Great Britain is not sufficiently prepared to defend itself in a war with Russia and cannot rely on the United States and NATO, warned former deputy commander of NATO forces in Europe from 2011 to 2014 General Richard Shirreff in an interview with "Independent", quoted by BNR.
A former military officer noted that a new global conflict can only be prevented if there is a "deterrent steel belt from the Baltic to the Black Sea" – something the UK must be prepared to help deliver without Washington's support.
This is the latest dramatic intervention in UK security following warnings from former defence secretary Ben Wallace and his Labour colleague Lord West that failure to prioritise defence would be a serious mistake by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Most recently, current NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also said the West was not ready to deal with the threat of war with Russia.
Richard Shirreff has said that London cannot count on Donald Trump to respect NATO's collective defence doctrine. He said the UK must demonstrate "moral courage and exemplary leadership" to "make the necessary sacrifices to preserve peace by deterring war".
"We must fight a second cold war to avoid a third world war. If we fail to do so, the cost in blood and treasure will be appalling," warned Richard Shirreff.