threat from Russia
British Army prepares for war in Europe
06/19/2022, 4:14 p.m
The Russian invasion of Ukraine shows that the British army must be able to protect the kingdom, says the new chief of staff, Sanders. “There is an urgent need to forge an army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle.”
The Chief of the British General Staff, General Patrick Sanders, thinks it is possible that the British army will have to fight again in a war in Europe. “We are the generation that must prepare the army to fight again in Europe,” writes Sanders According to the British news site inews in a message to the soldiers.
General Patrick Sanders has been chief of the British General Staff for almost a week.
(Photo: imago images/PA Images)
“There is now an urgent need to forge an army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle,” Sanders said. “I am the first chief of staff since 1941 to assume command of the army in the shadow of a land war in Europe involving a continental power.”
Sanders took office last Monday. He stated that his only task was “to make our army as deadly and effective as possible”.
In the message to the troops, he said the Russian invasion of Ukraine underscores the British Army’s core mission: “to protect the UK by standing ready to fight and win wars on land”.
Johnson calls for long-term support for Ukraine
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, meanwhile, called on Western allies to prepare for a long war in Ukraine. Putin has resorted to a war of attrition to bring Ukraine to its knees “with sheer brutality,” Johnson wrote in a op-ed for the Times on Sunday.
“The UK and its friends must respond by ensuring Ukraine has the strategic staying power to survive and emerge victorious,” Johnson wrote. Time is a crucial factor in this. “Everything will depend on whether Ukraine can strengthen its capabilities to defend its territory faster than Russia renews its offensive capabilities.”
In an interview with the “Bild” newspaper, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also expressed concern that the war could drag on for years. Stoltenberg warned that there would be a heavy price to pay if support for Ukraine waned. However, Johnson’s assessment in the “Times” contrasts with a statement he made on Saturday. In a television interview, the British prime minister spoke out in favor of holding the next Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine. “Kyiv or another safe Ukrainian city would be a fantastic venue,” Johnson said, adding: “It’s a year away, a year! It’ll be okay.”