To counter the threat posed by Russia, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has called for an increase in military spending of £10 billion annually.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Wallace also drew attention to grave weaknesses in British defense capacity, including a dearth of drones, a lack of pilots to fly multibillion-dollar stealth aircraft, and a lack of staff on Royal Navy nuclear submarines.
He will insist that the UK’s annual defense expenditure increase from 2% of GDP to 2.5% by 2028 in a historic address today.
The most senior soldier in the British Army will also speak at the Land Warfare conference to stress the importance of having the UK armed forces prepared to take on Russia on European battlefields.
Vladimir Putin poses an unparalleled threat to world peace, according to General Sir Patrick Sanders.
The Chief of the General Staff is scheduled to say: “This is our 1937 moment” in a transcript of his speech that was made public last night. Although we are not at war, we must move quickly to prevent being sucked into one by a failure to control territorial growth.
He instructed them to get ready “to fight in Europe once more” in a letter he sent last week to every soldier under his command.
Mr. Wallace would have urged an increase in defense spending for the second time in recent months.
He warned UK defense expenditure may fall below the NATO minimum of 2% in a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak in March, unless the Treasury gave additional funding.
The Daily Mail knows that if given the extra funding, Mr. Wallace will focus on filling specific skill shortfalls rather than expanding the Army, whose number is predicted to drop to only 72,500 by 2025.
According to a source, “The Defence Secretary is anticipated to emphasize that governments must be willing to invest to keep us safe now that the threat has shifted.”
This occurred as Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday pleaded with international leaders to arm him with enough weapons to put a stop to Russia’s war on Ukraine before winter.
The Ukrainian president worries that the country’s eastern areas could experience cold temperatures later this year, favoring the Russian invaders and limiting the ability of his men to defend their homelands.
He demanded that long-range missiles and air defense systems be given before then in a passionate speech to the G7 conference.
Mr. Zelensky also called for harsher sanctions against Moscow to impede the Kremlin’s war machine while speaking via live link to the Bavarian resort where the leaders are assembled.
He also asked for further help from the West to get around Russia’s embargo on Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, which is keeping the country’s grain supplies from being exported.
During his remarks through video link, he declared, “If Ukraine wins, you all win.”
As the defense alliance gathered for its own summit today, Nato declared a seven-fold increase in the number of troops on high readiness, from 40,000 to more than 300,000.
Any Russian entry into NATO territory would be met with a military response, but no troops would enter Ukraine. Different alert levels would be assigned to national soldiers so that the alliance could quickly mobilize more combat-ready forces.
It was rumored last night that Boris Johnson might announce a large reinforcement for Estonia as part of the NATO commitment, potentially more than doubling the number of British soldiers available to the Baltic State.
Mr. Zelensky implored yesterday: “Don’t let it go on into winter” and encouraged them “not to lower the pressure” in terms of sanctions. He also urged them to increase their support for the war effort.
The G7 leaders vowed to assist Ukraine “for as long as it takes” in a united statement. This summer and fall, Ukrainian military leaders want to launch a counteroffensive against the Russians, but they lack the required firepower.
Joe Biden’s pledge of the same air defense system that defends the White House and the Pentagon yesterday gave Mr. Zelensky, who is similarly desperate to confront the vulnerability of his country’s key cities to Russian missile assaults, a boost.
While the US promised to provide the NASAMS system, which can kill incoming missiles and aircraft at a range of up to 86 nautical miles, more than 20 UK-purchased M109 howitzers are anticipated to arrive at the front line in a matter of days.
According to military sources, it might be employed to defend Kyiv and other cities.