General Sir Patrick Sanders, the Chief of the General Staff, has warned that the UK may need to conscript civilians to fight against Russia.
During a speech delivered at the International Armoured Vehicles Conference held in Twickenham, General Sanders emphasized the need for ministers to mobilize the nation and prepare for the possibility of a wider conflict that could be triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
General Sanders has been a long-standing critic of the army’s staffing shortages and believes that, at present, the military is too small to handle the conflict alone.
Although he does not personally support conscription, he believes that the public needs to change their mindset regarding their willingness to defend the country against foreign adversaries.
The General has issued a warning in light of NATO’s call for preparedness against Vladimir Putin’s forces. The allies have been urged to take all necessary actions, including conscription, which would require ordinary civilians to fight a war for the first time in over 60 years.
The National Service Act, passed on the day Britain declared war on Germany in 1939, required all men between the ages of 18 and 41 to join the armed forces and fight.
