Security chiefs in western Europe are warning of the possibility of conflict with Russia—and that their countries are
far from ready
for a war. The gap in military preparedness with countries farther east is stark, and in civilian readiness starker still.
Kriegstüchtig—a German word meaning “war-ready”—is one of the non-English terms that have featured in some of the big stories of 2025. Check out the
full list,
as well as our
word of the year
in The Economist’s mother tongue.
