New British Army commander tells soldiers ‘prepare to fight Russia in World War III’
General Sir Patrick Sanders, the new Chief of the General Staff, has said British soldiers may soon have to “fight again in Europe”, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Britain’s new general-in-chief has told every serving soldier that they must prepare to fight the Russian army in a possible Third World War.
General Sir Patrick Sanders has warned troops they must be ready “to fight again in Europe” as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a “new era of insecurity”.
According to The Sun, the warning came in his first speech since becoming Chief of the General Staff this month, taking overall control of the British military.
“There is now a burning imperative to forge an army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle.
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“We are the generation that must prepare the army to fight again in Europe.”
General Sanders added: “I am the first Chief of the General Staff since 1941 to take command of the army in the shadow of a ground war in Europe involving a continental power.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underscores our primary objective – to protect the UK by being prepared to fight and win wars on land.”
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The 56-year-old, who previously commanded operations in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, has vowed to speed up army modernization plans and deploy overseas more often to respond quickly to crises.
But in his new role, General Saunders will lead Britain’s smallest army for 300 years, after the government reduced the force to 73,000.
It comes amid growing fears that Vladimir Putin could launch a strike against one of Britain’s NATO allies in Eastern Europe.
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Yesterday Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned from a visit to Ukraine and warned Britons that ‘we must arm ourselves for a long war’.
He said that if Russia succeeded in securing territory in Ukraine, “no nation would be safe”, because “every dictator would feel emboldened to pursue his own ambitions by force”.
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The Prime Minister also said the UK aimed to work with its allies to train up to 10,000 troops every 120 days to support Ukraine.
According to the UN, more than 4,200 civilians have been killed since the invasion began in February and more than 7 million people have fled the country.
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