Senior NATO defence officials warned this week that Europe lacks the public resilience and political cohesion needed to sustain a prolonged conflict with Russia, should one break out. Speaking at a forum convened by the Munich Security Conference (MSC), an influential independent security foundation, officials said Russia appears to be winning a so-called hybrid war — combining cyberattacks, disinformation, social media manipulation, and infrastructure sabotage — that is eroding Western publics' appetite for confrontation and fuelling far-right, pro-Russian political movements across the continent. The concern is compounded by a suspected Russian-linked drone attack on Leipzig airport in August and warnings from Italy's foreign minister that Moscow is actively working to interfere in next year's Italian elections, underscoring how the threat has moved well beyond Ukraine's borders.