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Colonel Douglas Macgregor warns Europe draft threats risk provoking World War III mentality in Russia

Judging Freedom · Colonel Macgregor: America's Military Empire Will Collapse · July 2, 2026
Colonel Douglas Macgregor warns Europe draft threats risk provoking World War III mentality in Russia
Judging Freedom
Judging Freedom
Colonel Macgregor: America's Military Empire Will Collapse
"The average Russian soldier, when he comes off the front line and he comes back to refresh himself, if he's interviewed, they say, what do you think? Well, I think we're getting ready for World War III. We have a serious threat from Europe. Well, there is no serious threat from Europe, Judge. It just doesn't exist."
Retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor warns that European rhetoric about military drafts and troop buildups, particularly Germany's plan for 260,000 active troops by 2035, is creating a dangerous perception among Russian soldiers that World War III is imminent. Macgregor argues this escalation is artificial since European populations have no appetite for war, as evidenced by mass demonstrations against drafts in German cities. He suggests the disconnect between government posturing and public sentiment could lead to dangerous miscalculation.

About this episode

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor warns in conversation with Judge Andrew Napolitano that European military mobilization rhetoric, particularly Germany's announced plan to build 260,000 active troops and 200,000 reservists by 2035, risks creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of World War III. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced plans to eliminate voluntary consent requirements for reservist call-ups, moving toward mandatory reserve service. Macgregor dismisses these efforts as politically unsustainable, predicting open rebellion if Germany attempts to implement a draft given widespread public opposition visible in mass demonstrations across cities like Cologne and Berlin. More critically, Macgregor reveals that Russian soldiers returning from frontline combat now believe they are preparing for World War III against a serious European threat, despite the colonel's assessment that no genuine European military threat exists. He argues European populations have zero appetite for war with Russia. The conversation also addresses broader U.S. military realignment, with Macgregor noting America is permanently abandoning Gulf bases and seeking new footholds in Israel, where thousands of U.S. troops may be stationed as insurance against what he describes as Israel's inevitable dissolution as a state. The discussion underscores the dangerous gap between government military posturing and public sentiment, with potential for catastrophic miscalculation between nuclear powers.

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