General Sir Patrick Sanders took command of General Sir Mark Carleton Smith on Monday and wrote in his accusations about the challenges they face. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underscores our main goal of protecting the United Kingdom by being ready to fight and win wars on land,” he said. Russian troops face armed confrontation with officers – live updates “There is now an ardent need to create an army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle. “We are the generation that must prepare the Army to fight again in Europe.” He added that he was the first Chief of General Staff since 1941 to take command of the Army “in the shadow of a land war in Europe involving a continental power”. Both the Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have warned that they are ready to offer Ukraine long-term support. Image: General Sir Patrick Sanders His comments followed Boris Johnson’s recent trip to Kyiv to meet with the Ukrainian president, after which the prime minister said that Vladimir Putin’s invasion was “entering a new phase”. Writing to the Times, Mr Johnson said: “I’m afraid we have to arm ourselves for a long war as Putin launches a campaign of destruction, trying to crush Ukraine with sheer barbarism. Read more: US acts like “sent by God to Earth”, Putin says Russia could take 10 years to recover from sanctions “We need serious equipment” says Ukrainian commander “Everything will depend on whether Ukraine will be able to strengthen its ability to defend its territory faster than Russia can renew its ability to attack,” he added. “Our task is to spend time on the side of Ukraine.” The government set plans last year to reduce the size of the regular Army, reducing the size of the staff from 82,000 to 72,500 by 2025. When the announcement was made in March 2021, the Army had about 76,500 regular soldiers.
