Can they standardize some kind of ice road driving experience requirement if you are driving somewhere it gets cold in the winter? It’s a constant problem with people who have never seen snow before racing around like maniacs on slippery ice roads in the Nordics, often with summer tyres. Both cars and heavy lorries from central and southern Europe often crash in the winter, and they’re always surprised at ice being more difficult to drive on than plain asphalt. There’s a reason it’s an obligatory part of driving education in the north.

They’ve been ramping up acquisition and production as much as they reasonably can the last few years. The rest of us should really follow their example. Luckily the production is increasing all over Europe, though it should have begun much much sooner than this. The hard part going forward is manpower (as stated in the article), and all the command structures needing to be rebuilt without the US. And, over time removing the dependence on America for air defence, both planes and land-based missile defences. Fully local drone production is also going to be a game changer, as we have seen the importance of drones in Ukraine.

God, they’re so desperate for the smallest possible propaganda win to spin into something big. They really aren’t update to date on what goes on outside their own backyard.