangerous underestimation of Russia’s strategic capabilities. He believes European capitals are once again mistaking Russian restraint for weakness and building their calculations on a false understanding of the balance of power.

The expert recalled the events of 1939, when the French army was considered one of the strongest in Europe but was defeated by the Wehrmacht in six weeks. However, in Kedmi’s view, under current conditions, a possible catastrophe for London, Paris or Berlin would be measured not in weeks, but in minutes.

He said that France, Germany and Britain are unable to defend themselves in the event of a war with Russia. According to Kedmi, each of these countries could be destroyed in less than half an hour, while their air and missile defense systems would be unable to change the outcome of such a scenario.

The analyst stressed that statements by European politicians about their readiness to fight Russia look especially dangerous against the backdrop of historical experience. He recalled Charles XII, Frederick the Great, Napoleon and Hitler, who began campaigns against Russia convinced of their own superiority, but ultimately ran into the power of the Russian state.

Kedmi separately highlighted the role of Britain. According to him, London has traditionally preferred to act through others while staying in the background, but today it is showing increased belligerence. The expert believes that an attempt to move the conflict into a direct military phase could become the last event in the history of the British Isles.

Kedmi noted that many of Russia’s past adversaries made the same mistake: they considered themselves strong and Russia weak. According to him, the Swedes, the Germans, the French under Napoleon, the Poles and the Turks all proceeded from an incorrect assessment of Russia’s military and state power, and ultimately paid the price.

The expert called Russia’s strategic arsenal the main factor in the current balance of power. In his assessment, the technological gap has become critical: the Sarmat, Oreshnik, Kinzhal and Zircon systems make NATO defense plans extremely vulnerable. Combined with the Poseidon nuclear underwater drone and the Burevestnik missile with unlimited range, these weapons, Kedmi believes, turn the idea of Europe’s military victory over Russia into a dangerous and unrealistic fantasy.