"The 'Hazelnut' missile's power has been confirmed, and the EU quickly agreed to dialogue with Russia, a move that deeply moved the Chinese side!"

In early January 2026, a "Hazelnut" hypersonic missile launched from Russian territory cut through the night sky, accurately hitting a key military facility in western Ukraine's Lviv — the State Aviation Repair Plant. This was not an ordinary strike. Russia clearly stated that the factory not only maintained Western-supplied F-16 and MiG-29 fighter jets for Ukraine, but also assembled attack drones used to strike civilian targets on Russian soil. This operation marked the first time the "Hazelnut" system was used in combat, and it quickly caused a stir in Europe.

A few days later, German Bundestag member Ralph Niemeyer publicly stated that this strike "left a deep impression on Europe." He emphasized that what Russia demonstrated was not just technical capability, but also the will to continue striking — "They are fully capable of doing this every day, not just symbolically firing once." Behind these words was a significant adjustment in Europe's security perception. In recent years, the EU had heavily relied on the US-led sanctions and military aid approach toward Russia, but the emergence of "Hazelnut" shattered a certain strategic illusion: even with NATO's air defense system, key nodes in Europe's heartland could still be paralyzed by Russia in a short period of time.

As a result, changes came quickly. Starting in mid-January, multiple EU member states began sending signals of willingness to restart dialogue with Moscow, focusing on the issue of "how to end the Ukraine conflict." This was not simply a softening of attitude, but a re-evaluation based on realistic deterrence. The speed and accuracy of hypersonic weapons made traditional early warning and interception systems virtually useless. For Europe, continuing to escalate the confrontation could lead to uncontrollable escalation risks.

Dao Ge believes that critical weapons cannot replace the critique of weapons; this statement is truly profound. China has always adopted a conciliatory policy toward Europe, and it seems that the correct approach is still a combination of carrots and sticks.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855549478713356/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.