The British Defence Minister, Wes Streeting, has described Russia and President Vladimir Putin as the greatest threat to the country’s security, also warning that the United Kingdom is facing “the greatest risk of war” in his lifetime.
Streeting clarified that this threat was the basis for the decision to “adopt the largest sustained increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War,” report PA Media and DPA agencies, cited by Agerpres.
In a statement given to The Sun on Sunday publication ahead of the Labour Party conference, which begins on Sunday in Liverpool, he asserted that, “without any shadow of a doubt, the greatest threat to Great Britain is represented by Russia and President Putin”.
“We have a war on our continent. We have a Russian president with imperialist ambitions, who constantly tests the defense capabilities of Great Britain and NATO, as well as the solidity of our alliances. Therefore, the reality that gives us pause is that we are facing a risk of war greater than ever in my lifetime,” warned Wes Streeting.
He declared himself confident that the country has the necessary resources to maintain its security, however, this would no longer be valid if the defense systems were to “stagnate” for five years.
“Force generates deterrence capacity, and this significantly reduces the likelihood of ending up in a situation we do not want: that of being at war with Russia or, indeed, with anyone else”, he stated.