It’s difficult to truly understand the magnitude of war until you translate it into something familiar. Imagine living in the American Midwest and discovering that a full-scale war has erupted in Ohio. Not overseas. Not “somewhere else.” Right next door. You’d still go to work, buy groceries, and check the weather—but now highways might be closed, refugees could be crossing state lines, and the economic shock would spread through every neighboring state. That’s the reality for much of Europe today. Many European countries are small and closely connected through trade, energy grids, rail networks, and family ties. A conflict in one nation isn’t distant—it’s just a few hours’ drive away. For context, the distance from Paris to eastern Ukraine is roughly the same as Chicago to Denver. Wars in Europe have historically reshaped the entire continent, even when only one region is actively fighting. Supply chains, food prices, fuel costs, and political stability can all shift rapidly. During World War II, some European capitals were closer to enemy front lines than many Americans are to their own state capitals, making “nearby war” a lived reality rather than an abstract concept.(Historic Vids)