The world is facing a wider conflict with ‘adversaries around the globe’, Ben Wallace warns

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace warned today that the world faces a wider conflict as a range of adversaries around the world – from Russia to China – pose a threat to our future security.

Wallace said towards the end of the decade that the world will be a “more dangerous, more unstable place” in his stern warning yet that a third world war could come.

He warned that a “conflict is on the way,” pointing to how there could be a wider conflict between NATO and Russia in the future, as well as the threat posed by a “rising China” and African extremists.

“By the end of the decade, the world will be a more dangerous, unstable place, and defense will be more important to our lives,” Wallace said. The Financial Times.

“I think there’s a conflict coming, whether it’s hot or cold… I think there’s a conflict coming with a whole host of adversaries around the world… We all need to be prepared for it. ‘

Pictured: A Chinese soldier fires a weapon during combat training of the 42nd Fleet of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy at an unspecified location in the sea, on Jan. 31

Wallace (pictured Thursday) warned that a ‘conflict is coming’, pointing to how there could be a wider conflict between NATO and Russia in the future, as well as the threat posed by a ‘rising China’ and African extremists

The Defense Secretary’s stark warning came as he urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to set a firm date by which the UK’s military spending will be increased from 2.1% to 2.5% of GDP.

Wallace’s warning echoes those of United Nations Chief Antonio Guterres and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who have said separately that the world now faces a confluence of challenges “like no other in our to live’.

G7 leaders are meeting in Japan today to address those challenges, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions in Asia.

Fighting in Ukraine is feared to spiral out of control into a war between NATO and Russia, with Moscow repeatedly accusing Western allies of effectively becoming a party to the conflict by supplying Ukraine with weapons, training its troops and provide military intelligence to attack. Russian Armed Forces.

And there are also concerns about renewed conflict in Asia as relations with China deteriorate.

Western leaders are increasingly concerned about what they see as Beijing’s growing assertiveness, fearing that China could attempt to seize Taiwan by force, speaking of a wider conflict. China claims the self-governing island as its own and regularly sends ships and warplanes nearby to intimidate residents.

At the G7 summit, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also hopes to highlight the risks of nuclear proliferation at the meeting in Hiroshima, the site of the world’s first atomic bomb.

The prospect of another nuclear strike has been crystallized by North Korea’s nearby nuclear program and spate of recent missile tests, and Russia’s threats to nuclear weapons in his war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, China is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal from an estimated 400 nuclear warheads today to 1,500 in 2035, according to Pentagon estimates.

Armed al-Shabab fighters ride pickup trucks in 2008 as they prepare to travel to the town just outside Somalia’s capital Mogadishu

A Ukrainian Army Grad multiple rocket launcher fires rockets at Russian front-line positions near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Wednesday

And in the Sahel region of West Africa, extremist violence is spreading south towards coastal states.

Rising jihadist violence linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group that has killed thousands, displaced millions and plunged countries into crisis.

While most extremist activity is concentrated in the interior Sahel region of West Africa in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, violence is rapidly spreading to coastal states such as Ghana, which is experiencing an increase in attacks by unidentified groups, who may have ties to jihadists. .

Northern Ghana had only one violent incident related to an unidentified armed group in 2021, but that number rose dramatically to 19 by 2022, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr is poised for a first post-invasion trip to Asia-Pacific, with the leader poised to meet allies at the G7 summit in Hiroshima

The previously unannounced visit was unveiled by officials on Friday — a rare long-distance trip for the wartime president and an opportunity to gather with leaders from seven wealthy democracies who are funding his country’s stoic defense.

The visit comes at a potentially pivotal time in the 15-month-old conflict, as Ukrainian forces push back against Russian gains at Bakhmut and prepare for a long-awaited spring offensive.

Top Zelensky security aide Oleksii Danilov said the Ukrainian leader would go “where the country needs him, in any part of the world,” including Hiroshima, a city synonymous with the horrors of war.

“Very important things will be decided there, and therefore the presence, the physical presence of our president is absolutely essential to defend our interests,” Danilov said.

An informed source in Hiroshima said Zelensky would now appear in person, though the timing of his arrival remained unclear.

The trip will also give Ukraine’s president a chance to win over powerful non-aligned countries, including Brazil and India, whose leaders have also been invited.

Zelensky recently embarked on a European tour, begging for military aid, such as modern American-made fighter jets, and tougher sanctions against Russia.