British public should be ready to fight Putin, UK army chief says

People in Britain should be ready to serve in the military in the event of a war with Russia, the head of the British army has warned, Report informs, citing POLITICO.

General Patrick Sanders on Wednesday called on the British authorities to “mobilize the nation” to prepare for a war with Russia, in a speech at the International Armoured Vehicles exhibition in London.

Although he does not support conscription, Sanders stressed the need for a “shift” in the minds of the British public to be mentally ready for a military conflict with Russia.

Sanders’ speech echoed similar calls from other Western military leaders and top defense officials, who have warned about the risk of a major war between Moscow and NATO.

Following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government has upped its warmongering rhetoric against neighboring countries, including the Baltics, which are members of the NATO military alliance, and Moldova.

Last week, Germany’s Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, said a Russian attack on the NATO military alliance was “possible” in “five to eight years.”

Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, a top NATO official, had earlier said the military bloc faced “the most dangerous world in decades” and called for a “warfighting transformation of NATO.”

The Kremlin’s ever-more-threatening stance has prompted European countries to boost defense spending.

Poland is spending more than 4 percent of GDP on defense this year, while Germany last year revamped its military and strategic doctrine for the first time since 2011, aiming to turn the Bundeswehr into a war-capable army.