British public should be ready to fight Putin, says UK army chief

London: People in Britain should be ready to serve in the military in the event of a war with Russia, the head of the British army has warned.

General Patrick Sanders on Wednesday called on the British authorities to “mobilize the nation” to prepare for a war with Russia, in a speech at the International Armoured Vehicles exhibition in London.

Although he does not support conscription, Sanders stressed the need for a “shift” in the minds of the British public to be mentally ready for a military conflict with Russia.

Sanders’ speech echoed similar calls from other Western military leaders and top defense officials, who have warned about the risk of a major war between Moscow and NATO.

Following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government has upped its warmongering rhetoric against neighboring countries, including the Baltics — which are members of the NATO military alliance — and Moldova.

Last week, Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said a Russian attack on the NATO military alliance was “possible” in “five to eight years.”

Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, a top NATO official, had earlier said the military bloc faced “the most dangerous world in decades” and called for a “warfighting transformation of NATO.”

The Kremlin’s ever-more-threatening stance has prompted European countries to boost defense spending.

Poland is spending more than 4 percent of GDP on defense this year, while Germany last year revamped its military and strategic doctrine for the first time since 2011, aiming to turn the Bundeswehr into a war-capable army.