Amid what General Sir Richard Barrons deems the “most dangerous moment” in history, the former Joint Forces chief is stressing the urgent need for decisive action to thwart Vladimir Putin’s aggressive moves, potentially sparking World War 3.
Sir Richard claims that Putin poses “the biggest risk to our security,” with his attempts to absorb Ukraine inching closer to full-blown war.
The former General outlined a three-pronged approach to curbing Russian aggression.
Firstly, he advocated bolstering resources sent to Ukraine from Europe. Secondly, he emphasised the importance of shoring up cyber defences and military strength. Lastly, he called for a united effort among NATO countries to combine their resources.
Acknowledging the significant challenges, Barrons warned that victory would come at an “enormous price”.
A recent poll indicates that 73 percent of Brits believe it is crucial for the country to support Ukraine in its struggle against Putin’s Red Army.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced an additional £2.5 billion in aid for Ukraine, focusing on long-range missiles, ammunition, and an air defence system.
“We agreed that Ukraine could give up its nuclear weapons and then be protected by us, which we failed to honour,” General Barron told The Sun.
He underscored the need for NATO countries to assist Ukraine in reclaiming its territory and establishing newfound security.
He estimates that Ukraine requires approximately £50 billion annually for this purpose, a sum he believes Europe and the US can afford.
He added: “This is why countries like Estonia, which has been very generous, argue that if every European country provided 0.5 per cent of GDP to Ukraine, it would easily overmatch Russia.”
As NATO gears up for its largest war games since the Cold War, involving 90,000 troops from all member nations, Barrons stressed the pivotal role of NATO in deterring Russian aggression.
However, he cautioned that Russia views this as a war with NATO and anticipates the need to confront the alliance directly.
He said: “The scenario where Putin prevails in Ukraine, absolutely he’s going to keep going Westward. He sees himself as Peter the Great of the 21st century and Peter the great didn’t stop. He kept going West.”
