ThinkTankWeekly

The Next Russia Threat

Foreign Affairs | 2026-06-26 | europe

Topics: Europe, Russia, Ukraine

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English Summary

While the war in Ukraine may reach an inflection point and Russian forces are struggling, the article argues that Russia remains the primary long-term threat to European security regardless of the conflict's outcome. This assessment is based on the fact that despite internal weaknesses—such as a stagnating economy and poor demographics—Russia retains the capability and vested interest in destabilizing Europe’s existing security architecture. Policymakers must therefore prepare for sustained, multi-faceted Russian pressure and potential military reconstitution efforts, rather than focusing solely on immediate battlefield victories or defeats.

中文摘要

儘管烏克蘭戰爭可能達到轉捩點,且俄羅斯軍隊正在掙扎,本文論述認為,無論衝突結果如何,俄羅斯仍是歐洲安全的首要長期威脅。此評估基於一個事實:儘管俄羅斯存在內部弱點(例如經濟停滯和人口結構不佳),但它仍保留著瓦解歐洲現有安全架構的能力和深層的既得利益。因此,政策制定者不應僅專注於眼前的戰場勝利或失敗,而必須為俄羅斯可能發起的、持續且多層面的壓力,以及潛在的軍事重整動員做好準備。

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