Weerbaarheid tegen Rusland: een niet te vermijden noodzaak

Resilience to Russia: an unavoidable necessity This article focuses on improving protection against Russian threats and it distinguishes between military and societal resilience. The first part of the article focuses on military resilience. What is striking here is that the Netherlands authorities greatly neglected external security in the period from 2014 to 2022, while the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 can already cause for concern. Nevertheless, the authorities felt no urgency to develop better protection against potential threats. In early 2022, the sense of urgency changed when Russia invaded Ukraine. This was the moment when urgency was indeed felt. The decision-making on military expansion that followed showed many similarities with the garbage can model of organisational choice. The second part of the article looks at societal resilience and reflects on a joint societal approach against potential threats, also called the whole-of-society approach. To this end, the history of a joint approach and the threats evident in the new type of Russian warfare are discussed. Moreover, the article prompts contemplation on actions to be taken, by looking at Sweden, for example. Resilience against Russian threats is now, unfortunately, an unavoidable necessity. It is not a rosy picture, but forewarned is forearmed!