UK must prepare for direct conflict with Russia – defense secretary
The UK plans to mobilize billions of pounds to bolster its military-industrial base in preparation for a potential conflict with Russia, Defense Secretary John Healey has said.
The statement comes ahead of the publication of the government’s Strategic Defense Review on Monday. According to the BBC, the report is expected to portray Russia and China as major threats to the UK.
The review is expected to allocate £1.5 billion ($2 billion) toward building six new munitions factories. Over the next five years, London will dedicate around £6 billion to manufacturing long-range weapons, including Storm Shadow missiles, Healey told the BBC on Sunday. The missile, developed jointly with France, has reportedly been used by Ukraine to strike civilian targets in Russian territory, according to Moscow.
“This is a message to Moscow as well. This is Britain standing firm – not only strengthening our Armed Forces, but also reinforcing our industrial base. It’s part of our readiness to fight, if required,” Healey said.
Western support for Ukraine has exposed serious weaknesses in arms production, with British military leaders warning that weapons stockpiles are dangerously low, the BBC reported.
As one of Kiev’s strongest backers in Europe, London has provided Ukraine with around €15.16 billion ($17.2 billion) in aid, more than two-thirds of which is military support, according to data from Germany’s Kiel Institute.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have both advocated for placing Western troops in Ukraine. They have lobbied for a peacekeeping force to be deployed in the event of a full ceasefire.
Russia has warned that any NATO troops deployed to Ukraine – even under the designation of peacekeepers – would be treated as legitimate targets. It has also stated that foreign involvement would only escalate the conflict and ultimately fail to prevent Russia from achieving its military objectives.
