Lord Richard Dannatt, former chief of the general staff, said that cyber attacks and Russian ships show that a ‘hybrid war’ with Russia has already begun
A former head of the British Army has said the UK is already in a “hybrid war” with Russia.
Lord Richard Dannatt warned the Government has around two years to prepare for Vladimir Putin to strike again. Lord Dannatt urged Keir Starmer to ramp up defence spending in preparation for a renewed threat as pressure mounts on the PM.
He said cyber attacks and “spooky Russian ships” are a sign that hostilities are already at a dangerous level. The former Army chief, asked what the greatest threat facing the country is, told Sky News: “Interestingly enough, many people would say that the cold war, if you like, or the hybrid war has already begun.
“We’re seeing that with cyber attacks, we’re seeing that with spooky Russian ships dibbling around looking for our cables to cut or intercept our communications. So pressure from Russia is already there.”
His remarks come as Mr Starmer faces calls to raise defence spending – with Donald Trump saying NATO countries could be targeting 5% of GDP. Lord Dannatt said Chancellor Rachel Reeves must be wary of the threat from “proven aggressor” Putin.
He said: “Yes of course growth is what the Government wants but frankly we are standing to danger against a proven aggressor in Vladimir Putin.
“Military experts say we probably got two or three years to increase our defence spending and sort out our defence capability, so that when the Russians have reconstituted themselves when the war in Ukraine eventually cools down, we are in a position to deter any future agression.”
He said that during the Cold War the UK was spending around 5% on defence – adding this “stopped it turning hot”. He said refusing to put a date on raising the sum to 2.5% is “ludicrous”.
In an article in the Daily Mail, the ex-Army chief drew a comparison with the UK’s position ahead of World War Two. He said: “Just look at the situation in 1935 when Britain was spending less than 3% of GDP on defence – while the new German Fuhrer was threatening bloody vengeance on Europe.
“Once war broke out in 1939, when Neville Chamberlain was prime minister, that surged to 19%. That shot up again to 46 per cent a year later, when Winston Churchill was in power and we were fighting for our very survival.
“That is the disastrous, gargantuan cost of fighting a war.”
