The West faces war with Russia on a scale not seen since the days of “our grandparents and great-grandparents”, the head of Nato warned on Thursday.
Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary-general, said Vladimir Putin had chosen the alliance as his “next target”, in some of his strongest warnings yet on the prospect of war spreading across Europe.
“Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured,” Mr Rutte said in Berlin.
“We need to be crystal clear about the threat. We are Russia’s next target, and we are already in harm’s way.”
The assessment came towards the end of a frantic week of diplomacy, as Ukraine and its European allies
submitted a new peace proposal to the Trump administration that will be discussed in Paris this weekend.
Donald Trump accused European leaders of being “weak” earlier this week and has
outlined plans to pivot away from traditional security alliances on the Continent.
I think Putin senses that Trump, like all bullies is a coward.
I grew up in the UK under Munich's long shadow. So it is reasonable for them to fear Putin's refusal for cast iron security guarantees for Ukraine. I think it is reasonable to draw the parallel to Hitler's invasion of Poland. It is also correct in my view to compare Chamberlain's disgraceful response at Munich to Trump's negotiations with Putin.
Then, as now, Europe's readiness for war is as pity fully, if not worse than in 1939. The biggest threat is that Europe have not had, and do not have sufficient men under arms, which they are belatedly realizing.
So, if Russia under Putin does not follow an agreement then war will follow in Europe. I don't think Trump understands this, or intends to follow America's example at the start of WWII until Pearl Harbor.
My biggest fear is that if there is an inadequate American response to further Russian military action, then the war will turn nuclear fast, at least in Europe and quickly further afield.
There Royal Navy are being kept busy in the English Channel and the North Sea off the British coast, by Russian vessels and especially submarines of late.
My nephew Peter Apps has been warning me of this for some time. He had just published his second book on NATO: - "
The Next World War." This is a follow up to his widely acclaimed "Detering Armageddon." Despite being a high Quadriplegic, due to an injury in sustained in Sri Lanka during their civil war, he is still a serving Army officer, as part of intelligence and he is also on Reuter's staff.
Royal Navy shadowing a Russian submarine in the English Channel today.
I have to say, I have never been more concerned about another global conflict than I am now.
