Niall Ferguson: I’ve Seen the Future of War. Europe Isn’t Ready For It.

KYIV, Ukraine — The war of the future is already here—and you are not sufficiently scared of it. Unless, that is, you are Ukrainian.Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine is now in its fourth year—or its 12th, if you date it from the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since February 2022, the country has cycled through three wars. First it was a tank war, in which columns of Russian tanks fought a bungled blitzkrieg. Then it became an artillery war, in which the two sides traded fire from entrenched positions. Now, however, it’s almost entirely a drone war, with a supporting role for small and highly vulnerable infantry units.The question is how well Europeans understand this. The people of Poland, Romania, Estonia, and (perhaps) Denmark all now know that Russian drones are capable of entering their airspace. But have they truly grasped what that implies?Subscribe to Unlock This StorySupport fearless journalism and unlock all of The Free Press—your first week is on us.Annual$8.33/monthBilled as $100 yearlyMonthly$10/monthBilled as $10 monthlyAlready have an account?Sign In