The War We Refuse to Name

Quick answer: Why does John Fenzel say Europe is already at war?

After traveling into Ukraine with former Congressman David Bonior to examine post-traumatic stress, John argues the conflict has already spread beyond the front: drones over Polish airspace, navigation jamming over the Baltic, cyberattacks on hospital networks, and propaganda. Denial, he writes, is the most dangerous weapon, because it lets aggression advance unchallenged.

John traveled into Ukraine with former Congressman David Bonior to see what is happening firsthand and to examine a crisis of post-traumatic stress touching nearly every community. You can't understand this war from a distance, he writes; briefings don't prepare you for a bombed-out neighborhood or a family who has lost everything. Much of what they saw isn't being reported. His argument is that this is not a regional crisis but a European war. It's fought in the air with drones, in networks with code, and in minds with propaganda. A navigation signal cuts out over the Baltic. A hospital network in Lviv goes dark. Drones cross into Polish airspace and vanish before sirens sound. Each incident seems isolated until you see the pattern. The belief that Europe is still at peace comforts, he writes, but it's false. Denial lets aggression advance and turns vigilance into fatigue. This was the first in a series of articles from the trip.

Why it matters for leaders: Naming a threat plainly is the first step to confronting it; denial turns vigilance into fatigue.

Q: What was the purpose of the trip?

A: To see firsthand what's happening and examine the growing crisis of post-traumatic stress touching nearly every community.

Q: What does John say containing Russia means?

A: Not provocation but preservation: of stability, sovereignty, and peace itself.

Read the full article on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/war-we-refuse-name-john-fenzel-fzeae

By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation