Chief of Defence Staff says Russia wants to attack a Nato country
Chief of Defence Staff says Russia wants to attack a Nato country
Posted by theipaper
Chief of Defence Staff says Russia wants to attack a Nato country
Chief of Defence Staff says Russia wants to attack a Nato country
Posted by theipaper
10 comments
Britain should prepare for the increasing probability that [Russia](https://inews.co.uk/topic/russia?ico=in-line_link) will attack a [Nato](https://inews.co.uk/topic/nato?ico=in-line_link) country in the near future, the head of the UK Armed Forces is to warn.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the Chief of the Defence Staff, will issue a rallying cry to all parts of society to adopt an “all-in” mentality, which will make the UK more resilient to both conventional and [grey zone attacks](https://inews.co.uk/news/four-reasons-why-uk-already-war-russia-4105270?srsltid=AfmBOopcqdsRRf-fH9rsDpSUmGz73ao7Uv-lHnJV8jL0D6rCUJXhVcBm&ico=in-line_link) like cyber warfare from Moscow and other hostile states.
He will say “our whole nation” needs to step up to ensure Britain can continue to function in a crisis, adding that the “price of peace is increasing”.
The defence chief will make the warning as an emergency summit takes place in Berlin to try to persuade the Trump administration to offer security guarantees to [Ukraine](https://inews.co.uk/news/world/four-main-flashpoints-ukraine-talks-make-break-moment-4101931?srsltid=AfmBOoprdzimy3Jlje9z4FxWmxERFuCPioXMI30cIgkUMCA4-_aOezJn&ico=in-line_link) as part of a peace deal with Russia.
[Volodymyr Zelensky](https://inews.co.uk/topic/volodymyr-zelensky?ico=in-line_link) said on Sunday that a new European and Kyiv-backed version of the US peace plan would include measures to prevent a repeat of Russia’s seizure of Crimea and full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Knighton’s comments, at the annual lecture for the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) on Monday, are the latest from a senior political or military figure to warn of a serious threat from full military conflict with Russia.
Last week [Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/world-ready-war-tensions-rise-russia-europe-4102251?srsltid=AfmBOoocMCOhafYK8his7IHUIPTt7CFfih0hsM-x2A6-r-QX81IQ-ykJ&ico=in-line_link) said European allies had to “be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured”, while UK Armed Forces minister Al Carns [warned that “the shadow of war is knocking on Europe’s door once more”](https://inews.co.uk/news/world/inside-uk-spy-centre-fighting-russia-cranks-attacks-4103849?srsltid=AfmBOopiRjPRWshQnEonadQmNNJOc8UlwRUB7voh_fgQxqhWviNNLT7L&ico=in-line_link).
Their remarks followed the [US downgrading Russia as a national security threat](https://inews.co.uk/opinion/us-potent-threat-europe-no-one-alive-this-4102012?ico=in-line_link), which sent alarm bells ringing in European capitals.
In his first annual lecture at Rusi, Knighton will say that preparing for war means making the NHS, rail network and other critical infrastructure more resilient to cyber and grey zone attacks as well as boosting defence spending for military hardware and personnel.
He will say there is now an increasing probability that Russia wants to invade a Nato country, including the UK.
Knighton will say: “The war in Ukraine shows Putin’s willingness to target neighbouring states, including their civilian populations, potentially with such novel and destructive weapons, threatens the whole of Nato, including the UK.
“The Russian leadership has made clear that it wishes to challenge, limit, divide and ultimately destroy Nato, in former president [Dmitry] Medvedev’s words, aspiring to ‘the disappearance of Ukraine and the disappearance of Nato – preferably both’.
The European strategy: keep talking shit, provoking and being petty in every way possible until Russia takes a swing so they can say “we told you so”.
They and what army?
Before the inevitable ‘But they’re losing in Ukraine, they can’t take on Europe!’ comes in. I want to clarify.
Firstly, the Ukrainian’s are fighting *incredibly* well. And are fighting with some pretty good equipment, and a lot of it. Admittedly, not nearly enough. But they’re fighting incredibly well.
But more importantly…
Wars aren’t just fought by having more tanks/armoured vehicles (which Europe hasn’t maintained very well anyway). Or having the better jets. Or having more soldiers. The War in Ukraine has actually demonstrated the opposite. Ukraine has been given loads of good aircraft, armoured vehicles, artillery & we’ve trained their soldiers. Yet they’re still losing ground. Because what’s critically important is…
a) Industrial capacity to endure attritional warfare
b) Integrated Air & Missile Defence
c) Long-range, high precision artillery
d) Quantity in your equipment
e) 24/7 Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance – paticularly through satellites.
Facts are, Europe lacks the strategic enablers required to actually meaningfully fight a war in the first place. Europe lacks the capacity for mass logistics, strategic airlift, well-maintained armoured forces, independent logistics (a lot of equipment is American, or requires American companies to maintain), long-range & very long-range air & missile defence (i.e. Patriot & THAAD equivalents in real numbers), and an industrial base which can be quickly scaled up and be independent. And again, satellites.
Europe requires the US to provide the strategic backbone necessary to meaningfully fight the war. A US which is increasingly isolationist and, more importantly, increasingly stretched. Especially if China invades Taiwan (as predicted) in 2028. Now granted, Europe would (eventually) win the war against Russia. However it’d be slow, attritional & brutal. Not the type of victory we should strive for.
Russia will try and issue us an ultimatum.
When the US is distracted, snag a tiny bit of NATO territory (e.g. Narva). Immediately annex, and proclaim it as Russian. Hiding behind their nuclear umbrella. Europe will then have to decide between a potentially catastrophic war, even without nuclear weapons, and appeasement. Hoping it can get its act together for next time. Which will result in the destruction of Article 5.
The past 20 years has shown parts of Europe (i.e. Western) does not have the stomach for what war actually costs. As evidenced by the 3.5% of GDP commitment by 2035. Which is too little, and too late. So it’s not unreasonable for Russia to presume Europe will appease them, when the decision actually comes down to it. Hell, they couldn’t even fully shut off Russian gas.
Lots of words, very little action.
Probbaly not but if so they would likely try to occupy small area in like estonia and see if theres any reaction from nato..
People are still under the delusion the EU is strong and united?
When this ends. Putin will give the okay to Trump and Fico and Orban and all will pull out of NATO. Trump telegraphs a lot of what he will do. He will attack a NATO country for Putin and that country is called Denmark via Greenland. There goes your NATO.
Putin has levers in each Baltic state to make a coup if he wins outright. Same in Finland it will not require an invasion.
Meanwhile Ukraine has been attacking Russia with the help of Nato.
A very creative interpretation of Knighton’s words. It bears some similarity to news reporting from the Red Scare era.
Everyone here seems to know exactly what putin is thinking.
NATO and its members warnings refer to Russia’s challenge of Article 5. The mentioned NATO country is likely still one of the Baltic states, but if Trump isn’t willing to respond properly, that will mark the end of the alliance as such.
Moreover, without the US European militaries won’t be able to deal with Russia without issuing a draft.
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