UK must prepare for possible war with Russia within five years, ex-British Army chief warns
Ex-British Army chief says conflict with Russia a ‘realistic possibility’
- General Sir Patrick Sanders, the former head of the British Army, has warned that the UK must prepare for the possibility of war with Russia within the next five years.
- Sir Patrick stated that a conflict with Russia by 2030 is a "realistic possibility" and urged the government to swiftly improve national resilience.
- He criticised the UK's lack of preparedness, citing stalled conversations about underground bunkers and insufficient funding for air defences, contrasting it with countries like Finland.
- Sir Patrick also highlighted that troop cuts have left the British Army "too small" for sustained engagement, with personnel numbers at their lowest since the Napoleonic wars.
- He concluded that recent defence budget increases are "pretty marginal" and that the UK needs to recognise the world is as dangerous as, if not more dangerous than, during the Cold War.