We’re just one awful mistake away from war with Russians
Lord West airs Putin fears
A former Royal Navy chief has warned Britain is just one mistake away from war with Russia.
Admiral Lord West also said there are more Russian nuclear subs encroaching on UK waters than during the Cold War.
Defence sources claim up to three or more submarines have been located off the west coast of Scotland searching for our four Trident subs from HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane. This is compared to single infiltrations before 1989.
Lord West, a Labour peer, accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of “behaving recklessly and dangerously”.
He said: “The whole point of our nuclear subs is that no one can find them. Actively looking for our submarines, which the Russians are doing, becomes a very escalatory measure.
“What a stupid thing to do. Putin wants to show that he is a great player on the world stage but it’s extremely dangerous.”
Lord West, 72, said a mistake such as a mid-air collision between Russian and NATO aircraft, could escalate quickly.
He said such an incident would lead to an increase in tension and the creation of no-fly zones.
He warned: “Then an aircraft gets shot down when it enters that zone. The Russians respond and before you know it you are firing at one another.”
Lord West also said he believes the Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight – the hour when global nuclear war erupts – than at any time during the Cold War.
He added: “There is no doubt that Putin thinks nuclear weapons can be used for war whereas the West’s view is that nuclear weapons stop war.”
Russia is armed with more than 6000 nuclear warheads and has developed intercontinental bal l istic missi les equipped with multiple nuclear warheads as well as underwater nuclear drones. Lord West said it was vital for the Western world to re- establ ish a confidential hotline with the Kremlin so that generals could talk to one another during a military crisis.
Last month, General Sir Nick Carter, the chief of the defence staff, warned Russia was “f lexing its muscles” by regularly sending warships and combat aircraft to probe Britain’s defences. He added: “The Russian regime’s increasingly assertive activity is almost certainly influenced by problems at home. “They are flexing their muscles in our own backyard with an ostentation they have not displayed since the Cold War.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “The Royal Navy and RAF have a number of assets at high readiness to monitor UK waters and airspace, protecting our national security 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. “We stand alongside our NATO al l ies, working closely together to provide collective deterrence, protecting the UK and our interests.”