10 Strongest Countries in Europe by Military Power

2. Russia

Global Firepower Index Ranking: 1

GDP Ranking: 5

Average Ranking: 3

Russia is the foremost nuclear superpower in the world, with nearly 6,000 nuclear weapons. It is often regarded as the second strongest military power in the world behind the US. 

However, there are three crucial reasons why it didn’t take the number one spot; It’s strong but lags behind a few other European countries in power-projection capabilities through number of aircraft carriers and land bases, its economy is not as strong as some other countries on the list and much of its military infrastructure is still in the process of modernization.