The key facts

  • Richard Knighton called the current period 'the most dangerous' of his adult life
  • He believes that Britain, compared with other European countries, insufficiently recognizes the 'threat'
  • Earlier in October, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the country was ready for a conflict 'in a thousand days'

A call to take the 'threat' more seriously

Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom Richard Knighton said in an interview with Financial Times that the 'threat from Russia' to European countries 'continues to grow.' In his view, London, compared with other European states, does not sufficiently grasp the scale of this 'threat,' which is why he called on the British authorities to take it more seriously. As context, the newspaper Gazeta.Ru notes that Knighton accused Russia of sabotage, cyberattacks and other incidents, characterizing these accusations as unsubstantiated.

'The most dangerous period' and a plan of action

'This is the most dangerous period I can remember in my entire adult life. The threat — primarily from Russia, but also in a broader global context — continues to grow. <...> The stronger we are, the higher the likelihood that we will manage to deter Russia from trying to test our resolve,' Gazeta.Ru quotes Knighton as saying. In his view, European countries should rearm their militaries and step up military training, as well as explain the situation to citizens in order to secure their support for increasing defense spending.

Context of the October statements

Knighton's statement continues a series of recent remarks by the British military leadership. At the end of October, UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said that NATO countries do not want a war with Russia, but 'must be ready' for such a scenario; earlier in the same month he emphasized that London must be prepared for a conflict with Russia 'in a thousand days'. On October 22, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the words of Western leaders about the Russian threat and preparations for war with Russia 'political schizophrenia'. Thus, the interview by the head of the defence staff aligns with the position that the British defence ministry voiced throughout October, while the Russian side rejected these assessments.