Britain and NATO must rearm or face threat of WW3 within five years with Russia-China-Iran ‘Axis’ now more dangerous than the Nazis, warns UK’s ex army chief General Sir Patrick Sanders

The UK and NATO face the very real threat of a Third World War within five years, with a possible attack on allied territory if they do not thoroughly rearm, the outgoing chief of the British army has warned.

According to General Sir Patrick Sanders, Russia, China and Iran are the ‘new Axis powers’. According to him, they pose an even greater threat than the Nazis did in 1939.

“They are more dependent on each other and more aligned than the original Axis powers,” the former chief of the army general staff said.

This has left the world facing “one of the most dangerous moments since 1945,” he told The Times.

While a major war with Russia is not inevitable, he said, it becomes more likely if the UK and its allies fail to “address the threats and shortcomings in our capabilities” and rearm significantly.

General Sir Patrick Sanders said Russia, Iran and China pose an even greater threat than the Nazis in 1939.

The office of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him (R) as he receives Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tehran, on July 19, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this year

According to the general, estimates suggest that the UK has ‘something like five to 10 years left before Russia has recapitalised and can once again pose a threat to the country, as it did before the war in Ukraine.’

He said significant steps needed to be taken “immediately”, including modernising the armed forces and making “society and the UK” more resilient.

He said the British armed forces were no longer strong enough to engage in conflicts such as those seen in the past, such as the 2003 invasion of southern Iraq.

He added that the capacity of the armed forces could be so diminished that they would not be able to retake the Falkland Islands as they did in 1982, in the absence of the task force needed to continue the campaign.

Last week, a senior Ministry of Defence official warned that the UK is “not prepared to fight and win an armed conflict of any scale”.

Sanders indicated that the situation was even more dire: “We can’t do this on any scale,” or at least not for “very long.”

Rescue workers work at the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital which was damaged in a Russian missile attack, during the Russian attack on Ukraine, in Kiev, Ukraine, July 8, 2024

Ukrainian soldiers from the 37th Marine Brigade fire a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer at Russian troops

He said that while a new global conflict on the scale of World War II was “unlikely” but “plausible.”

Potential flashpoints around the world include China, which he described as “a rising power with territorial ambitions,” but also Iran because of its destabilizing activities in the Middle East and North Korea.

According to him, Russian aggression in Eastern Europe could also lead to a broader conflict.

These dire warnings come after Vladimir Putin faced global condemnation yesterday following a horrific attack on a children’s hospital in Kiev.

The murderous attack underscored why Ukraine is so desperate for more anti-aircraft guns to defend its airspace.

It was also a chilling message to Britain’s new prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, and other NATO leaders gathered in Washington today for a summit marking NATO’s 75th anniversary.

Sir Keir has promised increase Britain’s military spending to 2.5 percent of GDP, but only if the government finances are healthier. He is now coming under increasing pressure to present a timetable.

Speaking to the Mail, Defence Minister Mark Francois urged the new prime minister to ‘‘send a message to the world that he is committed to the defense’ and ‘turn his words into actions.’

Meanwhile, NATO will also need to increase its capacity. Military sources warn that many more troops and air defense systems are needed.

China is a “rising power with territorial ambitions,” the general said. File image shows Chinese naval submarines

The military alliance will need 35 to 50 additional brigades to fully implement the new defense plans in the event of an attack from Russia, authorities said.

A brigade can consist of 3,000 to 7,000 soldiers. So if you form another 35-50 brigades, you will eventually have 350,000 soldiers.

After the end of the Cold War, many NATO allies reduced their air defense systems, expecting that they would face only a limited missile threat from countries such as Iran in the future.

This perception changed dramatically after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which forced allies to scramble to increase their ammunition stockpiles and address shortages of air defense systems.