Public opinion in some European countries could be reluctant to support collective defence for fellow Nato members if they were to be attacked by Russia, according to a new international survey.
The report by the Pew Research Center - a non-partisan US think-tank based in Washington DC - surveyed attitudes in North America and across Europe as well as Ukraine and Russia to assess public attitudes towards the current Ukraine crisis.
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Among Western allies, it includes Europe's six largest Nato members (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK) as well as the United States and Canada.
While some of its findings are in keeping with other recent surveys, it also throws up what may be noteworthy trends.
What is particularly striking is the reluctance among many of those surveyed in Europe to get drawn into a deeper military conflict with Russia - either in Ukraine, or elsewhere on European soil.
Perhaps the most interesting finding is in answer to the question: "If Russia got into a serious military conflict with one of its neighbouring countries which is a Nato ally, should our country use force to defend it?"
This relates to a core principle of Nato's founding treaty of 1949, the "Article Five" which states that: "An armed attack on one… shall be considered an attack against them all".
On average in Europe, only 48% of those polled - less than half - backed the idea of their country using force to come to the aid of another Nato country attacked by Russia.
Among the countries surveyed Germany is the most reluctant: 58% of those polled said they did not think their country should use military force to defend a Nato ally against Russia.
France too was unenthusiastic - 53% of those polled were opposed.
Even in Britain - often seen as a staunch Nato member - less than 50% supported the idea of using force to help another member of the alliance under attack.
Although maybe the complete disconnect between public attitudes towards Russia and support for military action helps explain why so many fail to understand how fundamentally dangerous the expansion of NATO is and was.
Just What the Hell Do You Idiots Think a Military Alliance is for, People ? It's not a social club !
An Attack On One is an Attack On All. Which is why we (should) very carefully consider membership. There is no right to membership in a military alliance. There is no fundamental obligation to extend membership in a military alliance. This is Life & Death here. Quite possibly the survival or not of the entire Human Fucking Race at stake if we get it wrong.
And lest we forget, the entanglement of military alliances is how we started the Great War (aka World War I) just over a century ago. Will we ever learn ?...
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