True Left

London - U.K. civilians should be ready to fight in a hypothetical land war, the head of the British army, Gen. Patrick Sanders, said Wednesday, warning that the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine showed it was "citizen armies" that make the difference in conflicts. He said the British military is currently too small to respond to the threats emerging in a changing world.

"Taking preparatory steps to enable placing our societies on a war footing when needed are now not merely desirable but essential," Sanders said in a speech. "Our friends in eastern and northern Europe, who feel the proximity of the Russian threat more acutely, are already acting prudently, laying the foundations for national mobilization."

The U.K. army is currently estimated to include around 75,000 fully trained professional soldiers, and there are another 60,000 service members in the British navy and air force.

The U.K. spends around 2% of its gross domestic product on its military. Though the British government says that will increase to 2.5%, Sanders, who has long argued for more military spending, said the army should grow to a standing force of around 120,000 soldiers by 2027, and even that "is not enough."

"Ukraine brutally illustrates that regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them," Sanders said...

U.K. army chief says citizens should be ready to fight in possible land war

"Taking preparatory steps to enable placing our societies on a war footing when needed are now not merely desirable but essential," British Gen. Patrick Sanders said.

cbsnews.com

Don't forget, the Russians took Outer Manchuria from China in the early 1900. Vladivostok was known as  Yongmingcheng when it was in the Outer Manchurian state of China. The Chinese have actually changed to the original Chinese name on their modern maps. Using Russian logic to invade Ukraine, China could invade eastern Russia and take back Outer Manchuria.

China would have an easier time taking Siberia than they would Taiwan.

wait until Russia is further weakened in Ukraine, probably this summer.  taking back Manchuria, which they claim is historically Chinese(same excuse Russia used for Ukraine), and the eastern oblasks would give China....
1. control of huge reserves of oil, gas, and water that they are badly in need of
2. access to the north pacific via petropovlask and the Kamcheka peninsula, bypassing the first island chain, making a war for Taiwan less important/urgent

China's astounding advantage in manpower would be decisive.  Even if Russia managed to drag China into a war of attrition (Russia's typical defensive posture), China wins a war of attrition.

Cmon, it’s obvious given the short supply lines China would be able to take the eastern cities such as Vladivostok

If China took Siberia that would transform China into a juggernaut, as its biggest weakness is it relies on overseas shipping to maintain itself, a weakness that the US has exploited by building bases around the area so they could block it to greatly damage their economy.

But with Siberia which is incredibly rich in natural resources such as Oil, minerals, timber etc. that weakness disappears plus China will now have alternate routes for coastal trade.

“This is a late 1930s moment, and if we don’t react to it, we’re doomed not to learn the lessons of history.”

Lord Dannatt warns the UK government and our NATO allies to take the threat of Putin seriously.

In this exclusive interview with DW's Ines Pohl, retired US Army officer Ben Hodges discusses German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's announcement that there are British troops in Ukraine before the UK has announced it, and why it seems inadvisable for Scholz to rule out Germany sending its own troops to Ukraine. Hodges also touches on the oft-mentioned subject of what the chances really are that Putin would deploy his nuclear arsenal.

Macron didn't say we should send troops to Ukraine, he said he couldn't rule out the possibility.

Macron specifically said there was no consensus in Europe about the possibility of sending troops, but that he thinks we should keep this open. This journalist keeps misrepresenting what was said.

This is the most frank, sensible and straightforward interview I have watched since a couple of months.  Thank you all for sharing your insights.  Now, if only our politicians and bureaucrats would follow suit.

I feel sorry for Scholz... definitely a softy for the good times, but way out of his depth when times get tough.

"I would lose the war if you come, so I must try to keep you out with threats."

haha he talks like hes the only one with nukes

Time to call his bluff.

SEND THE TROOPS!

Send them.

We should send troops.

Please send troops.

Send Troops! Never back down from a bully

Manchuria is rightfully Chinese territory. China hasn't forgot this Mr. Putin.

Outer Manchuria will be China's again

Instead of trying to take Taiwan and start a global war with little to gain in return they should take the Russian territory where there are lots of natural resources.

Precisely! Go north, young Chinaman, go north!

Give us Manchuria back. And much of Siberia.
Thank you.

Russian surplus women whose husbands are dying in Ukraine and Russian daughters, will marry surplus Chinese men

I have wondered for over a year why China has not been taking bites out of Eastern Russia

China should do it. With global anger against Russia over their invasion of Ukraine, not many allies would come to Russia’s aid.

Imagine how much Siberia will change if China owns it. Infrastructure, population-replacement, new cities, mines and mills.

Not just oil and gas, probably the most important resource over the coming decades will be water, which Russia and specifically Siberia, have vast amounts.

You are 100% correct. Lake Baikal will give China all the water they need. It used to be part of China, and is so close they can almost taste it. Now would be the perfect time for them to move on it. Here's hoping......

Russia isn't doing much with Siberia anyway. The Chinese can develop it far more than drunken Russia. Then again, China's population is about to start decreasing also. Parts of India and pakistan that are about to lose water should move up there.

you go china & take back all land that russia took from the middle kingdom.  russia currently is a mess, plus so much sanctions & tariffs from the west.  also, internal conflicts, weak ecomony, current wars, etc.  taking back land from russia should be a walk in the park.