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Original poster

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!

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Mapleleaf114 · 18/01/2026 05:34

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!

Switch off the TV.

pollyglot · 18/01/2026 05:00

Kanga - right on the nail. The boomerangers will insist in buying in Auckland and then bitching. We south of the Bombay Hills and north of Wellsford refer to the inhabitants of that stuck-up city as "Jafas" - "Just Another Fucking Aucklander." For the real Kiwis, seek and ye shall find, in the hills and mountains, beach settlements, farms, small provincial towns...we're actually a bit of a dying breed, sadly. DH is working on his accent with great energy...

MangaKanga · 18/01/2026 04:51

pollyglot · 18/01/2026 04:44

MangaKanga · Today 01:56

NZ is a terrific place. But I think it can be hard for foreigners to ever feel they belong there, maybe? If you aren't tangata whenua or of a long standing pakeha family.

Not sure if that is strictly correct, Kanga. DH is a recent Pom import and feels 100% Kiwi. He has a Maori mate in the supermarket who jokes with him every
time they meet about his Pommie accent. DH says "Yeah nah, I'm as Kiwi as you, mate." (Note the "yeah nah" - compulsory Kiwi speak.)We had an Open Home Christmas chez nous, and had: two Germans, two Dutch, one Pom (DH - hasn't yet had the operation - the one that gives you the funny accent), one Aussie, two Americans, 5 Kiwis, one with a Pom father and Maori mum. We all feel that we belong here. Immigrants all, at some stage or other. We had a whale of a Christmas.

Edited

Really glad to hear that. I was mostly going by the whinging on here of the boomerang Poms. For some reason they seem bitch about New Zealand more than Australia, which is ridiculous given your wonderful lack of snakes and huge eight legged things.

Hope your husband gets his op soon and can order fushandchups with the best of them.

pollyglot · 18/01/2026 04:44

MangaKanga · Today 01:56

NZ is a terrific place. But I think it can be hard for foreigners to ever feel they belong there, maybe? If you aren't tangata whenua or of a long standing pakeha family.

Not sure if that is strictly correct, Kanga. DH is a recent Pom import and feels 100% Kiwi. He has a Maori mate in the supermarket who jokes with him every
time they meet about his Pommie accent. DH says "Yeah nah, I'm as Kiwi as you, mate." (Note the "yeah nah" - compulsory Kiwi speak.)We had an Open Home Christmas chez nous, and had: two Germans, two Dutch, one Pom (DH - hasn't yet had the operation - the one that gives you the funny accent), one Aussie, two Americans, 5 Kiwis, one with a Pom father and Maori mum. We all feel that we belong here. Immigrants all, at some stage or other. We had a whale of a Christmas.

Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 03:36

Tezza1 · 18/01/2026 03:36

Apologies. My bizarre sounding post, several up, is in response to the poster who said they were planning to move to Tristan da Cunha. I thought I had quoted their post, but obviously not.

Good point though, NZ has volcanoes too. Also earthquakes!

Uruguay has had an earthquake but that was in 1880s.

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Tezza1 · 18/01/2026 03:36

Apologies. My bizarre sounding post, several up, is in response to the poster who said they were planning to move to Tristan da Cunha. I thought I had quoted their post, but obviously not.

Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 02:29

paddleboardingmum · 18/01/2026 00:57

We don't know how much longer Trump will be in post for really do we. Most Americans won't want to break up NATO.

Moving to NZ is OTT here but if you reckon you can get in and want to, then go for it. Worrying about things you can't control or predict is quite pointless.

Good point re Trump. You never know with Vance but I can't see him as a strutting strongman on the world stage in quite the same way. Assuming Vance wins.

Farage, on course to be PM right now, may be less willing to get involved in war, though his attitude to Russia is pretty worryingly friendly, arguably, so that's not exactly a comfort.

Putin : who knows?

One thing I do think is that Russians will probably NOT want to fight war after war. There have been heavy casualties and though many probably do think the West is a threat, surely many would agree that wars to capture Poland, Lithuania, & who knows where else are probably not worth the cost?

Obviously Putin is dictator so it's hard to defy him, to put it mildly. But he has to pay at least a little attention to public opinion, surely? The Chinese government are dictators but they still try to keep a generally happy populace via raised living standards etc , something Putin has hardly done...

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SouthernNights59 · 18/01/2026 02:26

Tikitaka20 · 17/01/2026 23:59

There’s very few jobs in NZ at the moment, so will be hard to get a job there. Lots of people in NZ are moving to Australia to find work.

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People have always moved to Australia. They generally go to earn higher wages rather than because they can't find work.

Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 02:23

Tadpolesinponds · 18/01/2026 02:08

I think you should leave the country now, OP. If you wait much longer hordes of people will be trying to get into New Zealand and you'll have no chance. I also think that if you're this concerned about the future of the planet (and I don't blame you), you definitely shouldn't be planning to have children. It's just not fair on them.

I don't think we're going to be in a global hellstorm where no country is safe any time soon..what I do think is that Putin poses a much bigger threat than many people on this thread want to consider. I think having children in a more potentially safe environment is different (hopefully!)

Anyway, I'm not having kids until I'm 29 or so. Maybe things will be different then. Hopefully for the better...

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Tadpolesinponds · 18/01/2026 02:08

I think you should leave the country now, OP. If you wait much longer hordes of people will be trying to get into New Zealand and you'll have no chance. I also think that if you're this concerned about the future of the planet (and I don't blame you), you definitely shouldn't be planning to have children. It's just not fair on them.

MangaKanga · 18/01/2026 01:56

Moving to Oz is difficult but not impossible. Choose your training course carefully. Be warned that they abruptly change the criteria from time to time.

NZ is a terrific place. But I think it can be hard for foreigners to ever feel they belong there, maybe? If you aren't tangata whenua or of a long standing pakeha family.

paddleboardingmum · 18/01/2026 00:57

We don't know how much longer Trump will be in post for really do we. Most Americans won't want to break up NATO.

Moving to NZ is OTT here but if you reckon you can get in and want to, then go for it. Worrying about things you can't control or predict is quite pointless.

BusyPeachEagle · 18/01/2026 00:40

Carla786 · 18/01/2026 00:33

I would prefer Aus. I had an uncle who moved there when I was very small - he used to send books about it when he visited & I've been a bit obsessed ever since.

However I believe Aus is more likely to be involved in a war.

I don't know a great deal about NZ, but most of what I know is positive.

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Tezza1 · 18/01/2026 00:38

Didn't the islanders all have to evacuated for a couple of years in the 1960s after a volcanic eruption?

Perhaps an Antarctic base?

Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 00:33

EasternStandard · 17/01/2026 19:30

If you’re young / no dc yet it’s fine to think about a big move. Going by the NATO comment you’re better off going further, out of Europe.

Aus or NZ could work for you. They have strict entry criteria though.

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I would prefer Aus. I had an uncle who moved there when I was very small - he used to send books about it when he visited & I've been a bit obsessed ever since.

However I believe Aus is more likely to be involved in a war.

I don't know a great deal about NZ, but most of what I know is positive.

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Migrainedays · 18/01/2026 00:11

If ww3 happens it happens could not give a toss.

BusyPeachEagle · 18/01/2026 00:06

Tikitaka20 · 17/01/2026 23:59

There’s very few jobs in NZ at the moment, so will be hard to get a job there. Lots of people in NZ are moving to Australia to find work.

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I think this is a challenge in most places at the moment. Australia included.

Tikitaka20 · 17/01/2026 23:59

BusyPeachEagle · 17/01/2026 21:50

They didn't invade but I'm sure they have been there as peacekeepers later, but there's been more than one war in that area, so I don't know which is which. Move to NZ then, hopefully you find your place there and love it. You will also find they have their own, different, issues and concerns. No place is perfect.

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There’s very few jobs in NZ at the moment, so will be hard to get a job there. Lots of people in NZ are moving to Australia to find work.

Original poster
Carla786 · 17/01/2026 23:51

bombastix · 17/01/2026 21:24

Tbh no I don’t worry about it but the point on geography and neutrality is a good one. You’d need to be in a different continent!

Plus good luck immigrating into Switzerland without a large income.

Yes, I also don't think Switzerland is necessarily safer. I've ruled it out.

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Original poster
Carla786 · 17/01/2026 23:50

MangaKanga · 17/01/2026 21:17

This is my stance, swapping the UK for Australia-- though the UK is even more enmeshed and spineless in tagging along with the USA's continuing imperial wars.

This puffy faced prick commands our kids to go die in America's wars, and we are supposed to stand by and seal clap that?

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If Putin starts a war, how would that be America's war?

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Original poster
Carla786 · 17/01/2026 23:50

Elbowpatch · 17/01/2026 21:54

I think it would be a false sense of security to think you could hide out in NZ.

Particularly if NZ joins AUKUS Pillar 2.

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Good point, that must be considered.

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Original poster
Carla786 · 17/01/2026 23:49

Fantomfartflinger · 17/01/2026 22:11

Why do you think Switzerland would take you? It is hard enough to get in there now, let alone in an emergency when tons of others with priority like already being a citizen or some prior link would be.

Each Swiss citizen has a bunker btw.

Switzerland is not like the UK where anyone can just come over illegally whether we like it or not.

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I've ruled Switzerland out anyway as I'm not convinced they are necessarily a safer kind of country if war breaks out

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Original poster
Carla786 · 17/01/2026 23:49

Casperroonie · 17/01/2026 23:01

I think we're kind of doomed either way I'm afraid.

The biggest problem has turned out to be the US, Putin seems less of a nut in comparison, unbelievably.

For me, the best option is to stick my head deep in the sand and pretend nothing at all is happening.

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Come on, I despise Trump but I think it's unlikely he wants to invade swathes of Eastern Europe the way Putin seems to wish to do.

If he invades Greenland that's obviously horrible though. I only hope he doesn't have anyone else on that list.. Not to mention tye damage that would do to NATO.

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Original poster
Carla786 · 17/01/2026 23:47

JHound · 17/01/2026 23:27

There are illegal immigrants everywhere. Switzerland is no exception.

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I've ruled out Switzerland anyway, I don't think they are necessarily a safer country if war breaks out.

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Original poster
Carla786 · 17/01/2026 23:46

MangaKanga · 17/01/2026 20:19

You are clearly young OP so I don't want to be unkind, but it slightly worries me that you claim to be a history student when you are so confidently wrong in all your conclusions and clearly don't even know anything about conflicts that happened as recently as the 80s and 90s.

If I had you in a room with me I would start by making you find all these countries you are on about on an unmarked map. Then, after you had failed that, I would give you a very stern look.

What 80s and 90s conflicts do you think I'm uninformed about?

I find your unmarked map question odd.

I ofc know where ROI is., right next to the UK & joined to NI. NZ ditto, next to Australia. Iceland is an island north of Europe- I've always thought its shape is a bit like a dragon. I know I could identify it on a map. And Uruguay is at the very bottom of South America, below Argentina & Brazil.

Austria I'm less certain I could place exactly on a map, I know it's right of Germany. Switzerland I know the general area it's in but probably could not place it exactly. I've ruled out both Austria & Switzerland anyway as I'm not convinced that they're likely to remain uninvolved in a potential European war.

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