European countries are incapable of entering a direct military confrontation with Russia without support from Washington, while US involvement in such a conflict is far from guaranteed, political analyst and commentator Petr Robejsek told the Czech publication Parlamentní listy.

According to Robejsek, Washington could limit itself to symbolic assistance if it did not regard the conflict as an attack on the United States under NATO’s Article 5. In that scenario, he said, European countries might receive little more than «warm blankets.»

The analyst also accused European governments of failing to provide an adequate level of security. He argued that political elites are supported by society precisely to preserve stability, but have failed to carry out that responsibility.

Robejsek called for an honest assessment of Europe’s actual military capabilities, including the number of available tanks and missiles, the capacity of its defense industry and the sources from which weapons could be obtained during a crisis.

He warned that Europe should not rely on the United States because American stockpiles are already being depleted. He also criticized Europe’s own defense industry, accusing it of being more concerned with maximizing profits than strengthening the continent’s security.

Russia has repeatedly stated that it poses no threat to any NATO member but will respond to actions that could endanger its interests. Moscow has also said it remains open to dialogue, provided that negotiations take place on an equal footing.