Rethink defence policy to deal with Russian threat

WHEN Russian forces crossed the Ukrainian border on February 24, the two groups most disappointed by their total failure to achieve a lightning victory and regime change in Kyiv were the Kremlin and the international media.

Putin had become victim of his own fake news and over-hyped military capability, while the international media had to accept that war is not a made-fortelevision series all over in six days.

The war in Ukraine is set to be long, very bloody and measured in months and years – perhaps years and decades.

The realisation Russia will remain a threat to Ukraine and eastern Europe demands a return to an effective deterrence posture by Nato, underpinned by an increased land warfare capability.

This requires an urgent re-appraisal of last year’s review of UK defence policy.

The reality of a brutal land war in Europe has exposed the vanity of the tilt to the Indo-pacific and the furnishing of an expensive Carrier Strike programme

of ships and aircraft that can only play a marginal role in central Europe.the UK Army, having risen to every challenge in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 to 2014, is now to be cut to its smallest size since 1714, losing 9,500 soldiers by 2025.

The land war in Ukraine and threats to all states which border Russia demands an effective land deterrence overseen by credible air power.this will not be cheap.

The case for the UK defence budget to rise to three per cent of GDP is growing.

Cuts to our land capability must be stopped.there must be a modernisation of our complete tank fleet.thetreasury may not like finding another £20billion a year but all inhabitants of Downing Street must remember that the first duty of government is the security of the state.