[boxcigsnick]

I believe they would fight. What I doubt is their ability to go as far as a country like, say Russia, would. To remain in a long, bitter slug match.

Could be any number of reasons. The Russian government looking to rally their people around a common cause, maybe? Or some crazed nationalist thinking Russia should be at the top of the European power ladder? We are already seeing their leaders calling for Russia to return to its former glory, whatever that means.

Are they capable of it now? No. Will they be in the future? Maybe. They are currently revamping their military structure and strategy, at a time when most European militaries are being downsized and allowed to 'decay'.

1. That depends on a number of reasons, for example how far such an attack would go.

2. That all depends on a number of premises and interpretations. I see no reason to doubt that Russias business community and the majority of its people prefer to build their country, trade and travel instead of a confrontation that would be to nobodys benefit. And you should also see that Putin is among others the man of big business in Russia. The oligarchs that are backing him would be the first to loose enormous amounts of money in that case. And support for him also has to a large extent economic reasons regarding ordinary Russians. His governement is already for that reason unlikely to make any such moves towards western Europe.

3. That´s why there is no alternative to integrate Russia into european structures, though not as member of the EU and though that road will be long and rocky, since Russia is a difficult partner.
And western european militaries are in a period of transformation and restructuring ( for example through forming european army structures). That is not the same as decay.