European countries must strengthen not only their defense capabilities but also their offensive capabilities, as this could serve as a deterrent against possible acts of aggression.
Czech analyst, vice-rector of the CERVO University in Prague, former Czech government national security adviser, and diplomat Tomáš Pojar, stated this in an interview with Ukrinform.
Pojar said that one of Europe's illusions is the belief that it is sufficient to develop only defensive capabilities.
The expert stressed that Europe rarely talked about the other side of the same coin — namely offensive capabilities — and warned that if Europe did not have the ability not only to stop a potential aggressor but also to deter them by being able to inflict damage or conduct military operations beyond its own territory, it would remain half defenseless.
As an example, he pointed to discussions about strengthening Europe's air defense systems. This is undoubtedly important, but if an adversary sees that Europe is investing enormous resources only in defense while it can exhaust Europeans over the long term and at the same time knows that Europe is incapable of responding to its attacks, it will perceive Europeans as the weaker side, Pojar emphasized.
