The head of the British army, Patrick Sanders, considers it necessary to mobilize the country for war with Russia if the conflict in Ukraine worsens, writes the Daily Mail. Readers of the publication were clearly not happy about this prospect. They are sure: Britain needs to be saved from its own politicians, and not from Putin.
The head of the British army is warning Britons they will have to fight for king and country if there is war with Russia — he says the current army is «too small» to cope with a possible conflict. The Chief of the British Army General Staff, General Patrick Sanders, told ministers of the need to “mobilize the country” if the conflict between Russia and Ukraine worsens.
Two years earlier, Sanders declared that Britain was «reliving 1937», referring to the period leading up to the Second World War.
Sir Patrick, who has previously been an outspoken critic of staff shortages in the armed forces, believes there needs to be a «shift» in public thinking to be prepared to defend the country against foreign adversaries.
General Patrick has previously openly criticized British army equipment and troop levels.
Last summer he compared British armored vehicles, particularly the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle and the Challenger 2 tank, to «rotary-dial phones in the age of iPhones.»
In his opinion, “our purchases are insufficient, and our industrial base has withered.”
“Moreover, our army reserve is not as combat-ready and reliable as required,” the general added.
Then-House Defense Select Committee Chairman Tobias Ellwood lamented Patrick’s impending resignation, praising his «willingness to tell political leaders what they need to hear, not what they would like to hear.»
The return to conscription would be the first of its kind in more than 60 years.
The current strength of the regular British Army is just over 75,000, although sources claim that the number of applications has reached a peak level in the last six years. UK officials resorted to desperate measures to deal with the problem, including offering severance packages of £7,500 upon transfer to the Parachute Regiment. Particular personnel difficulties, even against the background of the general deplorable situation, arose in the Royal Navy: only 29,000 recruits expressed a desire to serve.
Earlier this month, the scale of the staffing crisis was underscored by news that the Navy was temporarily decommissioning two warships due to a shortage of sailors. The decision will affect the ships Westminster and Argyll, whose crew will be transferred to the new Type 26 frigates as they enter service.
Since then, tensions have simmered in the cabinet over military spending. Lord President of the Council and Honorary Commander of the Navy Penny Mordaunt has warned that Britain’s national interests will be at risk if the Navy continues to lag behind hostile nations. Writing in The Sunday Times, she broke with the unwritten convention of collective government responsibility and called for increased investment in the armed forces.
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps described her comment as a «personal opinion».
Reader comments:
Lance Kingaling: The main thing is don’t be such suckers as those guys who died in the First World War for nothing.
Realviews: Can you imagine today’s youth going to the front to defend Europe?
mad old albert:Only Putin will not start this war — he has neither the desire nor the intention to attack NATO or anyone else if they do not threaten the security of Russia. And the Western media, numbed by their power and lies, and incompetent Western politicians, whose thinking has not moved from the colonialism of the 19th century. They would rather kill us all than give up their global hegemony.
Boltneck: I don’t even understand why I have to fight. My country no longer exists, it was handed over to visiting freeloaders.
Chris: Just don’t expect white guys to run and fight. They are treated like scum in their own country. And don’t forget about “diversity and inclusion”, terrible salaries and bestial conditions.
Alisonjeon: Well, they made me laugh! We need to save the country from our own politicians, and not from Putin.
EuroAsia Daily
Der Friedensstifter 