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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder if anyone has or is considering moving to a country that's less likely to be involved if Putin attacks a NATO country. (title edited by MNHQ at request of OP)

393 replies

Carla786 · 17/01/2026 00:02

I hope that if WW3 happened, I'd be brave enough to stay and fight. I love Britain & I'd hate to leave it or see it invaded by Putin.

However, at the same time I'm wondering about the recent rush of articles suggesting conflict with Russia is inevitable by around 2030 and that civilians need to prepare to be conscripted to fight if NATO is attacked. I'd always thought Britain being land-invaded was fairly unlikely, but being called up to fight in a NATO war widens the options of what might happen.

Countries that are less likely to be involved include Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland. I don't particularly want to move to any of these. If call-ups are likely to be imminent in about 4 years, I don't know..

The country I've always thought I'd move to if I did move is Poland (where I have family ties)- but of course that's far more likely to be involved in a potential war!

OP posts:
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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:41

umberellaonesie · 17/01/2026 08:11

The most worrying thing is trumps disregard for NATO. that is a more worrying catalyst to conflict than Russia.

Russia is eying up Poland, Lithuania etc though...

OP posts:
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:39

pinkstripeycat · 17/01/2026 08:22

My DH is a veteran. He served 20 years as a paratrooper. Hundreds of comments on social media from his brothers across the paras and the marines have all said no way would they fight for this country when so many of them have been treated so badly (abandoned with PTSD and left homeless) and with the state the country is in, when we’ve been overrun by people who do not believe in our way of life. Why should they prop up a country when they’ve already done that in Iraq and Afghanistan (twice) and they’ve been let down, cast aside and forgotten? These highly trained ex fighters are men in their 30, 40s and 50s who are the fittest, healthiest, strongest and patriotic minded men you’d ever meet.
These exceptionally fit, strong, airborne hero’s now in their second careers are runners, powerlifters, boxers, firemen, paramedics, police officers, councillors and fitness experts. They can handle guns, they can jump out of planes, they can drive all manner of vehicles, they are survival experts, even more skilled than they were as soldiers.
They won’t do it, they’ll take their families where they know they can look after them (plenty of places in the UK wilderness) so the rest of the country are on their own. Most of the UK won’t want to fight and won’t know how anyway.

Edited

I understand how they feel - the government let everyone done but veterans especially.

Otoh, will they have much choice if the government wants to call them up?

And what would happen to people living in the wilderness if Putin did invade?

OP posts:
GaIadriel · 18/01/2026 07:38

I don't think it'd feel right to me to abandon all the elderly/ill people and those that can't afford to move for financial or family reasons (carers etc).

Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:37

user1476613140 · 17/01/2026 08:16

Probably Finland.

They're under threat from Russia, on the border!

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:37

TomeletteswithGreggs · 17/01/2026 07:54

India? Just narrowly escaped nuclear war last May.
China? Likely to start the next war.
USA. Internal ICE war!

OP, what skills do you have?

Edited

Will train to be a criminal barrister.

OP posts:
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:36

TeenagersAngst · 17/01/2026 07:50

I think a fair amount of it also came from ChatGPT.

No, I didn't use ChatGPT.I did link to DM but also to other papers, & they were quoting a top military official. It being in the DM doesn't necessarily equal lies 🤣 - plenty of other papers reported his comments!

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:34

DLAtoPIP · 17/01/2026 08:35

I dont think Putin has the big plans everyone thinks he does. Trump on the other hand …

Well he does seem to want to regain USSR land....

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:33

Mischance · 17/01/2026 08:35

A country can be as neutral as it likes and still be invaded by nutters. Nowhere is safe frankly so just live for today .....

Yes, some are far more likely to be than others though

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GaIadriel · 18/01/2026 07:33

Isn't it really hard to move to NZ? I thought they were extremely selective in who they take and generally want people with specific skills?

Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:30

CantBreathe90 · 17/01/2026 09:02

Idk. You could move to New Zealand to avoid Putin, then Trump could declare war on New Zealand because "sheep are anti-Freedom" or something.

Who knows, these days?!

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:29

Cheese55 · 18/01/2026 07:28

There isn't going to be a war like WW2 again. Technology has moved on and ground fighting won't happen on the scale needed to involve recruiting civilians against their will.

That isn't what it says here...

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/groups-most-likely-to-be-drafted-in-ww3-conscription-uk-402000/

These are the five groups of people most likely to be drafted in WW3

With the prospect of WW3 becoming increasingly real, these are the groups most likely to be drafted if the UK introduces conscription.

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/groups-most-likely-to-be-drafted-in-ww3-conscription-uk-402000/

OP posts:
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:29

Lemondessert · 17/01/2026 08:57

I don’t think planning ahead is the answer. Trump is possibly trying for that now. No other country can stand up to him and he knows it. I also don’t think any country will necessarily be safe. Many countries won’t just let you move there.

Trump will probably not attack Greenland if Republicans stand up to him..fingers crossed they do!

Of course nowhere is 100% safe, but some are more so. And of course immigration laws etc need to be accounted for. It would need to be fairly soon .

OP posts:
Cheese55 · 18/01/2026 07:28

There isn't going to be a war like WW2 again. Technology has moved on and ground fighting won't happen on the scale needed to involve recruiting civilians against their will.

Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:27

Fearfulsaints · 17/01/2026 09:03

Nowhere would have me now when this plan is justvabout workable, let alone if war is immenet. Im stuck trying to make where I live ok. I dont have any shortage skills and I dont have enough cash in the bank. All my money is tied up in a house which presumably wouldnt be worth much in place where war is about to kick off and very hard to liquidate.

I did have an idea to go to chile at one point in my life for other reasons though

How safe is Chile? I know there are stable now but in fairly recent history they weren't.

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:24

BMW6 · 17/01/2026 09:05

Of course not. All borders close at the first serious signs of trouble ahead so their Governments can plan and organise for their people. They won't want untold numbers rocking up expecting the same protection as existing citizens - and of course sleeper agents and saboteurs will try and infiltrate. You could be executed as an enemy alien by the country you are seeking to save your sorry arse.

Exactly. This move would need to be fairly soon..

I think we are safe here for a few years...hopefully!

Execution is a bit dramatic I think but I see what you mean.

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:23

MangaKanga · 17/01/2026 09:03

Think of Michel Thomas, who escaped from Poland and ended up via a very dangerous route in France, just before it capitulated to the Nazis.

Europe is definitely not a safe option.

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:22

Cheese55 · 18/01/2026 07:21

This. Russia isn't going to invade the UK. There is a current drive to spend more on defence and a threat has to be touted in order for the public to allow it.

Russia might invade a NATO country & UK troops be called up to fight though. This could extend to civilian conscription.

Missiles, chemicals etc are a concern too...

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:21

DLAtoPIP · 17/01/2026 08:57

And the neutral countries won’t necessarily be safe either .

I agree. European ones definitely unlikely to be, imo.

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Cheese55 · 18/01/2026 07:21

Usou · 17/01/2026 01:27

Russia doesn't have the capability to invade the UK.

Missile attacks, possibly. If they decided to go down the nuclear route, that would be over fairly quickly.

This. Russia isn't going to invade the UK. There is a current drive to spend more on defence and a threat has to be touted in order for the public to allow it.

Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:20

Gahr · 17/01/2026 09:02

Putin will be dead by 2030. Stop reading nonsense.

Nonsense? So the UK army, German, French etc leaders I've linked to are just worrying over nothing?

Putin will be 76 in 2030- why would he necessarily be dead?

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:19

BMW6 · 17/01/2026 08:59

Exactly! The OP seems to think that bombs, Chemical weapons, Internet attacks etc etc all stop at border crossings! 😂

I don't think a country in Europe is a good idea, agreed on this.

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:18

Bikergran · 17/01/2026 08:53

How old and what sex are you? What do you envisage if it all kicks off, hiding in a safe country until the dust settles then returning to face those who stayed and fought?

I'm female & uni age.

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:17

FOJN · 17/01/2026 08:51

Is this another propaganda post masquerading as something else?

"Oh no, war is inevitable, where would you move to?" With a reminder about conscription. It's all part of the softening up process so that people will see sending their children to die as necessary.

I wonder why OP isn't asking why no one is talking about diplomacy to prevent a war?

Diplomacy may not be able to stop Putin doing what it's clear he wants to do : regain former USSR territories.

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Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:16

MayBeee · 17/01/2026 09:08

How old are you and do you have children ?
Assume you are female so unlikely you would be conscripted if you are bringing up children .
If you don't have children , then of course there is always the possibility , and a worry if you have late teenage children .

I am a uni student, don't have kids yet though I want to. Men my age are first in line to be conscripted. Women in general are third in line. Single people without kids are second in line.

It's unclear if women would be drafted into combat roles - probably? Not sure. Women ofc do fight on front line now.
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/groups-most-likely-to-be-drafted-in-ww3-conscription-uk-402000/

These are the five groups of people most likely to be drafted in WW3

With the prospect of WW3 becoming increasingly real, these are the groups most likely to be drafted if the UK introduces conscription.

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/groups-most-likely-to-be-drafted-in-ww3-conscription-uk-402000/

OP posts:
GaIadriel · 18/01/2026 07:13

Tbh I'd be probably be prepared to serve for my country. I'm young enough and have skills that would help. I can drive trucks, operate heavy machinery used in excavation etc, and have been working in the concrete sector for the past five years - could potentially assist in building military bases etc.

I'd likely end up in the logistics core though as truck drivers are already short in supply. I've worked with a fair few drivers that used to drive for the military - some in the anti-IED vehicles and some in more traditional logistics. My sister and cousin are both quite senior in the MOD so I'm not completely unfamiliar with it all.

This isn't some oil grab in the middle east. It'd be defending an ally who has pledged to do the same for us. You can be sure that in the unlikely event the UK was invaded by a more powerful country people wouldn't be happy with our supposed allies doing a runner.