The head of Britain’s armed forces and his German counterpart have said there is a “moral” case for rearming against the threat of Russia.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the UK’s chief of the defence staff, made the case for investing more in defence alongside General Carsten Breuer, Germany’s chief of defence.
In a joint letter published in the Guardian and German newspaper Die Welt, the pair of senior soldiers said they were speaking “not merely as the military leaders of two of Europe’s largest military spenders, but as voices for a Europe that must now confront uncomfortable truths about its security”.
They warned Russia has “shifted decisively westward” amid its invasion of Ukraine, and suggested there was a need for a “step change in our defence and security” across Europe.
The military chiefs’ warning comes after the close of the annual Munich Security Conference, which saw world leaders gather to discuss the future of Europe’s defence and the war in Ukraine.
Their letter added: “There is a moral dimension to this endeavour. Rearmament is not warmongering; it is the responsible action of nations determined to protect their people and preserve peace. Strength deters aggression. Weakness invites it.
“Finally, the complexity of threats demands a whole-of-society approach and an honest, continent-wide conversation with the public that defence cannot be the preserve of uniformed personnel alone. It is a task for each and every one of us.”
In his speech at the conference, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called on European nations to step up their defence spending so they were no longer reliant on the US.
He also announced the UK would be sending its carrier strike group of warships to patrol the Arctic, amid fears of Russian and Chinese influence in the so-called High North.
