"The price of peace is rising, we must prepare"/ What the head of the British Armed Forces warns

2025-12-16 07:35:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"The price of peace is rising, we must prepare"/ What the head of the

The head of the British Armed Forces, Admiral Sir Richard Knighton, has stressed the need for British citizens and their families to prepare for the possibility of armed conflict with Russia. He warned that the risk of Russian aggression is growing and that international security is at its most dangerous point in decades.

The head of the British General Staff said that Russia's military power is growing and this is a cause for serious concern, as Russian forces have now gained combat experience after almost four years of large-scale war in Ukraine. As he stressed, Russian troops are "war-hardened" and this is changing the balance of security in Europe.

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute, Sir Knighton stressed that the UK’s armed forces, working with NATO allies, would be the first line of defence in the event of a conflict, but he made clear that this was not enough. He said a comprehensive national effort was needed to strengthen the country’s resilience.

In this context, he publicly agreed with his French counterpart, General Fabien Madon, who said last month that France should be prepared to lose its children in a possible war with Russia.

"The situation is more dangerous than at any time in my career and the price of peace is rising ," said the head of the British armed forces.

The head of the British armed forces explained that, although defense analysts estimate that there is only a small chance, in the order of 5%, that Russia would launch a significant direct attack or invasion against the United Kingdom, this does not mean that the chances are zero.

Referring to the capabilities of the Russian armed forces, despite the fact that the country is locked in a large-scale war with Ukraine, he stressed that Russia's strong power is growing rapidly.

“Over the past 20 years, Russia has undertaken significant defense reforms and significant investments in its previously weak armed forces. The Russian armed forces now number more than 1.1 million people, absorb over 7% of GDP and about 40% of state spending, a figure that has more than doubled in the last decade, ” he added.

The British army numbers just over 70,000 soldiers, with the government committed only to increasing defense spending to 2.5% of GDP (from 2.3%) by 2027. /CNA