Civilians could be called up to fight if UK goes to war, Military chief warns

General Sir Patrick Sanders has been openly critical of troop cuts, and is expected to give a speech today, on Wednesday 24 January, to that effect. The General is expected to speak at the International Armoured Vehicles expo in Twickenham ahead of his resignation as Chief of the General Staff in six months’ time. This comes after a senior Nato military official warned that citizens should prepare for a full-blown war with Russia within the next 20 years.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and there has since been a lot of bloodshed on both sides of the conflict. With Putin’s puppets frequently threatening the use of nuclear weapons or the expansion of the war into other European countries, it is no surprise that officials are concerned over a potential escalation of the situation.

Gen Sir Patrick urges for a ‘shift’ in mindset

The Army chief has said that men and women in the UK should be prepared for a call-up in the event of a war between Nato and Russia. However, he is not suggesting that we should bring conscription back. He believes that the UK needs to be ready to ‘fight and win’, as he said in a 2022 speech:

This is our 1937 moment. We are not at war, but must act rapidly so that we aren’t drawn into one through a failure to contain territorial expansion.

Gen Sir Patrick is expected to say that there needs to be a ‘shift’ in the mindset of British people, where they get mentally prepared for the possibility of war. The Army as it currently stands is too small, he says. According to The Telegraph, ‘the number of regular troops in the Army stands at 75,983, although defence sources insisted applications for the Army were at the highest they had been in six years’.

The war in Ukraine

This comes as Putin triples his funding for his armies. Meanwhile, Nato is struggling to replenish the weapon supply to Ukraine. Article 5 of Nato’s founding treaty states that ‘an attack on one is an attack on all'. This means that, if Russia attacks any one of the member countries, 'each and every other member' will take action.

The Army has outsourced specialist advice from Capita about how to work on their recruitment. Their suggestion is to allow soldiers who have visible tattoos, hay fever, or a record of asthma to be allowed to join.

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Sources used:

The Telegraph: Public face call-up if we go to war, military chief warns
Daily Mail: Britons 'face call-up if we go to war with Russia': Head of the Army will tell ministers troops numbers are so low he would need 'to find more people' if Putin's war in Ukraine escalated and public's 'mindset' must change so they are ready