Labour must ignore their dismal poll ratings when deciding on £18 billion boost to Armed Forces
Given the threat posed by Vladimir Putin’s regime, the Armed Forces need a substantial injection of funds
In an open letter to Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called for face-to-face peace talks, saying "the world has not grown tired of Ukraine, as you long hoped it would. But there is growing fatigue with Russia.”
Amid signs the Russian dictator is facing domestic discontent as the war drags on but also reports that Moscow is planning for the fighting to continue into 2028, Putin’s mindset is difficult to fathom.
However, even if he does decide to move towards peace, no one should be in any doubt about the threat his evil regime poses. This is a man whose forces routinely attack civilian targets and who murders Russians, like Alexei Navalny, who dare to oppose him.
While Putin may take a break from his attempts to rebuild the Soviet empire, he would almost certainly renew his efforts, if allowed to do so. It is in this context that the UK must consider the parlous state of its defences.
READ MORE: 'These are not mistakes': Russian drone strike in Romania shows why UK must urgently rearm
Russia ‘testing our defences’
The Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, has now warned that “this is the most dangerous time I have known in my working life”. “It is important that society and all of us recognise and understand that, and that may mean that we need to make different choices and different priorities,” he added. Russia, he said, was "probing, challenging, testing our defences" with cyber attacks, “reckless sabotage” and assassination attempts.
Following the publication of the Strategic Defence Review last year, an argument has been raging within the UK Government about how much the country can afford to spend on strengthening the Armed Forces. We are about to find out Labour’s decision, with the Defence Investment Plan due to be published before the Nato summit on July 7.
The plan is said to include an extra £18 billion, but Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves are reportedly considering a reduction because of fears this would be unaffordable. Everyone knows the pressure the government is under but, given the seriousness of the threat, ministers must strive to make the unaffordable affordable – even if the necessary shift in priorities makes them all the more unpopular.
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