A top British military expert warned that the likelihood of a general war in Europe had jumped to 20 per cent as the clash between Vladimir Putin and the West over Ukraine grows.
Michael Clarke, visiting professor in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, stressed that the Russian president will not back down but that he is in a “blind alley”.
The alarming situation threatens to escalate into a conflict, he believes, involving multiple countries on a scale not seen since the Second World War in Europe.
Prof Clarke, who was director general of the Royal United Services Institute military think tank from 2007-2015, issued the grim prediction after Putin said that he would regard Nato countries as at war with Russia if the US and UK allow Ukraine to fire missiles supplied by the West deep into his country.
Joe Biden and Sir Keir Starmer are meeting in Washington on Friday at the White House to discuss such a step, though an announcement may not be imminent.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading with Kyiv’s allies for permission to fire Western missiles including long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadows deep into Russian territory to limit Moscow’s ability to launch devastating “glide bomb” attacks.
Putin said on Thursday that such a move would drag the countries supplying Kyiv with long-range missiles directly into the war. He claimed satellite targeting data and programming of the missiles’ flight paths would have to be provided by NATO military personnel, as Kyiv allegedly did not have the capabilities itself.
“If this decision is taken, it will mean nothing less than the direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States and European countries in the war in Ukraine,” he said, and Russia would be forced to take “appropriate decisions”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday: “The statement made by President Putin yesterday is very important. It is extremely clear, unambiguous and does not allow for double readings. We have no doubt that this statement reached those it was intended for.”
But Sir Keir has stressed that Ukraine has the right to defend itself against Putin’s invasion and his regime’s increasing use of “glide bombs” to target cities and town, launched from planes deep inside Russia.
Putin’s war has left hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers dead or wounded, similar casualties among Ukraine’s armed forces, and thousands, if not tens of thousands of civilians have been killed.
After the Russian president’s threats, Sir Keir told reporters as he flew to America: “Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine.
“Russia could end this conflict straight away.
“Ukraine has the right to self defence and we’ve obviously been absolutely fully supportive of Ukraine’s right to self-defence.”
The New York Times reported, citing European officials, that the United States looks set to approve the use by Ukraine of long range missiles against targets in Russia on the condition that the weapons were not those provided by America.
Britain’s Science Secretary Peter Kyle said Putin is “increasingly erratic” and “volatile” in his behaviour which is creating instability in the Ukraine region and around the world.
Prof Clarke said the wording of Putin’s latest threat is “stronger” than other similar remarks and “more explicit” but still was “absolutely to be expected”.
The Russian president was trying to “frighten” people in the West, he added, and the US, UK and allies would be seeking to work out how he may respond rather than reacting to his rhetoric.
