General Sir Patrick Sanders, who heads up the British army, called for a return to conscription which ended in 1963. He framed the call as prewar preparations for a conflict with Russia:
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. . . “We will not be immune and as the prewar generation we must similarly prepare – and that is a whole-of-nation undertaking. Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them.”
Army chief says people of UK are ‘prewar generation’ who must be ready to fight Russia | Military | The Guardian
The UK Ministry of Defense distanced itself from the speech, but previous reports show that the British army is dire shape. Consider this report from earlier this month:
The U.K.’s arms stockpiles have been almost completely emptied by almost two years of deliveries to Ukraine, as per reports by British news outlet The Times. The British newspaper further reported that the U.K., along with other Western European nations, is rushing to increase arms production before the 2024 presidential elections in the United States.
Although London has spent more than £4.6 billion ($5.7 billion) to arm Kyiv since February 2022, NATO’s deputy supreme allied commander for Europe, General Tim Radford, cautioned in July that the U.K. could forfeit its status within the U.S.-led bloc, quoting personnel shortages, among other problems.
Times: U.K. Arms Stockpile Reduced to “Nothing” - The New American
The UK is not alone in the increased concerns about conflict with Russia. The Swedish government recently created a panicky response to warnings that the population needs to prepare for war:
Recurring mantras from the White House and the UK have been that Russia is weak and Putin has already lost. Those narratives have shifted to say that the war in Ukraine is stalemate that will go on for many years.
If military leaders really believe these narratives, then why the increasing anxiety now?
Is it just a crude attempt for more funding?
Or is it a growing recognition that the official narratives are becoming unstainable?