Alarm signal given by British and German army chiefs. “Russia moved decisively to the west”

In a joint appeal, the chiefs of the German and British armies urged the populations of their countries and other European countries to support the armament effort, bringing a “moral” argument against the background of the threat represented by Russia, writes Deutsche Welle.

Germany's army chief, General Carsten Breuer, and Britain's chief of the defense staff, Marshal Richard Knighton, wrote a joint letter, published in The Guardian and German newspaper Die Welt, in which they said there was a “moral” case for rearmament, stressing that “our security is more uncertain than in recent decades”.

Breuer and Knighton said they were speaking “not only as the military leaders of Europe's two biggest military spenders, but also as the voices of a Europe that must now face uncomfortable truths about its security.”

“People need to understand the tough choices”

“As the defense chiefs of two of Europe's largest security forces, we have a duty to explain what is at stake so that people understand why our governments have committed to the biggest sustained increases in defense spending since the end of the Cold War. That is why it is important to communicate the threat. People need to understand the difficult choices that governments have to make to strengthen deterrence,” the two explained the approach.

The two senior military officials said Russia's military posture “has shifted decisively westward” and that it is rearming and learning from the invasion of Ukraine, “reorganizing itself in ways that could increase the risk of conflict with NATO countries.”

Military leaders said Russia's growing military capability, “combined with its willingness to wage war on our continent, as painfully seen in Ukraine, represents an increased risk that requires our collective attention.”

Russia 'could be encouraged to extend its aggression beyond Ukraine'

Breuer and Knighton warned that if Russia perceived weakness or disunity in Europe, “it could be emboldened to extend its aggression beyond Ukraine.”

In this regard, the two say that “military readiness must mean a strong defense industry”, the two highlighting the munitions factories built in Britain and the stationing of a German battle brigade on NATO's eastern flank, while noting Berlin's efforts to make available “virtually unlimited defense funds”.

The German government is spending considerably more on defense as it seeks to modernize and strengthen the Bundeswehr, which has suffered decades of budget cuts.

Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered a radical shift in Germany's security policy, which was previously based on military restraint.

Rearmament “is a responsible action by nations determined to protect their people”

Their letter also states: “This initiative has a moral dimension. Rearmament is not incitement to war, but a responsible action by nations determined to protect their people and maintain peace. Strength deters aggression. Weakness invites it.”

Breuer and Knighton concluded by saying that a “society-wide” approach is needed and that defense cannot be the responsibility of those in uniform alone.

“Society-wide defense requires resilient infrastructure, leading-edge technology research and development in the private sector, and national institutions prepared to operate under growing threats,” the military chiefs said.

“When Europe acts together, we are a formidable force. And we act together, not just Britain and Germany.”

The warning from military chiefs comes after the end of the annual Munich Security Conference, where world leaders gathered to discuss the defense of Europe and the war in Ukraine.