Europe Should Be Thinking in Terms of Being at War, Says Former MI6 Chief

Military personnel participate in the NATO Steadfast Defender 2021 exercise on the deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth off the coast of Portugal, on May 27, 2021. Ana Brigida /AP Photo

Europe should be thinking in terms of being at war and the UK needs to do more to prepare its military to be combat-ready, the former head of MI6 has said.

Sir Richard Dearlove told LBC’s Nick Ferrari on Friday that while he did not believe at this point that the war between Ukraine and Russia would escalate into a wider conflict engulfing the rest of Europe, people should accept that war has come to the continent and invest in the military capabilities of NATO.

“Europe is at war; or psychologically, we should be thinking in those terms,” the former head of MI6 said.

He claimed that there was a “reluctance” on the part of European countries “to prepare themselves psychologically. To not just be sympathetic towards Ukraine, but to be able to support Ukraine, materially, and in a more direct, organised, and focused manner than is happening at the moment.”

Sir Richard’s comments follow those of NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and chairman of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Rob Bauer, who, in recent months, both told Europe to prepare for conflict with Russia.

Income Tax Breaks for Joining Army

Sir Richard also suggested that while the UK was also not psychologically ready, it was also not practically ready for war, particularly in terms of manpower.

“We have run down armed forces in the UK,” the former spy chief said, adding: “I think we’re all worried that if we had to face a crisis, how would we build them? How quickly could we build up our military forces?”

He continued: “Look at the state of the navy. You know, the number of capital ships that we have. It’s appalling. Look at the size of the armed forces. Look at the size of the army. I mean, this is very, very worrying. We can’t depend on sophisticated kit. The war in Ukraine makes it absolutely clear that boots on the ground are an essential part of an effective military.”

Sir Richard suggested creating incentives to boost recruitment, such as a four-year moratorium on income tax for those who sign up to the army for two years.

Earlier this month, the Commons Defence Committee warned that the UK will not be ready to engage in a conflict unless the government addresses the armed forces’ recruitment crisis and stockpile shortages.

“The government risks being unable to build true warfighting and strategic readiness because of the sheer pace of operations, which could threaten the security of the UK,” the report said.

Nuclear Sabre Rattling

In his assessment of the war in Ukraine, the former spy chief said that at present, there was no risk of escalation which could pull the NATO alliance into conflict, because “there’s tremendous caution on both sides.”

In Article 5 of the treaty under collective defence, if one member of the alliance is the victim of an armed attack, other NATO members will consider it an attack against all members and will take actions deemed necessary to assist the attacked ally.

“We haven’t reached that point yet. But it’s there in the background, and we should be worried,” he cautioned.

Likewise, he labelled the nuclear threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s administration as sabre rattling, noting that NATO also has nuclear capabilities that act as a “massive deterrent.”

He added that the downside for Mr. Putin using nuclear weapons “is massive” as it would result in American escalation, “and there would certainly be huge Chinese disapproval, as well.”

Former MI6 head Sir Richard Dearlove in London on Feb. 20, 2008. Cate Gillon/Getty Images

Communist China Is UK’s Second Greatest Threat

While Sir Richard currently considered Russia to pose the greatest danger to the UK, he said China came second, but the concerns were more long term and complex, given how intertwined the economies are.

“The Chinese Communist Party at its 20th congress made it quite clear, if you read the documentation, that the country has set on world domination by, I think, 2050 ... or 2049. So we have a strategic problem with China.

“But at the same time, our economies are intertwined. So how do we strike a balance between a trading relationship with China and a strategic relationship which doesn’t give them the advantage that they seek over us?” he said.

NATO on Largest European Exercises in 40 Years

Earlier this month, the UK’s 7 Light Mechanised Brigade, also known as “The Desert Rats,” travelled to Poland to take part in Steadfast Defender, NATO’s largest European exercise since the Cold War.

Steadfast Defender, which commenced in January and will end on May 31, is what NATO calls “a significant display of military prowess,” which allows the defence union to showcase “transatlantic unity, strength, and determination in the face of evolving security challenges.”

Approximately 90,000 troops from all 31 NATO allies and partner Sweden are engaged in operations spanning a dozen European countries in multi-domain exercises across land, air, sea, cyber, and space.