- Former British Army Chief Urges West to Hand Over ‘Decisive Weapons’
- General Sir Patrick Sanders said Ukraine must pose an ‘unacceptable threat’
- Former military chief said Putin is unlikely to use tactical nuclear weapons
The former British army chief says Ukraine must pose an “unacceptable threat” to Russia and the West must provide “decisive” weapons to help Ukraine achieve this.
General Sir Patrick Sanders, who only stepped down from his role as a key figure in June, called on Ukraine’s allies to provide better weapons, dismissing fears that Vladimir Putin would use tactical nuclear weapons.
“The main thing now is to make sure Ukraine can win,” the 58-year-old told the Money Maze podcast.
“It’s not just about surviving on the battlefield — which may be all we’re doing right now. It’s about creating unacceptable threats to Russia that will force Russia and Putin to rethink.”
Although the West heavily supports Ukraine, it has been reluctant to offer Volodymyr Zelensky’s country further possibilities. Many countries have until recently imposed severe restrictions on how their weapons can be used.
General Sir Patrick Sanders (pictured), who only stepped down as a key figure in June, called on Ukraine’s allies to take action and provide better weapons
Ukraine has been under siege since February 2022
Britain has taken delivery of long-range Storm Shadow missiles (pictured)
Ukrainian soldier from the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade of the Air Assault Troops prepares his M777 howitzer to fire on Russian positions on the front in the Donetsk region
Zelensky this week accused Britain of “watering down” support for Ukraine as he demanded “barriers” be removed in his country’s fight against Russia.
The Ukrainian president has stepped up his campaign to ease restrictions on the use of Britain’s powerful Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of about 250 kilometres.
Mr. Zelensky this month oversaw a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, which he said was intended to create a buffer zone to prevent further cross-border attacks by Moscow.
Britain has given the green light for the use of British-donated weapons on Russian soil as part of Ukraine’s self-defense.
The only exception is the Storm Shadow missiles, which are off-limits outside Ukraine’s borders, but Zelensky said “long-range missiles” are “essential.”
His team claims that easing British restrictions on the use of weapons could “turn the tide of the war”.
While the West has heavily supported Ukraine, it has been slow to allow Volodymyr Zelensky’s nation to unlock further capabilities
Ukrainian servicemen from the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade of the Air Assault Troops fire on Russian positions with an M777 howitzer at the front in the Donetsk region, Ukraine
Ukrainian soldier Oleh from the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade of the Air Assault Troops prepares 155mm artillery shells before firing on Russian positions on the front in the Donetsk region
The reluctance of Ukraine’s Western allies to ease arms restrictions stems largely from fears of escalating tensions with Russia, one of the few countries with nuclear weapons.
But Sanders said: “We overestimated how Russia would react to our support for Ukraine.
“In some ways, we’ve deterred ourselves, because we’ve allowed the Russians to gain what you might call ‘escalation dominance.’ We’ve held back from the kind of decisive support that we could have given Ukraine early on, out of fear of what the Russians would do.
“But like a boiling frog, every time the Russians reach the threshold where they said they would respond, they don’t.”
Sanders said it is vital that Ukraine gains the upper hand in the brutal conflict.
“It’s very hard to see where you can make a deal. Because any deal is probably just a temporary pause. Or you give Putin what he wants, which is basically surrender.
“The consequences of surrender will not only be terrible for Ukraine, they will also fundamentally undermine the security of the West and the Euro-Atlantic region. And of course, it will embolden and support autocrats and dictators all over the world who do not adhere to our value system.”