A former British Army officer has issued a stark warning, predicting that World War Three will commence within the next two years. General Sir Richard Shirreff has expressed his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin will exploit the recent Ukraine ceasefire agreement to bolster his military capabilities and prepare for a full-scale conflict with Western nations. Drawing on his extensive military experience spanning almost four decades, Gen Sir Shirreff has emphasized the critical need for the UK to ready itself for such a potential crisis to avoid catastrophic repercussions.
Asserting the uncertainty surrounding the specifics of the deal with Russia, Gen Sir Shirreff has unequivocally stated that Russia will ultimately betray the agreement in a ruthless manner. He has forewarned that unless sufficient measures are taken to deter Russia, a war is imminent within the next two years at the latest. The survival of the Western nations, he contends, hinges on their level of preparedness.
President Putin has made his reluctance to hasten actions evident, demonstrating opposition to the US’s proposed strategy of pursuing an interim ceasefire before engaging in long-term peace talks. President Trump’s recent admission regarding the prolonged resolution of the Ukraine conflict contrasts with his initial promise to swiftly end the war, indicating a slower progress than anticipated by his administration.
In an article for Mail Online, Gen Sir Shirreff highlighted Putin’s disregard for Western lives by referencing the assassination attempt on defector Sergei Skripal in Salisbury seven years ago. The incident, orchestrated using a lethal nerve agent, resulted in the death of an innocent British citizen and severe harm to a police officer. Gen Sir Shirreff cautioned that Western leaders must acknowledge the possibility of Trump inadvertently serving Russian interests.
The necessity for a European peace enforcement presence in Ukraine, excluding direct US involvement, has been underscored by Gen Sir Shirreff, anticipating strong opposition from Russia to frontline deployments. He pointed out that Putin would vehemently oppose the presence of NATO troops near Russia’s borders, potentially complicating any agreements on territorial delineations.
Recent revelations indicated that Russian operatives conducted research on fire protocols at a facility owned by a German arms company before it suffered a mysterious blaze last summer, raising suspicions of attempts to disrupt arms supplies to Ukraine.
Furthermore, Russian trolls on social media have insinuated potential involvement of Mr. Putin in the Heathrow fire incident, referencing previous sabotage operations. The suspects in the Novichok poisonings, known as Alexander Petrov and Boshirov, have been linked to the Salisbury attacks in 2018, fueling speculations of Russian interference in international affairs.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the saleor sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Privacy Notice.