Leonard T. Koonce 
June 19, 2022, 10:05 am | Updated: June 19, 2022, 10:07
General Sir Patrick Sanders said British troops must prepare “to fight again in Europe”.
Photo: Aliyah
The new head of the British army told his troops that they must prepare to fight the Russian army in a possible third world war.
General Sir Patrick Sanders took over from General Sir Mark Carleton Smith on Monday and wrote to his charges about the challenges they face.
He told British soldiers they are the generation that must prepare “to fight again in Europe” as the conflict in Ukraine continues.
“There is now a burning imperative to forge an army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle,” Sir Patrick said.
“We are the generation that must prepare the army to fight again in Europe,” he added.
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He said the invasion of Russia underscores the “primary objective of the military to protect the UK” and has led to a “new era of insecurity”.
According to The Sun, the warning came in his first speech since becoming Chief of the General Staff this month, taking overall control of the British military.
General Sanders added: “I am the first Chief of the General Staff since 1941 to take command of the army in the shadow of a ground war in Europe involving a continental power.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underscores our primary objective – to protect the UK by being ready to fight and win wars on land.”
It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned from Kyiv, warning that we must prepare for a long war.
After his visit to Kyiv, Boris Johnson said Vladimir Putin’s invasion was “entering a new phase” and that if Russian advances were successful, it “would not stop at the dismemberment of Ukraine”.
Writing in The Times, Mr Johnson said: “I fear we need to arm ourselves for a long war as Putin resorts to a campaign of attrition, trying to crush Ukraine through sheer brutality.
“The UK and our friends must respond by ensuring Ukraine has the strategic stamina to survive and ultimately prevail.”
“Everything will depend on Ukraine’s ability to strengthen its ability to defend its soil faster than Russia can renew its ability to attack,” he added.
“Our task is to buy time on the side of Ukraine.”
General Sir Patrick Sanders, the new head of the British army.
Photo: Aliyah
There are growing fears that Vladimir Putin could launch an attack on one of Britain’s NATO allies.
Russia has threatened to hit British targets on NATO territory because it is supplying arms to Ukraine.
Moscow’s defense ministry said any London support for Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil would invite a “proportionate response”.
According to the UN, more than 4,200 civilians have been killed since the invasion began in February and more than 7 million people have fled the country.
