Ukraine has proved that the side that can innovate fastest and deliver lethality at the lowest costs will win, writes Blythe Crawford

During this week of Remembrance, as we honour those who gave their lives for our security and values, Europe faces a stark awakening. Russia has escalated missile and drone assaults across Ukraine, struck a gathering of Ukrainian soldiers in Pokrovsk, and reportedly conducted new nuclear weapons tests — actions that underscore its intent to escalate, not de-escalate. At the same time, NATO allies have been forced to scramble jets after repeated airspace violations, including the recent incursion of Russian MiG-31s into Estonian airspace. Each of these incidents sends the same unmistakable message: Europe must turn bigger defence budgets into real equipment, faster.

Last week at Fort McNair, Pete Hegseth delivered a blistering critique of the Pentagon’s bureaucracy, paraphrasing Donald Rumsfeld’s warning about an adversary that “stifles free thought and crushes new ideas, placing the lives of our uniformed personnel at risk.” Having served in military headquarters on both sides of the Atlantic, I can confirm this........

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