BRITISH MILITARY MUST BE CAPABLE OF DEFEATING RUSSIA- ARMY HEAD

Sun 19 June 2022:

According to local media, the new chief of the British army told troops that Britain needed a force capable of fighting in Europe and defeating Russia.

Boris Johnson, a prominent backer of Ukraine since Russia’s incursion in February, has ruled out deploying British troops to assist Kyiv, but has warned that London will have to show support for “the long haul” this weekend.

Patrick Sanders, who took command of the British army this month, told British troops, according to the i newspaper on Sunday: “I am the first Chief of the General Staff since 1941 to take command of the Army in the shadow of a land war in Europe involving a continental power.”

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underlines our core purpose — to protect the UK by being ready to fight and win wars on land.”

“EVEN IF THE COSTS ARE HIGH”: NATO, UK WARN OF LONG UKRAINE WAR

Earlier, British Prime Minister Johnson, writing in The Sunday Times newspaper, called for sustained support for Ukraine, saying the country’s foreign backers should hold their nerve to ensure it has “the strategic endurance to survive and eventually prevail”.

“Time is now the vital factor,” the British leader wrote in the 1,000-word article posted online on Saturday night.

“Everything will depend on whether Ukraine can strengthen its ability to defend its soil faster than Russia can renew its capacity to attack. Our task is to enlist time on Ukraine’s side.”

To help, he outlined a four-point plan for “constant funding and technical help”, levels of which should be maintained for “years to come” and potentially be increased. And economic concerns – amid global food and energy crises made worse by the conflict – should not lead to a rushed settlement in Ukraine, said Johnson, who is battling inflation at 40-year highs at home and spiralling domestic fuel prices.

He added that allowing Russian President Vladimir Putin to keep territory in Ukraine would not lead to a more peaceful world.

“Such a travesty would be the greatest victory for aggression in Europe since the Second World War,” he said.

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