The article argues that modern conflicts are increasingly defined by attrition, driven by three strategic gaps: the difference between nominal military power and usable capacity; the difficulty of achieving breakthroughs in a technologically advanced battlefield; and the detachment of military means from clear political objectives. Evidence from Ukraine and the Middle East demonstrates that sustained logistics, rapid technological adaptation, and proxy networks are now more decisive than sheer military size. For policymakers, this implies a strategic shift away from seeking short, decisive victories toward preparing for prolonged, high-cost engagements, requiring a focus on sustainable supply chains and defining concrete, attainable political end-states.
One wolf’s journey across Europe’s political faultlines
English Summary
The resurgence of wolves across Europe is a significant ecological success, driven by post-Cold War expansion and robust environmental legislation. However, this biological recovery has become highly politicized, creating deep conflict between conservation goals and rural livelihoods, where farmers feel threatened despite low actual predation rates. The EU's decision to downgrade the wolf’s protected status following political pressure demonstrates that wildlife management is increasingly susceptible to populist narratives and local economic anxieties. Policy must therefore move beyond purely ecological mandates, requiring strategies that integrate socio-economic support for vulnerable farming communities with conservation efforts.
中文摘要
狼群在歐洲的復甦是一項重大的生態學成功，這得益於冷戰後擴張和完善的環境立法。然而，這種生物恢復已變得高度政治化，導致保育目標與農村生計之間產生深刻衝突；儘管實際捕食率不高，但農民仍感到威脅。歐盟在政治壓力下決定降低狼的保護地位，顯示了野生動物管理越來越容易受到民粹主義敘事和地方經濟焦慮的影響。因此，政策必須超越純粹的生態學要求，需要制定整合社會經濟支持以幫助脆弱農業社區與保育工作並行的策略。
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