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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:21

DLAtoPIP · 17/01/2026 08:57

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

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

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Original poster
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.

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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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Original poster
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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Original poster
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.

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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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Original poster
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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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.

Original poster
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 .

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Original poster
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/

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Original poster
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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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?

Original poster
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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Original poster
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 …

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

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Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:36

TeenagersAngst · 17/01/2026 07:50

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

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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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Original poster
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?

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Will train to be a criminal barrister.

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Original poster
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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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).

Original poster
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.

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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?

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Original poster
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...

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Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:42

Taytocrisps · 17/01/2026 08:06

I live in the ROI and I don't take our neutrality for granted. Tyrants tend not to respect neutrality when it comes to land grabs. The only reason our neutrality remained intact during WWII is because Hitler's plan to invade the UK failed. And our proximity to England meant that the Germans dropped bombs along the east coat of Ireland, most notably the North Strand bombing. How the 1941 North Strand bombings wiped out an entire family I suggest you consider the proximity of Ireland to England before you make a move across the Irish sea. And you might also want to note that the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland occupy the same small island.

Thank you for this. I have ruled out Ireland.

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Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:44

Lambington · 17/01/2026 08:08

Nato are currently moving troops into Greeenland to defend it against the USA. Goes to show you can never predict where conflict might spring up.
Also Iceland (which OP mentiobs as another potential "refuge") was a founding NATO member so would definitely be involved in any conflict with Russia or the US!

Agree, I've ruled out Iceland.

Poor Greenland had been peaceful for decades but tbf their strategic position does make them more likely to be a target.

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DotAndCarryOne2 · 18/01/2026 07:44

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.

Maybe someone should have told Putin that before he invaded Ukraine.

Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:45

Namechangedasouting987 · 17/01/2026 07:40

DH and I have talked about planning for an escalation in hostile attacks. Cyber attacks are very likely. So how for instance could we manage without gas and or electricity for long periods. Could we isolate our solar panels from the national grid to give us some power. Should we actually replace our electric car with petrol. Growing more of my own food. Etc etc.
Trump currently scares me more than Putin. I cannot imagine him leaving power after his term is up. And he can do so much damage, seemingly unchecked, in the 4 years he has left. The biggest power in the world is destabilising
Add to that climate change and i do think we are in an extinction event.
Having young adult DC makes the poss of a land war v scary.

These are really valuable points...

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Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:49

babyproblems · 17/01/2026 06:41

Always makes me giggle that people often think they could just up and move to another country as if they were moving round the corner. You’d literally have to qualify for a visa, prove employment, financial stability etc. I can’t help but think there is a link between the ‘just up and move / we’re entitled to live wherever of course’ and the threat of Russian war..

Obviously this will be a planned relocation, not just 'up and move'.

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purpleflowergirl · 18/01/2026 07:49

Let’s get this straight, Putin hasn’t even been successful in the Ukraine! How, after spending all his country’s money, is he then meant to successfully attack the whole of the west! This is all power play by Trump! I’m not a genius but he just is doing all this to see how much he can get away with, no?

Original poster
Carla786 · 18/01/2026 07:49

MangaKanga · 17/01/2026 04:42

The way the rest of NATO came to help out England during the Falklands War?

Lmao, how old are you?

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The Falklands War was a completely different kettle of fish to an attack within Europe.

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