Vladimir Putin could declare a new world war in the coming days, the UK’s Defence Secretary has warned.
Ben Wallace has said there is widespread worry that the Russian President may announce a “mass” mobilisation on May Day to announce a war on the world’s “Nazis”.
The violent invasion of Ukraine began back on February 24 as the Russian military claimed to be carrying out a special operation to rid Ukraine of Nazis, Mirror UK reports.
In the weeks that have followed, innocent cities were shelled from the skies and millions of citizens have been displaced in a battle that British government minister Liz Truss said could go on for 10 years.
READ MORE: Vladimir Putin's Russia in most chilling threat to rest of world yet as nuclear fears soar
And in the face of the West providing money and armaments to Ukraine, Russia has referred to its nuclear capabilities in threats to not get involved. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the “danger is serious” of a nuclear war.
Now Mr Wallace told LBC that Putin having "failed" in most of his objectives in the war with Ukraine may declare war on the "world's Nazis".
He said: “I would not be surprised . . . that he is probably going to declare on May Day that ‘we are now at war with the world’s Nazis and we need to mass mobilise the Russian people’.”
He continued: “Putin, having failed in nearly all objectives, may seek to consolidate what he's got . . . and just be a sort of cancerous growth within the country. We have to help Ukrainians effectively get the limpet off the rock and keep the momentum pushing them back.”
At the same time around 8,000 British Army troops are to take part in exercises across eastern Europe to combat Russian aggression in one of the largest deployments since the Cold War.
Dozens of tanks will be deployed to countries ranging from Finland to North Macedonia this summer under plans that have been enhanced since the invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Wallace said the "show of solidarity and strength" will see UK service personnel joining with NATO allies and those from the Joint Expeditionary Force alliance, which includes Finland and Sweden, for the exercises.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said the action had been long planned, but that it had been enhanced since Russia invaded its neighbour in late February.
Aircraft, tanks, artillery and armoured assault vehicles will join the exercises across Europe, with the UK deployment expected to build to a peak of around 8,000 personnel operating between April and June.
Commander Field Army Lieutenant General Ralph Wooddisse said: "The UK makes a significant contribution to the defence of Europe and the deterrence of Russian aggression. The British Army's series of exercises is fundamental to both.
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