The UK\u2019s top general has urged the nation to switch to a wartime mindset in a wider European militarization push criticized by Moscow<\/p>\n
The UK\u2019s Chief of the Defense Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, has claimed that the chances of a direct confrontation with Russian forces on UK soil are not \u201czero\u201d \u2013 a speculation dismissed by Moscow as \u201cnonsense.\u201d
\nRussia has consistently rejected claims that it plans to attack European NATO countries, describing them as warmongering tactics used by Western politicians to justify inflated military budgets.
\nMoscow insists it is defending its citizens in the Ukraine conflict and has accused NATO of provoking hostilities and\u00a0derailing US-backed peace efforts.
\nDuring a lecture at the Royal United Services Institute on Monday, Knighton acknowledged that the probability of a direct conflict with Russia is \u201cremote\u201d but claimed that this\u00a0\u201cdoes not mean the chances are zero.\u201d<\/p>\n
READ MORE: UK plotting to undermine Trump\u2019s Ukraine peace efforts \u2013 Russian intelligence<\/p>\n
\u201cMore people being ready to fight for their country\u201d is essential, Knighton said, adding that the response to modern threats \u201cmust go beyond simply strengthening our armed forces\u201d and involve every part of British society.<\/p>\n
Sons and daughters. Colleagues. Veterans\u2026 will all have a part to play. To build. To serve. And if necessary, to fight. And more families will know what sacrifice for our nation means.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
French would \u2018lose children\u2019 in potential war with Russia \u2013 army chief<\/p>\n
Knighton\u2019s remarks echoed those made last month by his \u201cgood friend\u201d Fabien Mandon, the French chief of defense, who also warned that citizens must be prepared to \u201close children\u201d in a potential war with Russia.
\nThe speech comes as a handful of European NATO states\u00a0once again floated the controversial idea of sending a multinational force into Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.
\nMoscow has strongly rejected any such deployment, warning that any NATO country which sends troops to Ukraine would be treated as direct participation in the conflict. Russian officials have described the idea as a reckless escalation that undermines peace efforts and risks drawing the entire bloc into open confrontation.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: European NATO states ignore opposition to push troops-in-Ukraine plan<\/p>\n
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier this year that Western European leaders were \u201ctrying to prepare Europe for war \u2013 not some hybrid war, but a real war against Russia.\u201d\u00a0He accused the EU of sliding into what he described as a \u201cFourth Reich,\u201d marked by a surge in Russophobia and aggressive militarization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The UK\u2019s top general has urged the nation to switch to a wartime mindset in a wider European militarization push criticized by Moscow The UK\u2019s Chief of the Defense Staff,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24450,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t