The attackers he has threatened to destroy with nuclear weapons live in his imagination. The Russian president has been threatening using his nuclear weapons since early on in the invasion, in the hope of intimidating Kyiv and getting Nato to back off. And so far, it has helped prevent the West from direct intervening in the war. The extensive military support Kyiv consequently received from its Western allies – including Britain – proved vital in helping Ukraine to defend itself from Russian aggression, while sending a clear message to Moscow not to threaten Nato’s borders. Speaking at a military conference, Sanders starkly described the British people as part of a “prewar generation” who may have to prepare themselves to fight in a war against an increasingly aggressive Russia.
- According to a 2022 YouGov poll, only one in five Britons would volunteer for service in the event of an invasion.
- Talk of wider war in Europe and the potential need for mass mobilisation or a "citizen army" may sound alarming.
- Speaking at a military conference, Sanders starkly described the British people as part of a “prewar generation” who may have to prepare themselves to fight in a war against an increasingly aggressive Russia.
- Conscription requires young men and women to serve for a limited time in uniform.
- Even during the London Blitz in 1941, nearly 5,000 looting cases came before the Old Bailey.
A number of European countries also rehearse for civil emergencies - with exercises that involve ordinary citizens as well as the military. As Gen Sir Patrick Sanders stated several times in his speech on Wednesday, "Ukraine really matters". Russia's ambitions, he said, were not just about seizing territory but "about defeating our system and way of life politically, psychologically and symbolically". UK nationals were advised two weeks ago to leave Ukraine while commercial flights were still available.
Is UK conscription for a citizen army a realistic plan?
Russian military vehicles are reported to have breached Ukraine's border in a number of places, in the north, south and east, including from Belarus. He said the UK and allies will launch a "massive package" of sanctions to "hobble" Russia's economy. Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been serving prison time since 2021 after leading street protests and starting a nationwide opposition movement, was recently moved to a penal colony in Russia's far north. The Russian president has intensified a crackdown on opposition since the start of his invasion of Ukraine, and this has ramped up further as the elections have approached.
The prime minister also sought to reassure the British public, pledging to do "everything to keep our country safe" and work with allies "for however long it takes" to restore Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. "They're always trying to find a better way to break our air defence systems and make their attack more efficient," Oleksandr Musiyenko at Ukraine's Center for Military Legal Research told the BBC. But this was followed up with missile attacks, using different kinds of weapons in a bid to overwhelm and break through the city's defences. The foreign secretary also warned last week that harsh UK sanctions could have far-reaching consequences. Nato has a strong partnership with Ukraine (even though the country is not an official member) so it’s not surprising prime minister Boris Johnson has also joined in with Western allies in calling for an immediate de-escalation from Putin.
Ukraine is fighting back
On the face of it no one wants this conflict to spread but there is always the law of unintended consequences and mistakes and misunderstandings escalating into an expanded conflict, as has happened in wars in the past. "We divided our systems for different types of threats," he says, though of course this means relying on the West for ammunition and maintenance. "The Russians tried to concentrate their attacking power… and just aim at one or two cities," Mr Musiyenko said. Russia's Vladimir Putin vowed to increase attacks on Ukraine - now Kyiv is realising what he meant. US President Joe Biden said Mr Putin had "chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering". Meanwhile Russia's currency, the rouble, fell to an all-time low against the dollar and the euro.
Those concerns have been echoed by Britain's most senior military officer. "To think war could be contained to one nation would be foolish," they added. He said that using such weapons - "which burn at 800C" - is in contravention of "protocol three of the Convention of Certain Conventional Weapons".
How will the UK respond to the Ukrainian invasion?
"Ukraine needs new politicians whose policy will be based solely on the principles of the national interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," he said. https://euronewstop.co.uk/what-would-happen-if-russia-launched-a-nuke-in-ukraine.html added that Russia "needs to live up to the basic tenets of international law and invading another country is not one of those". Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said there was "a very serious risk" of invasion but there would be "severe economic consequences", including sanctions, if Russia took that step.
- Tanks and troops have poured into Ukraine at points along its eastern, southern and northern borders, Ukraine says.
- Ukraine has long been calling for long-range missiles, but the US and other countries have been unwilling to supply them in case strikes inside Russia lead to escalation.
- The Russian president has intensified a crackdown on opposition since the start of his invasion of Ukraine, and this has ramped up further as the elections have approached.
- True Russian cyberwarfare capabilities have proved something of a damp squib in Ukraine.
- The Russian defence ministry said that missiles fired from across the border brought down the transport plane, but Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Kyiv had no verifiable information about who was on the plane.