Brutal Russian Aggression Threatens Peace And Democracy, British Army Commander Wants Generals, Corporals To Standby Reserve Soldiers

Illustration of PM Boris Johnson with the British military. (Wikimedia Commons/UK Prime Minister)

JAKARTA - The British Army Commander asked all his troops to be ready to fight again and win, to prevent the spread of war in Europe on Tuesday.

In his speech, General Sir Patrick Sanders said he had never seen such a clear threat to peace and democracy, like the 'brutal aggression' of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

General Sanders likened the current situation to that on the eve of World War Two, saying Britain must be prepared to act quickly, ensuring it is not dragged into a full-scale conflict through its failure to contain Russian expansionism.

His final warning, in a speech at a conference organized by the think tank Royal United Services Institute, came after he wrote to all forces under his command, telling them they must prepare to 'war in Europe once again'.

In his first public appearance since taking office, General Sanders said his focus was on preventing the spread of war in Europe, by making armies "ready to fight and win with our NATO allies and partners".

British Army Commander General Sir Patrick Sanders. (Wikimedia Commons/telegraph)

"In all my years in uniform, I have never known such a clear threat to the principles of sovereignty and democracy, and the freedom to live without fear of violence, such as President Putin's brutal aggression and expansionist ambitions," he said.

"This is our moment in 1937. We are not at war, but we must act quickly so that we are not dragged into one because of the failure to contain territorial expansion," he said, launching The National News on June 28.

"I will do everything in my power to ensure that the British Army plays its part in preventing war."

Despite the recent emphasis on new capabilities, such as drones and cyber warfare, he said ground forces would remain essential in any conflict.

"You can't cyber the way you cross a river," he said.

Referring to the start of the First World War, General Sanders would say "this is not a rush to war at the speed of the 1914 railroad schedule".

Instead, he would say deterring the Russians meant "more troops at the ready all the time", from "generals in the main [Ministry of Defense] building to young lance corporals in barracks rooms; from reserves on weekend drills to civil servants at army headquarters."